water water water

[Pirate_copy]

hello

Dont think this has been covered recently so here goes (if it is, i am VERY sorry)......

I have always had the dreaded CHECK COOLANT LEVEL displayed on my OBC, but was told it was because of a faulty sensor so never worried about it.

I bought a new one last week and when i went to fit it, i checked the water level and it was VERY low (the engine was hot after a 50 mile run), but the temp guage showed all was well. i waited for it to cool down (took AGES) and then filled to the line halfway down the outside of the resevoir. I then did around 500 miles and checked again. it was very low again (1/4 full) and the temp guage was showing exactly half-way. i checked the guage and it is working properly.

I never see water under the car, the performance is perfect, there is no smoke or anything from the exhaust, no white gunk in the oil so where is it going???

any ideas? also, when the engine is hot, should there be more, or less water in the radiator that when it is cold (i guess more)?

Thank you oh keepers of the BMW knowledge :thumbup:

[siknis]

there is a proper technique for filling an E36 radiator

see the bimmer DIY website for info on this sort of thing.
http://www.bimmerdiy.com/diy/e36coolingsystem

basicly you fill up the resivoir with the bleed screw removed unitl it overflows with no bubbles. its messy but its the required process. you then start the car and run it and let it cool. the level should drop to normal and if required top it up a little.

air locks in the cooling system can cause your car to get hot very quickly, this is why it is important to flush and fill the system properly :thumbup:

[Pirate_copy]

funny you should mention that cos my car heats up VERY VERY quickly but does not go over half-way.

will flush the system, and try again.

Thank you so much for this, i really appreciate it

[Pirate_copy]

should i replace the thermostat while i am doing the above?

is it a case of "might as well while you are there?"

[JBlood]

No need to replace the thermostat while you are simply bleeding the air out; however, if you decide to do this you should probably also change over to the aluminum thermostat housing - that's one of those preventative things that might save you hassel down the road...

[siknis]

change to the alloy housing if you dont already have it.

also, make sure the required amount of bmw specific coolant is used.
i buy 2 bottles to fill up, i use about one and a half :D