apples24

iTrader: (1)

1997 bmw 520i, been running fine for couple days, then notices temp high and red light on, takes cap off after waiting to steam a tad and let the pressure throw some coolant out, refills and sets off, heaters on full can feel them warming up so think cool sorted, then needle starts rising and blowers start goin cold again, so my thinking is maybe she needs cooland system bleeding as may of ran well low.

i can see a plastic screw type thing with a cross obviously for screwdriver aid on a housing wich meets the coolant pipes.

gonna give it a couple hrs to cool down then try to bleed and refil system, how is it done?

also when car running hot hose to left of rad is cool and hose to right is hot???
but when i first refilled and checked it at petrol station i noticed the other hose warming up so thought was fine, but now home and hot again the left side hose is cool again.

fuggin cars...lol
any advice?

[Edited by apples24 - 1/23/2003 1:43:23 PM]

apples24

iTrader: (1)

oh and the fan on these is a viscous innit? if not thats my prob as with ignition on without engine runnin there was no fan noise present

Reffro

First thing to check would be the water pump, if that's given up the ghost you will get problems the problem you have described. With no water circulating only certain parts of the cooling system will warm up, plus with no warm water to push through the heater matrix you'll eventually get cold air blowing through. At the same time the thermostat should also be looked at, though with the thermostat stuck closed you would still get heat through the vents, but it won't do any harm to check.

Another slightly left field thing to check is your coolant, I had an Audi that gave me exactly the same problem as you are suffering, the temp guage shot up and cool air from the vents. The pump and thermostat were fine. I eventually figured out the cause to be the coolant itself. My father the amatuer bodger had taken it upon himself to drain, flush and re-fill the cooling system. 'But father' I said 'you haven't put any anti-freeze/coolant mix with the water' ' No worries my boy' comes the reply 'we are in May now you'll not need that for months yet' Anyway to cut the story short, the Audi cooling fans were primed to kick in at 110 deg C, so before the cooling fans could do their work, my plain water boiled up as if in a kettle. So it might be work checking what temp your motor should be operating at and the state of its coolant, it may be boiling up in the engine.

apples24

iTrader: (1)

yea know what ya mean, took it to me mechanic, wreckns was a huge airlock, no water was in the bottom hose, he filled the hose up with warm water, and basically bled it though, all sorted now, he bollocked me for not checkin me water...lol

panik over
right pain in the buttcheaks to bleed though, bloomin beemers

thanx for the reply