Overheat, Overly Joyed...NOT

Last time we got a room, he tried to remove my lower hose. I told him to stop calling it that...that my lower hose was in my car, not in the room.

Mango really loves cooling stuff...gotta admit!

Originally Posted by dmax

Last time we got a room, he tried to remove my lower hose. I told him to stop calling it that...that my lower hose was in my car, not in the room.

Mango really loves cooling stuff...gotta admit!

I told you to keep those secrets... well... secrets. Should I tell them when you tried to peak into my expansion tank with a flash light?

Originally Posted by dmax

Last time we got a room, he tried to remove my lower hose. I told him to stop calling it that...that my lower hose was in my car, not in the room.

Mango really loves cooling stuff...gotta admit!

The dried-up white stuff on your engine bay is not coolant.

You could have warned me that that wasn't the expansion tank, you know!

Still, I found it odd that you had a cooling level sensor there!

Originally Posted by Zell

The dried-up white stuff on your engine bay is not coolant.

You know how I know Jake is out of the country?

Originally Posted by dmax

For someone wanting to fix a broken cooling system, without enough money to replace everything, I'm just saying that the radiator seems to hold up nicely. It's rare it has a catastrophic failure at the neck, and the leak between plastic and aluminum (which I had) is commonly not seen before high mileage.

$300 gets you everything else but the radiator. That's not really squat, is it? It addresses the most common issues we have--therm, wp, and ET.

But, on the other hand, your $500-700 doesn't get you the four ancillary hoses or hard pipes...not the whole system either.

I've said many times I agree with you to do the radiator after so many miles...I think after 120K it makes sense to do. My radiator failed at 180K miles...and I can't recall threads where a radiator has failed at under 100K...though I'm sure it's happened.

Peace brother!

Mine went last year at 95,000 miles and change. Tank was ok. Thermostat might be on the blink though.

Well I bought the car with 84,000 or so miles and they had replaced the radiator before I bought it, along with a few other things that showed replacement needs. So I assume since they replaced it, there was something wrong with it before 100k but since they did that, then I don't need to replace the radiator, its only 10k miles old.

There you have it DMAX, a radiator that failed less than 84,000 miles.

That's a fair assumption, Carter. I'll also say that with my saying the radiator can last, I'm basing that on the rest of the system being okay and or the owner not trying to drive an overheated car any distance. That would certainly put pressure on things that would put them over the edge.

Finally, I'll say that I think many radiators get replaced just so a shop has covered all the bases...and make a little more money.

Sorry for the threadjacking going on in your thread...but at least you're getting views and suggestions too!

I love it, thanks for the help guys, definitely much appreciated as I was going bananas last night trying to figure out what I was going to do. Make the purchase and will grab a wrench this weekend (I think saving $400 on labor is in my best favor). Will definitely update on Sunday after I replace, the tank, hoses, and thermo.

Originally Posted by CarterRuss

I love it, thanks for the help guys, definitely much appreciated as I was going bananas last night trying to figure out what I was going to do. Make the purchase and will grab a wrench this weekend (I think saving $400 on labor is in my best favor). Will definitely update on Sunday after I replace, the tank, hoses, and thermo.

Don't forget your water pump (approx $50). Also, if you can stretch the budget a little, this would be perfect time to replace your belts and, at the very least check all your pulleys and tensioners (replace them if you can afford to). You've got to remove your main belt to replace the thermo anyway. If your old belts look good, you can always keep them in the trunk as emergency spares (s'what I did ).

Originally Posted by bratliff

Don't forget your water pump (approx $50). Also, if you can stretch the budget a little, this would be perfect time to replace your belts and, at the very least check all your pulleys and tensioners (replace them if you can afford to). You've got to remove your main belt to replace the thermo anyway. If your old belts look good, you can always keep them in the trunk as emergency spares (s'what I did ).

So I didn't add the water pump or pulley's, I will most likely end up doing that tomorrow since it seems to be right with everything else I will be doing. Couple questions.

1. Is it hard to remove the automatic mech fan?

2. I read one install that required drain both the radiator and an engine plug, but I have read most that just say drain the radiator...do I have to do both?

3. Should I replace the various sensors?

PS There was a large puddle of coolant under my car...blah

Originally Posted by CarterRuss

So I didn't add the water pump or pulley's, I will most likely end up doing that tomorrow since it seems to be right with everything else I will be doing. Couple questions.

1. Is it hard to remove the automatic mech fan?

no. i can do it in less than 30 seconds using an adjustable wrench and a screwdriver.

2. I read one install that required drain both the radiator and an engine plug, but I have read most that just say drain the radiator...do I have to do both?

ideally should do both.

3. Should I replace the various sensors?

there's a fan switch in the lower hose and a level sensor in the expansion tank.

PS There was a large puddle of coolant under my car...blah

face bavaria before starting any work

Do yourself a favor and definitely replace the pulleys/belts while you are there. If you do not, you will suffer from paranoia of "what is that noise???" "did that pulley feel gritty???" "is my new water pump bearing bad??" etc. They are cheap, and similar to the cooling system will fail.

Mango come to Boston help me haha but I was looking through your parts list, you didn't list an expansion tank hose? Do I not need that or was that missed?

Now you want Mango...what am I...diced peach?

You don't have to drain from drain plug, but you should...do this after you drain the ET...and since you're removing lower radiator hose anyway, that might be safer than draining from radiator if you're not replacing radiator...just so you don't mess with radiator drain plug.

Get a crush washer for drain plug, and be prepared for your coolant bath. If you happen to drink any coolant, drink a beer afterwards...I read here that alcohol neutralizes the poison from coolant. Cool story, huh?

The upper radiator hose is the ET hose...unless you mean the one below, which is part of the engine cooling/heating hoses...and I think you have two hoses down there...just be careful and slow in removing them, as the 0-rings aren't replaceable that I know of...though you might be able to get one. The issue with those other hoses is getting to the back side of them. One goes to a hard pipe floating by the intake mani...and it's pitb to get off...and you need to be gentle as that pipe is hard plastic...and to replace the hard pipe, you'd have to remove intake mani.

I think I'd recommend passing on these other hoses. I removed the last of these ancillary hoses just a few weeks ago...and all the hoses were fine. The issue is going to be the o-ring on them...the hoses last almost forever. (You could buy all the other hoses and replace those you can get to easily, but I'd hold on this for another time. (Maybe Mango found what aftermarket o-ring sizes fit our hoses? Someone did replace one of the o-rings I know...but not sure what hose. Take your 0-rings to truvalue and see what they can do.)

To remove mech fan, 32mm long thin open ended wrench, and either a long screwdriver or pulley holding device. Don't know where guys are getting them, but here you can find them from Bimmertools.com I know.

Leave the fan up and down...don't lie it flat. It's not hard to do, but I've never done it! Use the right tools...no sledge please until you know what's up!

Damn, I missed that Mango answered you 'in line'!

You don't 'have to' replace the temp or level sensors. Temp sensor you can just get the IAT 0-ring for (see jfoj's sig)...and the ET level sensor is in a dry place. If yours is working, it will continue to if you don't break it. You can replace them, but you could also save your $5 for when you need to replace them if you want.

HTH. (Oh, in places where I offered a different answer than Mango, you'll just have to decide for yourself who to believe! He'll be a little more conservative than me, but neither of us take medication for our OCD, so you'd be okay either way!)

Originally Posted by CarterRuss

Mango come to Boston help me haha but I was looking through your parts list, you didn't list an expansion tank hose? Do I not need that or was that missed?

Get it if you feel you can get
to it. I've never seen one go bad but will replace mine next time around.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Bimmer App

Leave your main belt on to keep resistance on the wp pulley. I was able to remove my Mech fan with just the 32mm wrench. Mech fan and shroud had to come out together. Also remember that the fan has LEFT hand threads.

dmax, I don't usually put all my fruit in one basket haha. But no you all have been a huge help.

I think the final list:
-3 Hoses: upper, lower, expansion
-Expansion tank and cap
-Thermostat
-Water pump
-2 belts
-crush washer

missing anything? I figure down the road I may convert to an electrical fan and do the pulleys at that time