which engine in 97' E36 318i?

My son has a 97' 318i. I believe I need to order a thermostat for him, but I'm not sure if the engine is a M42, M43 or M44. How can I determine which engine is in his car please?

since youre in the US . M44

It has an M44, but in the future, you can figure out exactly which parts you need by entering the last 7 digits of the VIN into the appropriate field at RealOEM.com (LINK). Pretty helpful tool.

What sort of symptoms is your son's 318 displaying?

Originally Posted by t58martin

My son has a 97' 318i. I believe I need to order a thermostat for him, but I'm not sure if the engine is a M42, M43 or M44. How can I determine which engine is in his car please?

As Karl^ said, what have you been noticing?

i totally read the subject, looked at his current location and answered his question


distracted by homework ( never thought i would say that)

but is the engine temp dropping after going fast?

hows the heat?

Thank you for your replies. The symptoms are that the car is overheating. the top hose does not feel as if it is under any pressure as I can squeeze it easily, and it isn't very hot. I was thinking perhaps the thermostat was stuck keeping the water in the engine. The water in the radiator itself is not very hot, only warm. I have wondered whether or not it could be the impeller as I was doing some searching through the forum here.

When was the last time the cooling system was worked on? (i.e anything was replaced)

Within the last two years he had the radiator replaced and then there was a hose or two in the back of the engine that were replaced. Also, I replaced the elec fan relay about 3 months ago when the fan would not shut off and was draining the battery.

With those symptoms, the t-stat could in fact be stuck open, although they typically fail in the open position. That's not to say that it could have somehow gotten stuck closed, though. It's certainly possible. I doubt it's the water pump impeller, since the car is a '97, and BMW stopped using the plastic impeller pumps in '95.

Thanks. BTW ZeGerman, I used to own a 67' GTO, 400 w/ trips ++ gas, tires and oil.

Cool - the '67s were very nice. The '65, '66, and '67 are by far my favorite years of the GTO.

Also, while you're in there replacing the t-stat, it would be smart to also replace the t-stat housing, since they are highly prone to sudden cracking after a certain age (75k+ miles). They're very inexpensive, so it really doesn't make sense not to swap it out for a new one while you're in there. Many people, myself included, upgrade to an aluminum housing, rather than the OEM plastic, which thereby eliminates the risk of cracking in the future. The aluminum housings are usually under $20. Also, to replace the t-stat, you will need to remove the belt-driven fan, which is reverse-threaded and will require a long 32mm wrench. If you don't already have one (most people don't), you can usually find them pretty cheap at Harbor Freight. Alternatively, you can get them on eBay for a reasonable price, along with a fan clutch holder:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-32mm-Wat...1f5dca&vxp=mtr

I've never needed the holder on my car, however, but it all depends on how tight the fan bolt is on your car. The belt will usually slip a little when trying to loosen the fan nut, but I've always been able to place a small screwdriver between the pulley bolt heads to keep it from moving while loosening the fan nut.

I took a quick look at lunch today. This car appears to only have an electric fan...
Is that possible?

It should have an electric "pusher" fan in front of the radiator & air conditioning condenser, and a mechanical belt-driven "puller" fan behind the radiator (within the fan shroud) connected to the water pump pulley. Sometimes people remove their mechanical belt-driven fan in an effort to reduce parasitic drag on the engine, but this is not something I recommend at all. Do you know the history of the car? Somebody must have removed the belt-driven fan if one is not present. If you truly do not have a belt-driven fan installed, this could be one of a few reasons why your son's car is overheating.

Just the electric... so I imagine that I'm missing the fan, the clutch, and any shroud that may have been there...

Oh, well that fan is not original to the car. It's an aftermarket electric puller fan which did not come on the car from the factory. Your fan configuration should look like this:



Notice the mechanical belt-driven clutch fan and fan shroud.

That would explain a few things... Between the mysterious brake lights, the electric fan relay, the peeling headliner, the leaking oil pump gasket, and the multiple cooling system issues, this car is very interesting.
It drives really well at least :-) Despite all that, I think I want an M3 project car.
The knowledge base here is outstanding. I appreciate the help.

That fan is actually original to the car. The 97 318 w/m44 does not have a mechanical can like the m42 does. My 97 318i looks the exact same, only the two speed electric fan. There is NO pusher on the front. The engine shown in zegermans pic is not a 318 w/M44

Thanks to all. I will replace Ther. and housing this weekend w/ parts from Pelican...
Crossing my fingers. Will flush and replace w/ 50 % anti freeze and distilled water.
Hoping pump impeller is decent..

Strange. RealOEM has a mechanical fan listed for the '97 318, a fan shroud, as well as an electric pusher fan to cool the A/C condenser.

Sorry for any confusion. Anyone here have a '97 318 (aside from the OP)?

I have one

Does your car have a mechanical belt-driven fan?

No just the electric fan. That's how it comes from the factory with the 97 m44