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HELP, Coolant loss, Getting Hot

4K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  Johnson023 
#1 ·
Ok,

I have a 2003 330xi - Having some issues here, the car is getting hot if I do a lot of town driving and sit, I've noticed the temp gauge goes up then back to 50% straight up and down. Well. Sometimes my low coolant light comes on.. I go somewhere today and my car is getting hot from sitting and idling, I pop the hood and see coolant leaking out of my cap - My cap is tight though? Ive already replaced the crap that the overflow screw is attached too, with the hoses. I seem to be putting coolant in it atleast once a week no more than 2 times. I have never had the temp gauge in the red but its been close... What could this be? I am dumb founded..... Car has 149k miles - NO check engine lights and passes every OBD scan.

Any ideas? Thanks
 
#13 ·
So I take my car to a shop in town that specializes in foreign cars. I tell him the deal, he says probably air still in the cap or whatever. He bleeds it, I stan at the door watching everything they do, Guy turns around and fingers me to come over their, so I do. He says watch this... "NOTE" My car has been running 20 minutes, its at normal (I think) operating tempertures... He sticks his finger into my fan and stops the blades. I was wow'd. He says, I shouldn't be able to do this, and spins it the opposite direction, pulls finger out and fan starts to rotate more, I tell him, why in the world he would do that and he tells me " I have big balls " HAH I guess so. So my problem was my clutch fan. Getting a new one tmw. Thanks for all the replies guys!
 
#16 · (Edited)
What about water pump, thermostat, and expansion tank?

I'm sure it's ok are famous last words.

I'm not generally one of the guys on here who's all for pointless maintenance but replacing these parts of the cooling system is cheap insurance compared to what a new engine would cost. The head and block of the M54 engine are easy to destroy if they overheat.
 
#18 ·
Your coolant temperature can change a ridiculous amount before the needle will even move. If it has gone even a hair past half, an overheat IS in your future if you don't fix your cooling system. I can spend hours at the track on a 110 degree day and the needle won't budge past half.

Fix your stuff and fix it fast.
 
#20 ·
Dude, I'm in Beavercreek... we need to chat one of these days. Speaking from experience, if you haven't already, you need to at least change your expansion tank to keep it from blowing up on you. Mine took a **** on me the day before Thanksgiving as I was leaving to head home, and almost kept me from spending the holiday with my family if not for fixing it myself!

I'd be more than willing to teach you how to do stuff and or do some work for you at a reasonable rate. I've had my car for a year and a half, and have so far not had to take it to a shop *knocks on wood* as I've managed to DIY everything. Shoot me a PM and we'll get in touch one of these days, I'm glad to help out a fellow Bimmer enthusiast. :)
 
#22 ·
Need some help guys. 01 330xi, Low Coolant light comes on but only at high speeds and when the heater is on. When I come to a stop or am sitting at a stop light it goes off until I gain some speed. Checked the level when the car was off and level was fine. Wondering if I can check the level with car running and cut the heater on and see if I can add to it. Any suggestions, advice, tips would be appreciated. Thanks in Advance. BTW the car is not overheating.
 
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