My baaaaby!!!
06 May 2003, 05:45 PM
#1
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Help!
As you may guess I am an M3 TWT (E36 Evo) and my baby just went pop!
I was driving on the M25 when the engine cut out, stopped, game over!
I have had the car ferried to Sewells BMW of Bishops Stortford and have just had a brief conversation with one of the mechanics. He says that the problem was caused by the radiator expanding, placing pressure on the oil cooler which lead to my oil pipes rupturing. He "THINKS" the engine is ok but can't be sure as it can't be started yet.
Now I am not technical AT ALL, but this does reek a bit, I though radiators were bl**dy big things - how much can one expand? Enough to rupture oil lines? Aren't they fairly tough?
Anyone got any thoughts? The car was serviced at Sewells not long ago (1500 miles-ish, only lost one service light).
The price for replacing the broken bits is 1300 + VAT, are there any checks we can do to see if the engine is ok before starting this work?
Ta
As you may guess I am an M3 TWT (E36 Evo) and my baby just went pop!
I was driving on the M25 when the engine cut out, stopped, game over!
I have had the car ferried to Sewells BMW of Bishops Stortford and have just had a brief conversation with one of the mechanics. He says that the problem was caused by the radiator expanding, placing pressure on the oil cooler which lead to my oil pipes rupturing. He "THINKS" the engine is ok but can't be sure as it can't be started yet.
Now I am not technical AT ALL, but this does reek a bit, I though radiators were bl**dy big things - how much can one expand? Enough to rupture oil lines? Aren't they fairly tough?
Anyone got any thoughts? The car was serviced at Sewells not long ago (1500 miles-ish, only lost one service light).
The price for replacing the broken bits is 1300 + VAT, are there any checks we can do to see if the engine is ok before starting this work?
Ta
06 May 2003, 06:56 PM
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Eek!! I'm buying one of these shortly, not the kind of thing I (or you for that matter) really wanted to hear 
What miles were on the car, age, etc?
The explaination does sound slightly odd right enough. I find it strange that the radiator would 'expand', but to expand to that degree!?!? Highly unlikely I would have thought
Having said that, there is a lot more technically minded people in this forum than me
Anybody shed some light on this?
What miles were on the car, age, etc?
The explaination does sound slightly odd right enough. I find it strange that the radiator would 'expand', but to expand to that degree!?!? Highly unlikely I would have thought
Having said that, there is a lot more technically minded people in this forum than me
Anybody shed some light on this?
07 May 2003, 08:34 AM
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Thanks for the replies. Sounds you're like me in that you think it's a bit fishy but can't say why for sure.
If the mechanic had said the radiator had exploded I wouldn't have been so suspicous (possibly incorrectly) as that sounds plausible to my uneducated mind, but EXPANDED, that just sounds silly. It didn't explode btw because apparently the engine looks fine which would seem most unlikely.
The car is a 97 P saloon (family car!) with 68k of mainly motorway miles, and I have to say I would wholeheartedly recommend them as a slightly lary motorway muncher.
If the mechanic had said the radiator had exploded I wouldn't have been so suspicous (possibly incorrectly) as that sounds plausible to my uneducated mind, but EXPANDED, that just sounds silly. It didn't explode btw because apparently the engine looks fine which would seem most unlikely.
The car is a 97 P saloon (family car!) with 68k of mainly motorway miles, and I have to say I would wholeheartedly recommend them as a slightly lary motorway muncher.
07 May 2003, 04:01 PM
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Unfortunately I don't own the plate. I heard it mentioned on an earlier Scoobynet thread, apparently there is a SL55 AMG driver out there with this plate.
I PMSL when I heard about it and have to admit was green with envy; second best is to use it as my Scoobynet name, after all if the cap fits! Sad perhaps but I don't care!
Matt
I PMSL when I heard about it and have to admit was green with envy; second best is to use it as my Scoobynet name, after all if the cap fits! Sad perhaps but I don't care!
Matt
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05 July 2003, 09:00 AM
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Im no mechanic but on my old cossie the radiator and its hoses all expanded when i had a head gasket problem. Apparantly the boost pressure was escaping in to the water ways caused by the head gasket leak and hence inflating both the radiator and the water pipes. One looked like a ballon 
I know the M3 is normally aspirated but i guess there is still air that is being drawn in/burn't by the engine which could cause this.
Maybe?
I am sure there will be some mechanically minded people along to correct me shortly.
Cheers
Ali
[Edited by AliWrx Mk2 - 5/7/2003 9:02:48 AM]
I know the M3 is normally aspirated but i guess there is still air that is being drawn in/burn't by the engine which could cause this.
Maybe?
I am sure there will be some mechanically minded people along to correct me shortly.
Cheers
Ali
[Edited by AliWrx Mk2 - 5/7/2003 9:02:48 AM]