Hey all, I just purchased a 1989 325is with an M52B28 from a 98 328i. It also has a ZF320 from an E36.
Really loving it so far, very quick, fun to drive, and its in great condition.
But I do have a bit of an overheating problem.
The car has no clutch fan, only an oem pusher in front of the condenser/radiator. It's 14 inches in size, and obviously doesn't flow enough to cool the motor. It has the fan delete "supporting" mods, new hoses, new water pump, new lower temperature thermostat. On top of that, its got a Mishimoto Aluminum radiator in E36 fitment.
With all of that, I'm still overheating in stop and go traffic. The car will stick to right under 1/2 on the temp gauge while moving, but any prolonged sitting in traffic it will slowly climb to 3/4 and beyond. It'll heat up a lot quicker with the A/C going obviously. Also I've never noticed the Aux fan kick on without the A/C button pressed. I was under the impression it's supposed to kick on when coolant temperatures get too high. Anything I should be looking for to fix that? The fan operates fine with A/C pressed, but only on low setting. I've checked fuses #3 and #18, they look fine.
I also have a leaking radiator, which could be the root of all my problems. It's a small leak above the drain plug, where the endtanks are welded to the core. It leaks roughly a gallon of coolant every 3 weeks. I'm in the process of getting a new radiator through warranty. Would a small radiator leak compromise the efficiency of the cooling system that much?
Another interesting issue is my lower radiator hose, which is very gummy/soft and gooey almost. I'll be replacing that along with the radiator.
My current plan is replace the radiator, and add a 16in 3000CFM pusher in front. Hoping that solves my cooling, but I'm still worried it'll be all for naught.
Thanks
Jack
TLDR: Car overheats in stop and go, Small radiator leak, aux fan only comes on with A/C.
Really loving it so far, very quick, fun to drive, and its in great condition.
But I do have a bit of an overheating problem.
The car has no clutch fan, only an oem pusher in front of the condenser/radiator. It's 14 inches in size, and obviously doesn't flow enough to cool the motor. It has the fan delete "supporting" mods, new hoses, new water pump, new lower temperature thermostat. On top of that, its got a Mishimoto Aluminum radiator in E36 fitment.
With all of that, I'm still overheating in stop and go traffic. The car will stick to right under 1/2 on the temp gauge while moving, but any prolonged sitting in traffic it will slowly climb to 3/4 and beyond. It'll heat up a lot quicker with the A/C going obviously. Also I've never noticed the Aux fan kick on without the A/C button pressed. I was under the impression it's supposed to kick on when coolant temperatures get too high. Anything I should be looking for to fix that? The fan operates fine with A/C pressed, but only on low setting. I've checked fuses #3 and #18, they look fine.
I also have a leaking radiator, which could be the root of all my problems. It's a small leak above the drain plug, where the endtanks are welded to the core. It leaks roughly a gallon of coolant every 3 weeks. I'm in the process of getting a new radiator through warranty. Would a small radiator leak compromise the efficiency of the cooling system that much?
Another interesting issue is my lower radiator hose, which is very gummy/soft and gooey almost. I'll be replacing that along with the radiator.
My current plan is replace the radiator, and add a 16in 3000CFM pusher in front. Hoping that solves my cooling, but I'm still worried it'll be all for naught.
Thanks
Jack
TLDR: Car overheats in stop and go, Small radiator leak, aux fan only comes on with A/C.
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