535i coolant system problems.

Originally Posted by coolredlich

When you installed thermostat was the little arrow or up?

The stock M30 thermostat has no indicator arrow to speak of.

Originally Posted by snowsled7

It would take a lot of air. No offense but changing coolant to fix an overheating problem is akin to changing trans fluid on an auto trans that wont go into reverse. It just isn't going to fix the problem. Find the probelm first, do fluid maint after the actual fix is made.

I understand what you're saying. I'm not looking to get into a pissing match or anything. We're both extremely knowlegable guys. Letting air out of the system could theoretically stop a car from over heating, as i stated before. I dont want to try my hand at thermodynamics as I'm an idiot, but logically it makes sense. letting out overly hot air would leave more sontact surface for cooler coolant to cool (i mean that honestly) and not cook itself in its own hot air. microwave an egg or boil an egg? We dont know the severity of the overheating so we can't remove a proper bleed from the table.

However, OP stated that he has done a proper bleed so in the word's of my fellow New Yorker, Mr. Jay-Z, "On to the next one."

replace thermostat and WP and thermostat housing gaskget. If the system bled air fine, then it reduces the chances of a blockage to "slim to none".

I cant wait until we have every component rreplaced and it turns out to be a HG. OP, dont lie to yourself, get it properly looked at.

Originally Posted by Timmahhgee

i checked the oil and there isnt a milky color, the exhaust doesnt smell or looks like its burning coolant so i think the head gasket is fine. is it possible that the hose from the rad to the expansion tank is clogged and/or the expansion tank has some issues.

also where on the block is the drain plug?

also i bled the system using the bleeding screw on top of the thermostat housing and after a while of bleeding it it stopped having air come out. it hasnt over heated again so far.

now my last question, if the rad has a little damage to one of the ports but isnt leaking, would that cause a problem too?

Please check on the amount of coolant flowing out of your radiator first via the method I've described earlier. Its a waste of time trying to flush the block and all of that. Flushing and bleeding the radiator to as maintenance aspects of the cooling system, are designed to be plebeian tasks and going after the block is an overkill you should only consider if you have alot of rust coming out via a normal flush - which you have not mentioned so I'll assume is not there.

[ I know what you're going through. You do not want to consider the possibility that the news could be bad....very bad. Not to worry, I'm going to bet its your wp, which you should replace with a composite impeller type from turner motorsports or oreilly's. ]

Take heart that overheating in a well maintained E34 is rare and it is not common in general anyway. When they occur, the common E34 overheating suspects are the wp, thermostat, and the fan clutch (which means the aux fan, its resistor, its fuses and its coolant temp sensor needs to be checked as well as the aux fan is sufficient to prevent overheating).

If your upper radiator hose is hot, your thermostat is working fine. Anyway, it is new, and is unlikely to be the problem.

Your wp is probably the problem.

After you've checked on the wp's flow, flush the radiator twice, bleed it once, and then be done with that.....strike these off the list. And yes, don't bother with coolant for now, the system works fine on water, use water until you've found the problem then add coolant after you've fixed it.

Use your phone cam's video with spotlight function to have your coolant hoses under the intake manifold and other hard to access areas inspected for any signs of rupture. Inspect visible hoses. Don't press hard hoses so hard that cracks are created.

All of the above can be done within 60 minutes and without you spending a single cent.

If you still have the problem, it is time for you to do a pressure test on your radiator. The kit costs $30 off ebay, and takes 20 minutes to execute. Mean50's indy will charge you up to $40 for the privilege.

If your radiator is fine, then it is time for you to check on that HG and your cylinder head. If you are at that stage, you'll need compression tests, and solutions that turn from blue to yellow if combustion gases are in your radiator's water.

Your previous owner hid alot of stuff....such as a busted water pump that barely got by with the thermostat removed - a cheap trick. He might have done a slipshod job with other things as well. Please have your car winched up and your undercarriage inspected for everything with a trained mechanic standing by. Such an inspection only takes 10 minutes. You can use the opportunity to rinse out or change our your fuel filters, something that needs to be done especially considering the po maintained this car so badly.


rgds,
Roberto

Once many moons ago, I bled my radiator 7 days after I had flushed and bled it, and I found tons and tons of bubbles coming out. The engine had performed flawlessly through constant hard driving in the intervening period. Imo, it is very difficult for one to trap so much air in an engine, even by someone who does a bad job of bleeding it or does not bleed it at all....that it leads to overheating. The wp keeps things circulating and air pockets tend to naturally collect in the expansion tank and the channel where the bleed screw is located.

Something I said but not gone through in detail.
90% of the overheating problems I've noticed, heard and experienced is the circulation of coolant. So a rebleed isn't completely out of the question.

OP IMO make sure it was bled correctly:
reso cap off
car running
heat on full blast
fill reso till coolant starts to climb
immediately replace cap
shut car off
turn screw on thermostat housing to bleed out air bubbles,
Repeat till no air bubbles come out

I think you stated there's no oil /coolant mixing going on. That's a good thing.
If there's no coolant in the oil or vise versa usually that would rule out a BHG.
However that's not to say it's not possible.

Flushing the radiator separate will insure you get all that 20+ year old crap out of the radiator. For if it's the original one. I can almost guarantee it's got some crap in it.
Don't use a flush. Just water from a water hose. Hit all three holes... hehehe. But cover one so some type of pressure is there.
The flush solvents eat at the aluminum.
Doing this saves you from having to buy a new one. I did this twice on two different e34s. Both times there was all types of mess it there.

IIRC the WP would make some type of noise signalling it's about to fail. (at least mine did)

As well here's something else to consider. This is M30 specific.
Let's say the coolant has been bled correctly, wp is okay, no BHG, and the radiator has zero blockage.
(something you wouldn't know unless you removed and flushed the radiator through all 3 holes)

It may be your sensors. There are 3:
2 in the thermostat housing
one in the radiator.

The one in the radiator and iirc the blue sensor on the thermostat housing are the most common to go. These regulate the temp and would mimic a overheating issue.

Before I left atlanta. I replaced my radiator and thermostat for the ride north.
The car read death hot. Being I knew I had no issues with the WP, nor did I have a BHG.
I chaulked it up to the sensors for I nor the the PO changed them out.
Once I changed them out the car went back to normal.

just my .02. Back to work. Lunch is over

Yes, some free play may indicate a bad wp but that's not decisive at all. 2 weeks ago, I changed out a 1 year old water pump that had some free play in it when i yanked the fan clutch attached to it. Coolant circulation was perfectly fine, and the pump turned fine when removed and inspected, and all of its fins were still on it. From other overheating threads that I have seen here, short of a wp leak, it is difficult to tell by on-engine inspection if your wp is alright or not, and failing wp may not make noise along the way. The only way to tell for sure is through coolant flow, which can only be observed by detaching the upper radiator hose at the radiator fitting, moving it a little to the side, starting the engine and then looking at how much water is driven out. Even then, its best to have an idea of how much coolant would flow if the water pump was working perfectly, to have a baseline....so until then, you'll have to use a guesstimate. Detailed instructions on how to do this have been listed in one of my earlier responses above.

That being said, if you can detect any free play (with the engine off) or noise or uneven movement in your wp (while running), you need to get that changed asap no matter what, and its best to carry 5 gallons of water in your trunk until you do.

Since the po took such wonderful care of your car, and since you've already flushed and bled your radiator and changed the thermostat, I'm willing to bet that your wp is defective.

Originally Posted by MySatinDoll

Something I said but not gone through in detail.
90% of the overheating problems I've noticed, heard and experienced is the circulation of coolant. So a rebleed isn't completely out of the question.

In my observation, unless you're trying to get air into the engine, its almost unheard of to bleed it badly and yet have enough air in it to cause overheating issues.

You guys are all making recomendations without even knowing the symptoms...

He said it overheated. How/why did it overheat? This is very helpful information unless you plan to just throw money at it.

Overheated in traffic = lack of airflow, fans etc.

Overheated at speed = most likely water pump.

Headgasket failure will cause problem all the time and get increasingly worse with time/use.

So go ahead and suggest throwing parts at it but, you will be lucky if you fix it. You definately wont save any $$ using this method unless you guess right the first time.

As mentioned, eliminate the HG as a possibility first, using actual testing, not just your observations.

The entire cooling system generally needs to be overhauled for our car when it reaches this age, so throwing parts at it is not a waste of time, besides there are ways to test the existing parts before replacing them.
It is also possible that more than one cooling system problem is at play here. The wp and the HG could both be gone. Everything needs to be tested/flushed/bleed/checked in any case, and that includes the HG, since its just a cheap solution that you need to purchase to quickly test for it. Even if the test is negative, you'll feel the satisfaction of the assurance that the HG is in good shape. I'm guessing that the bottle probably has enough test solution for a total of 3-4 tests. If so, I would test the coolant solution for HG problems once every year.

Originally Posted by snowsled7

You guys are all making recomendations without even knowing the symptoms...

He said it overheated. How/why did it overheat? This is very helpful information unless you plan to just throw money at it.

Overheated in traffic = lack of airflow, fans etc.

Overheated at speed = most likely water pump.

Headgasket failure will cause problem all the time and get increasingly worse with time/use.

So go ahead and suggest throwing parts at it but, you will be lucky if you fix it. You definately wont save any $$ using this method unless you guess right the first time.

As mentioned, eliminate the HG as a possibility first, using actual testing, not just your observations.

My point exactly... Which is why I previously said that I wish OP would check back with updates and details.

I took the car to a import shop that specializes in bmw so hopefully they will find what is wrong with it. I'll post what they find

That car will literally eat your lunch if you have to pay a shop to make repairs... Good Luck

Originally Posted by robertobaggio20

The entire cooling system generally needs to be overhauled for our car when it reaches this age, so throwing parts at it is not a waste of time,

No, but if you are on a budget, fixing the immediate problem is the more cost effective way to go. I never assume folks with $1500-3000 cars can afford $1000 in parts for them tomorrow.

I thought you were a fan of saving money? The way to do that is to try and accurately diagnose BEFORE proceeding.

Originally Posted by snowsled7

No, but if you are on a budget, fixing the immediate problem is the more cost effective way to go. I never assume folks with $1500-3000 cars can afford $1000 in parts for them tomorrow.

I thought you were a fan of saving money? The way to do that is to try and accurately diagnose BEFORE proceeding.

You've overlooked the fact that I'm also a fan of anticipatory repair for mission critical components in the E34 which are known to fail either due to poor design by bmw or typically poor maintenance by previous owners, even if they appear to be working fine right now. " A stitch in time saves nine " and "penny wise, pound foolish" certainly applies here when enough direct information from enough unbiased E34 owners reveals enough trends for us to take action upon if judged reasonable.

Thus, I strongly advocate that new owners should change their fp, fp relay and cps, unless they have reliable evidence that these things were changed in the past few years. This is bad design by bmw. Firstly, they should not build important things like this to fail after a mere 20 years. That demonstrates an alarming lack of self belief that basically says that no one will want to drive the car after that period.

Secondly, I'm always perplexed as to why people who come on the forums end up getting good benefits when they rinse or change our their fuel filters, and end up with overheating problems that are inevitably traced (most of the time) to the wp, thermostat, or fan clutch. These are regular wear and tear items that people should be staying on top of without anyone having to tell them about it. It should be the rare car that comes from a po that is not well taken care of - there will always be the odd shyster but they should remain rare and decidedly odd. Its not like the E34 is the world' first automobile and no one knows what to expect. Many people are simply bothered to do the needful. That people with overheating problems cite radiator flushes as a possible solution is laughably sad - it should never be allowed to deteriorate to that state such that rust becomes a suspect. That's like never changing the oil at all....its dumb, especially when its so easy and cheap even if a workshop does it for you.

There's a simple rule in life, the following of which, made my E34 immensely easier to live with without burning a hole in my pocket, once I understood how this worked. Spending money on the car is inevitable. Be at supreme peace with that. Now, once supreme peace has been achieved, 100% of your emotions and intelligence can be focused on getting value for that money, rather than saving and scrimping as the definition of success, and an overwhelming reliance on the base price of the car to help decide whether to do something or not.

In light of that, unless i'm buying an E34 from someone on these forums, from a mechanic, or from someone who has receipts indicating past service or repairs, I would assume that they are selling me a ticking time bomb. Buying the car, I would budget up to $1000 for anticipatory and other essential maintenance and repairs over and on top of the sticker price, (and yes, now that includes an extra ecu since it only costs $70 and can be resold for the same price). The target is not to spend that $1k, but not to hem and haw over expenditures either. It costs way too much to have your car stuck somewhere, get towed to a workshop, and get slashed by their inevitably exorbitant quote, and look like a complete idiot who is too poor to buy a new car in the process, not to mention the huge and sudden disruption to life that occurs. It also costs too much to tow the car to a workshop and have to repair a damaged cylinder head or replace a defective head gasket, due (mainly) to preventable overheating issues. The car has no overheating alarm (thanks multi million dollar bmw engineers and rnd program ! ) , which means, unless you're constantly glancing at the instrument cluster, the engine may be driven while overheated for long enough for actual damage to take place.

So yes, when it comes to overheating problems, I don't mind suggesting that people throw certain parts at it. Those are parts that need to be thrown at it anyway and most likely has not been thrown at it before (hence the problem being dealt with right now) And notice, I always recommend the most modern parts be thrown at it, parts that are now made of material that was not available when the car was originally built....hence the value for money.

The solution for a lack of money or a high maintenance bill, is not to scrimp and save, but to increase one's income. A car's forum cannot help you to do that directly, but a car forum can help you bring your car up to tip top shape, the driving of which will boost one's self confidence and joi de vivre to the point where one goes out there and demands that raise, gets that sale, gets that job, starts that business, fires that dingbat or hires that salesperson, that leads to the higher income that one appears to lack. And thus the circle gets closed.

Now, before the inevitable criticism arrives, let me state why, despite my posture here, I still advocate rinsing and reusing things like air and fuel filters, and diesel engine and fuel system flushes instead of (presumably) tried and tested off the shelf products which are far more expensive.

If there is a need to spend money, I don't mind spending $500 on stuff. However, if there is no need to spend it, or if there are effective and *practical* workarounds for it, why even spend an extra $5 on something new? As I often say, any money that is saved from these methods will be channeled back to the car down the line anyway, so that argument to me is quite moot. The benefits to reusing rinsed/detergent soaked filters and relying on diesel flushes is the ability to maintain the car more effectively, more often, without burning a hole in the pocket along the way.

Originally Posted by robertobaggio20

You've overlooked the fact that I'm also a fan of anticipatory repair for mission critical components in the E34 which are known to fail either due to poor design by bmw or typically poor maintenance by previous owners, even if they appear to be working fine right now. " A stitch in time saves nine " and "penny wise, pound foolish" certainly applies here when enough direct information from enough unbiased E34 owners reveals enough trends for us to take action upon if judged reasonable.

Thus, I strongly advocate that new owners should change their fp, fp relay and cps, unless they have reliable evidence that these things were changed in the past few years. This is bad design by bmw. Firstly, they should not build important things like this to fail after a mere 20 years. That demonstrates an alarming lack of self belief that basically says that no one will want to drive the car after that period.

That is where we differ then bobby. I am a bigger fan of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". If I wanted a car to restore, this is not what I would have chosen. I haven't replaced any of the parts you suggest, and do not plan to until they start causing problems.

Secondly, I'm always perplexed as to why people who come on the forums end up getting good benefits when they rinse or change our their fuel filters, and end up with overheating problems that are inevitably traced (most of the time) to the wp, thermostat, or fan clutch. These are regular wear and tear items that people should be staying on top of without anyone having to tell them about it.

First off, I don't see anybody claiming "good benefits" from your procedures except you. Secondly, most people do not go into these cars eyes wide open. Most are very young with little automotive experience, like yourself. I prefer to try and find the exact culprit and start there, rather than the replace it all school of thought. That gets expensive and pays limited if any dividends. I understand that you "think" this is the way to maintain cars but, again I disagree.

It should be the rare car that comes from a po that is not well taken care of - there will always be the odd shyster but they should remain rare and decidedly odd. Its not like the E34 is the world' first automobile and no one knows what to expect. Many people are simply bothered to do the needful. That people with overheating problems cite radiator flushes as a possible solution is laughably sad - it should never be allowed to deteriorate to that state such that rust becomes a suspect. That's like never changing the oil at all....its dumb, especially when its so easy and cheap even if a workshop does it for you.

There's a simple rule in life, the following of which, made my E34 immensely easier to live with without burning a hole in my pocket, once I understood how this worked. Spending money on the car is inevitable. Be at supreme peace with that. Now, once supreme peace has been achieved, 100% of your emotions and intelligence can be focused on getting value for that money, rather than saving and scrimping as the definition of success, and an overwhelming reliance on the base price of the car to help decide whether to do something or not.

Most all of us have seen you cite rediculous cures for some of these problems. Remove the radiator hose and run the engine as a water pump test...seriously?

In light of that, unless i'm buying an E34 from someone on these forums, from a mechanic, or from someone who has receipts indicating past service or repairs, I would assume that they are selling me a ticking time bomb. Buying the car, I would budget up to $1000 for anticipatory and other essential maintenance and repairs over and on top of the sticker price, (and yes, now that includes an extra ecu since it only costs $70 and can be resold for the same price). The target is not to spend that $1k, but not to hem and haw over expenditures either. It costs way too much to have your car stuck somewhere, get towed to a workshop, and get slashed by their inevitably exorbitant quote, and look like a complete idiot who is too poor to buy a new car in the process, not to mention the huge and sudden disruption to life that occurs. It also costs too much to tow the car to a workshop and have to repair a damaged cylinder head or replace a defective head gasket, due (mainly) to preventable overheating issues. The car has no overheating alarm (thanks multi million dollar bmw engineers and rnd program ! ) , which means, unless you're constantly glancing at the instrument cluster, the engine may be driven while overheated for long enough for actual damage to take place.

Like I already mentioned. I think it is naive to assume everybody budgets for repairs on used cars. That is why I try to help, with budget minded advice and accurate diagnosis.

You do realize that a likely contributor to Tim taking his car to the shop was you and your incesent, confusing and contraditory posts. It is cary to read some of the seriously poor advice you give, not to mention the volume of BS that accompanies it. No wonder he took it to a shop.

Funny, my car has an "overheating alarm" as you call it. Besides, attentive drivers monitor their gauges.

So yes, when it comes to overheating problems, I don't mind suggesting that people throw certain parts at it. Those are parts that need to be thrown at it anyway and most likely has not been thrown at it before (hence the problem being dealt with right now) And notice, I always recommend the most modern parts be thrown at it, parts that are now made of material that was not available when the car was originally built....hence the value for money.

Or is it that you simply do not have the knowledge to make an accurate diagnosis and this is easier for you, like predicitng the weather, you can screw it up and nobody notices.

The solution for a lack of money or a high maintenance bill, is not to scrimp and save, but to increase one's income. A car's forum cannot help you to do that directly, but a car forum can help you bring your car up to tip top shape, the driving of which will boost one's self confidence and joi de vivre to the point where one goes out there and demands that raise, gets that sale, gets that job, starts that business, fires that dingbat or hires that salesperson, that leads to the higher income that one appears to lack. And thus the circle gets closed.

Sometimes son, life deals you a spade. You may have to find out the hard way that you have zero control over most things in your life. I have been worth millions, now I am a renter with a paycheck job and old used vehicles. Pretty easy to say, improve your situation however, that can take time, especially in an obama economy. Good luck in fantasy land though.

Now, before the inevitable criticism arrives, let me state why, despite my posture here, I still advocate rinsing and reusing things like air and fuel filters, and diesel engine and fuel system flushes instead of (presumably) tried and tested off the shelf products which are far more expensive.

Just replace the inexpensive filters and do regular maint and you wont need to waste time and money on snake oil cures.

If there is a need to spend money, I don't mind spending $500 on stuff. However, if there is no need to spend it, or if there are effective and *practical* workarounds for it, why even spend an extra $5 on something new? As I often say, any money that is saved from these methods will be channeled back to the car down the line anyway, so that argument to me is quite moot. The benefits to reusing rinsed/detergent soaked filters and relying on diesel flushes is the ability to maintain the car more effectively, more often, without burning a hole in the pocket along the way.

Sounds like yet another contradiction. The practical workaround is to properly diagnose the problem and address it, not to throw parts at it. Seems like in one paragraph you agree with this and disagree in the next... imagine that.

You deliberately draw internal comparisons that are not appropriate, and some of your replies where you stubbornly refuse to move beyond your comfort zone make me truly wonder if you have any real understanding and confidence with automotive systems. You remind me of a good friend of mine, which is why I'm not going to argue further here as I know its pointless. I will call him up and yell at him instead.

Doing anticipatory repairs, be they no start ones or commonly neglected cooling system components, especially when these are known quantities, saves time, money, and stress overall, and creates peace of mind. Most people mmay have some facility in working on their cars and enjoy it as a hobby in general. However most people are not mechanics, and would rather not be forced to become one due to their cars,

That being said, there is alot to be said about your general posture where you prefer to know the car and develop a personal skill well enough to efficiently diagnose and fix problems as they occur, which saves much more money over the long run if you are purely lucky and nothing much goes wrong with the car, even if there are very commonly known problems for our model. This may not be an obviously foolish way to proceed. In fact, it is debatable as to who is actually being more conservative.

It may boil down to how you look at things. Let us agree to disagree. People will make up their own minds when they read both of our writeups.



rgds,
Roberto

I just got a call from the shop and they said its a blown head gasket with a warped head. so its time to sell.

I had an issue with a rough idle and hesitation on a '94 530i, and had it diagnosed by two different BMW mechanics and the dealership who told me all kinds of different things like that I needed a new engine. I went on this board and was told all kinds of different things I could do.

I got the Bentley manual and followed the instructions and changed the spark plugs and the engine runs like brand new. I'm not saying that's what your issue is, but that is the lowest hanging and most obvious fruit and the least expensive thing to try first.

The hoses being under pressure is normal. That's why you never open the radiator cap when the car is hot and pressurized. It gets hot and is under pressure and will either spray or gush out or dribble out, depending on how full your coolant level is. But if your temp gauge is showing normal temperature and dead set in the middle, I don't think you have a problem. Watch the gauge and if it ever heads towards the red suddenly, you've got a problem you need to attend to ASAP. If a hose bursts or breaks a seal, then you have a problem. Otherwise, it's an '89 and if you're not looking to restore it or dump a bunch of money in it, just check the coolant level and watch the gauge.

My attitude on these cars is not to spend money when it's not necessary. Just my two cents. Good luck! '89 535i is a great car. Low idle also could be idle control valve or minor vacuum leak and a bunch of other things as you have seen posted here but I would just try changing the spark plugs and if possible, do a compression test while you are changing the plugs and it'll give you an answer on your compression.

c'mon, though, Roberto, you are well-intentioned but the anticipatory repairs you describe are a good way to dump money into a car that doesn't really need it. Obviously, routine maintenance is necessary but otherwise, things like the fuel pump, water pump, etc. can be replaced when they break and you will know when they break and usually be given warning by the vehicle. Unless you have a bunch of money to spend or you are driving this car across the country and need it to never ever fail, ever (good luck with that even with anticipatory repairs), you can get these repairs done as necessary. If you're going to recommend people do all kinds of things to their cars, you should know for sure that it will resolve the issue or you should offer to pay for it. Again, I know you are well-intentioned but newbies like me can be easily swayed into spending money unnecessarily on these cars.

Another thing I have to add regarding bleeding the cooling system after changing the coolant or radiator. I had the experience with my '94 530i that I was still getting small bubbles after I replaced the radiator (the most recent time this happened) or radiator hose (another time this happened) up to maybe a week after I replaced these things for whatever reason. I guess it has to do with exposing the normally closed system to the air. So when I have had work done to the coolant system (I've done this three different times), I will notice that afterwards and kind of at random, all of a sudden, the temperature will start shooting up to the red watching the temp gauge. Always be watching that gauge. So I pull over immediately and unscrew the radiator cap (be really careful that your car is not too hot and unscrew slowly and you will relieve the pressure and the bubbles and also some coolant may spill out.) After about two-three times of doing this at different times within the week after changing my radiator or replacing a radiator hose, my experience was that I got rid of the bubbles. I didn't use the bleeder. Then after doing that a few times, the thing runs fine for me.

For whatever reason, I used this method of just unscrewing the radiator cap but being really careful about that, knowing that the coolant in there is hot and is under pressure and could shoot and and blind you. But if done when the car relatively cool and just a little coolant comes out or just the bubbles come out, it worked for me. Otherwise, I don't have that much mechanical knowledge but I am describing a process that worked for me for whatever it is worth.

Originally Posted by manuelwindows

c'mon, though, Roberto, you are well-intentioned but the anticipatory repairs you describe are a good way to dump money into a car that doesn't really need it. Obviously, routine maintenance is necessary but otherwise, things like the fuel pump, water pump, etc. can be replaced when they break and you will know when they break and usually be given warning by the vehicle. Unless you have a bunch of money to spend or you are driving this car across the country and need it to never ever fail, ever (good luck with that even with anticipatory repairs), you can get these repairs done as necessary. If you're going to recommend people do all kinds of things to their cars, you should know for sure that it will resolve the issue or you should offer to pay for it. Again, I know you are well-intentioned but newbies like me can be easily swayed into spending money unnecessarily on these cars.

Nicely said !

Sent from my Desire HD using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by Timmahhgee

I just got a call from the shop and they said its a blown head gasket with a warped head. so its time to sell.

Well I stand with manuel on this and would suggest that you get a ask your workshop about how they came to that conclusion, get a second opinion if you're not completely convinced in their workflow, or try one of those gasket leak detection solutions to double check.

Please let us know what they said, about how they arrived at the conclusion that your head was warped. I'm not aware of any way to determine this short of removing the cylinder head and checking it visually.

Originally Posted by manuelwindows

c'mon, though, Roberto, you are well-intentioned but the anticipatory repairs you describe are a good way to dump money into a car that doesn't really need it. Obviously, routine maintenance is necessary but otherwise, things like the fuel pump, water pump, etc. can be replaced when they break and you will know when they break and usually be given warning by the vehicle. Unless you have a bunch of money to spend or you are driving this car across the country and need it to never ever fail, ever (good luck with that even with anticipatory repairs), you can get these repairs done as necessary. If you're going to recommend people do all kinds of things to their cars, you should know for sure that it will resolve the issue or you should offer to pay for it. Again, I know you are well-intentioned but newbies like me can be easily swayed into spending money unnecessarily on these cars.

You claim to be a newbie and you would rather wait for known show stoppers to happen before taking action ? That is the definition of prudence for you?

Whenever I make my recommendations for anticipatory repairs, I clearly state the reasons why and provide sufficient details for any rational person to weigh their options or initiate further research therefrom to confirm, dispute or at least be well prepared. Why should anyone be freaked out ?

Mechanics or highly experienced DIYers would know enough to moderate my recommendations according to their perception of their skill levels, their budget, and their tolerance of the disruption that is caused by a car stopping suddenly somewhere, anywhere, or a water pump that bursts, or an engine that suddenly overheats for no apparent reason. And it is clear that most people on these forums are not mechanics or as skilled as supertech when it comes to their cars. In fact, many mechanics will be doing these things anyway. The best mechanics are some of the most prudent people around.

If you purchase a car with the intention of spending as little money as possible on it....and I agree that the E34 has hypnotic abilities to compel impulse buying decisions from a prospective owner ...you will automatically ignore any advice on anticipatory repairs until the problem first shows up. I don't see the logic in bellicose criticism of views to the contrary. If you lack sufficient funds, a second vehicle, but you have all the time in the world to respond to your car on its schedule rather than on yours, and your wife has a stop-nag button on her neck somewhere, then by all means play the lottery. And along the way, ignore all of the no-start and overheating threads that can be found in bimmerfest's archives.


rgds,
Roberto

Originally Posted by manuelwindows

c'mon, though, Roberto, you are well-intentioned but the anticipatory repairs you describe are a good way to dump money into a car that doesn't really need it. Obviously, routine maintenance is necessary but otherwise, things like the fuel pump, water pump, etc. can be replaced when they break and you will know when they break and usually be given warning by the vehicle. Unless you have a bunch of money to spend or you are driving this car across the country and need it to never ever fail, ever (good luck with that even with anticipatory repairs), you can get these repairs done as necessary. If you're going to recommend people do all kinds of things to their cars, you should know for sure that it will resolve the issue or you should offer to pay for it. Again, I know you are well-intentioned but newbies like me can be easily swayed into spending money unnecessarily on these cars.

I know a friend who used his 525 for a nearly 80 mile commute, daily, for at least 5 years, before selling off the vehicle a couple of months ago due to his retirement. He too did not spend monies needlessly, his mid life crisis vehicle was a different ride, but remained satisfied with his vehicle until the very end. And I and I'm sure many others who've owned their cars for several years do not ***** foot their vehicle either...it is after all a bmw.

So, from objective evidence, I think it is fair to say that the E34 is as bulletproof as we determine it to be.

Originally Posted by robertobaggio20

I know a friend who used his 525 for a nearly 80 mile commute, daily, for at least 5 years, before selling off the vehicle a couple of months ago due to his retirement. He too did not spend monies needlessly, his mid life crisis vehicle was a different ride, but remained satisfied with his vehicle until the very end. And I and I'm sure many others who've owned their cars for several years do not ***** foot their vehicle either...it is after all a bmw.

So, from objective evidence, I think it is fair to say that the E34 is as bulletproof as we determine it to be.

+1 Roberto , I totally agree

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