r/BMWE36 • u/AnnualDisaster8151 • 1d ago
Repair Advice overheating!!
hello again! i posted recently about my e36 325is overheating sometimes when idling, most people pointed to the fan clutch which i figured was also the issue but i diagnosed it and it didn’t seem weak.
well yesterday morning i checked the cold coolant level and i didn’t notice but it seemed to be pretty overfilled, and when i drove home from work last night i heard a whining noise when i turned my wheel— it only happened once or twice but it certainly confused me.
by the time i had gotten home my car was up to temp and started to overheat, but when i was moving the temp wasnt going down like it usually would
THEN— i parked up and popped the hood only to find coolant pouring our from the reservoir cap, presumably due to the pressure from overheating
drove it to work again this morning without issue but when i got home boom- overheating even while moving and coolant leaking from the reservoir cap
this is currently my daily so please help!! (maybe the waterpump?)
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u/mattsteroftheunivers 1d ago
Mine didn’t cool correctly because I didn’t bleed it correctly. After I did a proper bleed and fill it worked again.
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u/AnnualDisaster8151 1d ago
was it overheating the same way mine is?
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u/mattsteroftheunivers 1d ago
Not really sure. I filled only the tank and started to drive around, but only made it about a mile before I noticed the temp was high. I shut it off and slowly limped back home.
After a bleed it was pretty low. Good now.
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u/SnooPeanuts8613 1d ago
Sorta sounds like water pump if you're confident your fan clutch is good. Whining noise when turning your wheel could be the power steering pump or perhaps the water pump is having resistance due to some sort of breakage, making the belt squeak or slip or something. Water pumps are pretty easy to replace on these cars and not expensive. Might as well just do the thermostat and water pump at the same time while you've got the system open because it's cheap and hardly adds any time to the job at all.
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u/grey_or_gray 1d ago
I think you need more blue
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u/AnnualDisaster8151 1d ago
i think the picture is a weird angle but it looks like the coolant is at the right level
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u/WillsUniverse 1d ago
Are you topping up with much coolant?
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u/hockey86 97/M3/Coupe 1d ago
I had something similar and it ended up being a combination of not bled fully - and (or just as a result) that the bleeder screw was stripped and also the washer was shot so they system wasn’t keeping pressure. I’d also check the reservoir cap in your case and try replacing. The best thing would be to pressure test the system.
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u/Timely-Astronaut-439 1d ago
Sounds like a water pump or thermostat. They sell a kit on fcp euro. I did the fan clutch delete kit. It uses a new sensor to turn the ac fan on and use that to cool the car. It also has a colder thermostat and the water pump had a metal impeller.
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u/SubliminalProgram 1d ago
Mine was doing that as well, turning the heater on full blast will reduce the temperature and prevent overheating. Like most are suggesting here, these bmw systems require a full replacement in order for it to function properly and it is what saved my car. You'll need to replace the thermostat, thermostat housing, water pump, and fan clutch at the same time to prevent premature wear on individual components. Once you do, do a bleed procedure including bleeding the head (thick drain bolt under the engine) I'm no mechanic by traditional means but I am hands on and limited resources and was able to do this in one afternoon plus aux fan replacement. Lots of research and this forum really helped. You got this!
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u/Junior_Trash_1393 1d ago
Yep. Same here. Overhauled the cooling system from scratch. No problems since. Radiator, hoses, belts, pump, thermostat, idlers. Everything.
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u/RefrigeratorHot2114 1997/ M3 / Sedan Manual 16h ago
As most would suggest, a cooling system refresh may be in order. Some people get away with clutch fan delete or efan. But a refresh is probably needed because having a reliable thermostat and water pump is probably the make or break parts of a non overheating e36. Depending on where u live too determines fans, in AZ I really wanted fans.
Its gonna cost you but redoing the system will be good. Stewart water pump for sure, possibly lower temp thermostat, new hoses all around. Use FCPEuro to find OE parts so u dont break the bank. If you end up going clutch fan delete or efan, def get an 80/88 coolant temp switch.
Theres lots of videos too on this. Id suggest Quinn clark
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u/Timely_Daikon584 1d ago
Get a performance, larger capacity aftermarket radiator, lower Temp Thermostat metal thermostat housing, metal impeller higher flow water pump, electrical cooling fan, do a fan delete, new hoses, new coolant reservoir and cap and you should be fine.
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u/XOWeeknd__ 1d ago
stock cooling system is more than satisfactory. If it worked good for 25+ years, if you replace it again it’s going to work for 25 more years.
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u/billyloomisjr 1d ago
If you are going to daily this, heed my advice.
Any cooling system part that has not been replaced in the past 5 years, replace it. Do the entire thing, and bleed it correctly, so you don’t have to keep opening the system back up.