* E46 Cooling Guide (Information w/parts list/bleeding) *

Originally Posted by mkodama

Why does this sticky tell people to replace certain parts blindly or based on mileage instead of doing a proper diagnosis? Like belts, bearings, and thermostats for example? It's a pretty wasteful use of money and time prematurely replacing those parts...

Not sure how I missed this comment. How is preventing a catastrophic overheat by spending $500 every 5 years or 60,000 miles a waste of money?

E46=$10,000
Cooling refresh=$500
Reliable transportation=$10,500

Is that a seriously hard concept to comprehend? This isn't your typical V-configuration engine--these engines are particularly vulnerable to permanent damage once overheated. All it takes is one leaking part or a frayed belt to ruin your day.

Are you not aware of all the overheating threads we get on a daily basis?

Ever notice the people that properly maintain their cooling systems never post such cooling failure threads?

If you can't afford the $500 on top of the money you spent to buy your car, you shouldn't be driving one. Period.

Again, people against this can choose what to do with their cars. You can sit there and diagnose all day long, repair one part at a time. I've been there and done that. I know what it takes and this is why this thread exists.

The information provided in this thread is for those that will use it properly. And given the thousands of positive responses, it seems to sit quite well with people.

shiii man, they didn't have the URO aluminum water pump pulley in stock so I had to go with the OEM plastic...

I know it's obviously alright but plastic pulleys...

Originally Posted by sweetbro858

shiii man, they didn't have the URO aluminum water pump pulley in stock so I had to go with the OEM plastic...

I know it's obviously alright but plastic pulleys...

They're fine as long as they're replaced with the rest of the cooling system. I've seen them crack at 100,000 miles when removing it to get to the water pump.

Originally Posted by E46Mango

Not sure how I missed this comment. How is preventing a catastrophic overheat by spending $500 every 5 years or 60,000 miles a waste of money?

E46=$10,000
Cooling refresh=$500
Reliable transportation=$10,500

Is that a seriously hard concept to comprehend? This isn't your typical V-configuration engine--these engines are particularly vulnerable to permanent damage once overheated. All it takes is one leaking part or a frayed belt to ruin your day.

Are you not aware of all the overheating threads we get on a daily basis?

Ever notice the people that properly maintain their cooling systems never post such cooling failure threads?

If you can't afford the $500 on top of the money you spent to buy your car, you shouldn't be driving one. Period.

Again, people against this can choose what to do with their cars. You can sit there and diagnose all day long, repair one part at a time. I've been there and done that. I know what it takes and this is why this thread exists.

The information provided in this thread is for those that will use it properly. And given the thousands of positive responses, it seems to sit quite well with people.

I know my car isn't worth 10k but still

I went ahead and bought everything to replace the system.

I can easily justify it a few different ways: I haven't had a car payment is over 5 years, so spending money here and there isn't a big deal, and is always fun to work on my car. And... My car just hit 120k and I ask myself how much longer am I expecting this thermostat/exp tank to last? To 200k?

This weekend I'm gonna enjoy some beers and sling some wrenches.

And if you just Google BMW E46 warped head then you'll see

Originally Posted by sweetbro858

I know my car isn't worth 10k but still

I went ahead and bought everything to replace the system.

I can easily justify it a few different ways: I haven't had a car payment is over 5 years, so spending money here and there isn't a big deal, and is always fun to work on my car. And... My car just hit 120k and I ask myself how much longer am I expecting this thermostat/exp tank to last? To 200k?

This weekend I'm gonna enjoy some beers and sling some wrenches.

And if you just Google BMW E46 warped head then you'll see

Yup. Not having car payments is definitely nice. The only new car I ever liked was my 2006 E46. Since they don't make the E46 any longer, the best way to get a new E46 is to make your own.

Originally Posted by dmax

On the radiator removal...in a manual at least...

I removed the Radiator with ET on it and dealt with the disassembly out of the car.

If you remove the ET first though, I think there are literally only 3 screws holding the radiator in. It lifts out very easily. There are clips you'll see it sits in at the bottom...and then just a few screws...Two at the top corners and then one lower on the left side iirc.

The big thing on the radiator is to make sure you get the right one (auto or manny). The OE originally came with a leveling screw so one radiator can be converted to either auto or manny, but the Behr we get AM doesn't have that...or didn't when I got it anyway.

Sorry to hijack the post but I'm changing out my radiator today
and the Nissens fitting instructions say to use silicone or a non acid grease
on the o-rings. What would that be?
Is Lithium acid free? Didn't know grease had acid in it.

Always a difficult topic to get definitive facts on. I'd not use the Lithium unless the container says compatible with rubber.
I use an O-ring silicone lube that is designed for underwater camera enclosures that I bought at a photography store.
But I'd think you could buy a can of all purpose silicon lube and that would work fine.
Many say use straight coolant, but then some have had leaks after doing this. In my opinion, coolant is not designed to be lube and I choose to not have faith in it. My hoses slide on with ease with the O-ring lube and never had a leak.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...op+Nav-Search=

O-Ring Care and Maintenance
Courtesy of Gates Underwater Products

If you're like many owners of underwater video or camera equipment, you may wonder: just how does one provide proper care to the o-ring seals that keep water safely away from my expensive electronics? This is an excellent question. The answer seems to pervade the world of SCUBA, passing from mouth to mouth, but there seems lacking a consolidation that brings all that useful advice together. Well, this brief guide will help de-mystify o-rings, their proper care, and provide a good useful summary information.

What is an O-Ring?
An o-ring is really nothing more than a thick rubber band! They are almost always round, or "O"-shaped, but can be rectangular, oval, trapezoidal, or any shape required to establish a watertight seal.
In cross section, they are almost always perfectly circular, although some "+" shaped o-rings are being used today as well. O-Rings are always made of an elastomeric material, which is a fancy way of saying they can stretch and deform. They can be made of natural rubber, latex, silicone, viton, or many other stretchy materials. This is an important feature of o-rings as it provides the means by which a watertight seal is formed.

How do O-Rings work?
O-Rings are installed where two mating surfaces come together and a watertight seal is required. Looking at two such mating surfaces (like a housing) in a cross-sectional view, with water on the outside and your electronics on the inside.
When the housing is submerged, pressure is exerted on all sides of the o-ring exposed to the water. The o-ring is then "squeezed" toward it's only side not exposed to the water, which is into the o-ring groove created where the surfaces mate. The water itself is pushing the o-ring tight against the mating surfaces, locking itself out so it cannot enter the other side. The greater the pressure, the better the seal. This is how an o-ring seals! Rather simple and ingenious, and quite effective.

How Do I Care for O-Rings?
As you may have reasoned, o-rings must be free of dirt and debris to work. Any foreign material that compromises the o-ring being squeezed into the o-ring groove will allow water to enter. This is bad. Fortunately, it's very easy to maintain the integrity of this seal by simply inspecting, cleaning and lubricating the o-rings when required.

thanks nice infor

Originally Posted by Stinger9

Always a difficult topic to get definitive facts on. I'd not use the Lithium unless the container says compatible with rubber.
I use an O-ring silicone lube that is designed for underwater camera enclosures that I bought at a photography store.
But I'd think you could buy a can of all purpose silicon lube and that would work fine.
Many say use straight coolant, but then some have had leaks after doing this. In my opinion, coolant is not designed to be lube and I choose to not have faith in it. My hoses slide on with ease with the O-ring lube and never had a leak.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...op+Nav-Search=

O-Ring Care and Maintenance
Courtesy of Gates Underwater Products

If you're like many owners of underwater video or camera equipment, you may wonder: just how does one provide proper care to the o-ring seals that keep water safely away from my expensive electronics? This is an excellent question. The answer seems to pervade the world of SCUBA, passing from mouth to mouth, but there seems lacking a consolidation that brings all that useful advice together. Well, this brief guide will help de-mystify o-rings, their proper care, and provide a good useful summary information.

What is an O-Ring?
An o-ring is really nothing more than a thick rubber band! They are almost always round, or "O"-shaped, but can be rectangular, oval, trapezoidal, or any shape required to establish a watertight seal.
In cross section, they are almost always perfectly circular, although some "+" shaped o-rings are being used today as well. O-Rings are always made of an elastomeric material, which is a fancy way of saying they can stretch and deform. They can be made of natural rubber, latex, silicone, viton, or many other stretchy materials. This is an important feature of o-rings as it provides the means by which a watertight seal is formed.

How do O-Rings work?
O-Rings are installed where two mating surfaces come together and a watertight seal is required. Looking at two such mating surfaces (like a housing) in a cross-sectional view, with water on the outside and your electronics on the inside.
When the housing is submerged, pressure is exerted on all sides of the o-ring exposed to the water. The o-ring is then "squeezed" toward it's only side not exposed to the water, which is into the o-ring groove created where the surfaces mate. The water itself is pushing the o-ring tight against the mating surfaces, locking itself out so it cannot enter the other side. The greater the pressure, the better the seal. This is how an o-ring seals! Rather simple and ingenious, and quite effective.

How Do I Care for O-Rings?
As you may have reasoned, o-rings must be free of dirt and debris to work. Any foreign material that compromises the o-ring being squeezed into the o-ring groove will allow water to enter. This is bad. Fortunately, it's very easy to maintain the integrity of this seal by simply inspecting, cleaning and lubricating the o-rings when required.

OK another question. Is white lithium the same thing? Mine says lube for metal parts....gears....seats tracks etc.
I have some silicone but I think its not grease. Its the silicon that gets rubbery when hardened.
New o-rings came with my new radiator and I will replace the ones inside the hose with them.
Hoping they seal properly. The lower hose was so tight I had to pretty much beat it off the outlet after getting the radiator out.

Def not talking Silicone Caulk!

Don't know about white Lithium Grease. Read the label.

Hoses on an e46 stick hard when trying to remove them. But should go on real smooth to the 'clicks' when properly lubed.

Originally Posted by Stinger9

Def not talking Silicone Caulk!

Don't know about white Lithium Grease. Read the label.

Hoses on an e46 stick hard when trying to remove them. But should go on real smooth to the 'clicks' when properly lubed.

OK Thanks. I found some silicon spray lube in my garage. It made the hoses go back on pretty easy.
One was leaking last night onto the fan and making a antifreeze mist but I hope it will seal itself after getting the engine fully warmed up.

Was the leaking O-ring one that was re-used?

Originally Posted by Stinger9

Was the leaking O-ring one that was re-used?

Yes .....I should have bought some to change them all out.
Luckily today they all seem sealed up and working fine.
I just need to bleed it properly and I should be good to go.

So on my dashboard my coolant sign sometimes comes on and off its weird so I checked my coolant level this morning when the car was OFF and there's no liquid in there whatsoever ... Which is really bad?

Am I supposed to check it when the car is on?
I may have a leak?


What should I do

BTW that is known here as the "mango" light
®dmax

Check for leaks.
replace cooling system.
Bleed properly.

For now, I would pick up some distilled water...bleed the system, and monitor vigilantly.

Here is an alternative bleed method.
DO NOT USE TAP Water.

http://db.tt/mHwuTp3K

For now just top it off with some distilled water. If the coolant light comes back on the. There is definitely a leak. Keep an eye on your eng temp.

My 323 had the same problem. Didn't know what the problem was cuz it never came back once I top off the coolant.

sent from my HTC EVO+ using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by ferhatkochan

So on my dashboard my coolant sign sometimes comes on and off its weird so I checked my coolant level this morning when the car was OFF and there's no liquid in there whatsoever ... Which is really bad?

Am I supposed to check it when the car is on?
I may have a leak?


What should I do

Top it off with some coolant, or as stated below, a small amount of distilled water. Check your hoses, expansion tank, and radiator for any signs of leaks.

Always check the coolant when the car is cold. There is significant pressure on the expansion tank when it's hot, I would not advise to open the cap until the car is cold.

Just don't overfill the exp. tank! (over filling will cause an old expansion tank to fail most unpleasantly. Just a heads up)
Only fill to the specified level (between max. & min.)
Keep monitoring it and watch that temperature closely.

If (most likely it will again) the low coolant light comes back on, you just confirmed you have a leak. So, prepare for a complete cooling system refresh.

Originally Posted by ///MPR77

BTW that is known here as the "mango" light
®dmax

Check for leaks.
replace cooling system.
Bleed properly.

For now, I would pick up some distilled water...bleed the system, and monitor vigilantly.

Here is an alternative bleed method.
DO NOT USE TAP Water.

http://db.tt/mHwuTp3K

DMAX tried:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...ht=mango+light

and +1 on not using tap water. distilled is $1.

you can likely find that under the seat...

I personally use Fiji water.