Who else still has the original cooling system?

I am at 120k, and don't officially qualify because the ET did blow out 3 years ago. Otherwise, all original. But I am not proud of that like some, I am relatively nervous. I have all the parts for a complete system change (I mean every single o-ring, sensor, new hardware, hard lines, heater valve, plus the normal big items). I want to change it before something bad happens, but I am completely unable to do so right now.

109K miles, all original. Not skerred.

110000 miles, original everything (I think) I replaced the pump about 6 months ago

293k miles and 2 weeks on the new
ET, WP, T stat, upper, and lower hoses, and sensor. I have the heater inlet pipe, and return hose on hand, and will get to them soon.


2nd Radiator

3rd Water pump

3rd ET

2nd set replacement Upper/Lower Hoses

2nd or first replacement Thermostat

Originally Posted by 325inthe510

110000 miles, original everything (I think) I replaced the pump about 6 months ago

lol, sooo it's NOT original everything

Originally Posted by ///MPR77

293k miles and 2 weeks on the new
ET, WP, T stat, upper, and lower hoses, and sensor. I have the heater inlet pipe, and return hose on hand, and will get to them soon.


2nd Radiator

3rd Water pump

3rd ET

2nd set replacement Upper/Lower Hoses

2nd or first replacement Thermostat

Crazy! 293k, holy crap!

I got 2002 325i with 185k miles, still got original radiator, changed Water pump, ET, hoses, and TS twice

Originally Posted by Tampa02e46

lol, sooo it's NOT original everything


Crazy! 293k, holy crap!

is it original motor?

71k miles all orginal except for the Tstat. I think Im going to it soon though. Just for a peace of mind. I know it needs to be done. just need to get some parts. Im debating on if I want to get rid of my clutch fan while im at it or not and do the Electric fan mod. Since it is getting colder soon, I could prolly take it off and it wouldnt hurt anything. My work commute is only like 15-20mins max.

Just turned 180K! Thermostat went bad at 30K and the pump was leaking and the shaft was wobbling at 114K. So, a new thermostat and Stewart pump went in. Everything else is original!

Original owner of my car replaced the entire system with OE parts at 75k as PM. I'm at 132k now, so I'm probably going to do it (via Mango's guide) again before summer hits. Ain't skeered, but I would rather deal with it when it is convenient for me to do so, rather than on the side of the interstate.

Lol. My original cooling system failed just under 75,000 miles. And that was almost 60,000 miles ago.

Originally Posted by hummer

Just turned 180K! Thermostat went bad at 30K and the pump was leaking and the shaft was wobbling at 114K. So, a new thermostat and Stewart pump went in. Everything else is original!

Here is my radiator at 156k miles. I wonder what yours looks like? Have you used the OBC to see what temp yours runs at? Just curious. Thanks.

Still stock with over 200,000 miles.

Originally Posted by E46@46

Here is my radiator at 156k miles. I wonder what yours looks like? Have you used the OBC to see what temp yours runs at? Just curious. Thanks.

Holy hell.

Originally Posted by Paulscustom

Still stock with over 200,000 miles.

HOLY HELL

Are you the first owner?

Originally Posted by TerraPhantm

Hmm... Honestly, I think you're both right. If a crack already exists, then a pressure test will reveal it - either by coolant showing through, or by the pressure slowly dropping. If a crack has not yet formed, then perhaps the mixture of heat and pressure will throw it over the edge.

But simply increasing the pressure slightly beyond what would be seen in a real-world scenario should stress it to a similar extent as heat.

I agree, I think they both might be right.
It is possible for a leak to start when a part gets hot and expands (it is also possible for a leak to seal when a part gets hot and expands).
Likewise for a part that cools, a leak could start, or seal, as the part contracts.

But any real leak almost always seems to show up in a pressure test. Hot or cold. It might not be a visible leak, it could be an internal leak. If the leak is slow it might take a few minutes to show up on the gauge (and then you always wonder, is it a real leak, or just a leak between the gauge and what you are testing - soapy water can help show this kind of leak). You might have a slow leak that the people doing the testing did not wait long enough to see on their gauge.

Did they also pressure test the cap? Maybe the cap is leaking. Or, maybe the cap does not seal well to the tank.

Probably the smart thing to do is replace both tank and cap - at least.

But before you do that, you might want to find out if you actually have a leak.
The light on the dashboard can be useful, but it can also be wrong. You do not say what the float tells you the fluid level is. You might want to add a little distilled water to bring the level between min and max. Shouldn't take much.
You want to keep it BETWEEN min and max - don't go under min, don't go over max. Be careful, at least on my BMW the float will not go above max, but, you could fill it above max if you wanted - don't do that, keep the level just a little below max.

I've read someplace that cooling level sensor and windscreen fluid level sensor are the same part on our cars. This could be useful information if you determine the problem is the sensor, and not the actual fluid level. Switch sensors to determine if it is a sensor problem or a wiring problem.

FWIW I bought my car used this summer. Service records show the thermostat was replaced at about 23K, or 28K can't remember right now. Presumably warranty replacement. Car has about 80Kmiles and 10 years on it. Belts were replaced about 10Kmiles ago. I hate to replace parts that seem to be working OK, but, think I will replace ET and cap since they seem to be common points of failure at about this age. I might do the whole mango thing on the cooling system just because it is easier and cheaper to deal with at home than it is to wait for it to fail. Duct tape and bailing wire will not get you home if the ET explodes.

I'm at 100k miles and I believe mines the Original unless the last owner replaced it. Going to do it soon as I can tho

2001 around 78K, replaced thermostat and upgraded to Stewart water pump around 30 or 40K.....all other cooling system parts stock and original. I have an expansion tank on hand ready to go though.