So I just bought a really nice OBD2 S52 swapped E30. It's a really well put together car but it's my first swapped vehicle so I'm still learning a bit.
It's been having overheating issues since I bought it. Highway driving is mostly fine with some occasional jaunts past 1/2, but city/traffic driving is very problematic. In stop and go the gauge will creep past 1/2, past 3/4 and nearly to the red until I'm forced to turn the heat on to cool it down. This is obviously exacerbated by running the AC, but even turning it off doesn't seem to cool the car down much once it starts climbing.
This was today after a quick run down the interstate and then some stop and go in stoplights:
The entire cooling system is less than 2 years old with less than 10k miles on it. Radiator, t-stat, pump, and hoses were all replaced with high quality OEM parts including a BEHR E36 rad. I just replaced the stock pusher fan with a 1600 CFM SPAL unit and have confirmed both high and low speed modes work. Kicks on low when AC is on and kicks into high once the gauge passes a certain point. There is no puller fan due to clearance issues. I can't 100% guarantee the system is bled but the PO drove it around for 2 years since the cooling system overhaul, and I did park it on an incline today and rev it a bit with the heat on in hopes of getting any remaining bubbles out. Coolant level is fine, and I am running blue BMW coolant. Ambient temps in my area are around 85-90F currently.
I took some readings with an IR thermometer while the gauge was sitting a hair above 3/4 and got the following:
Upper hose: 195F
T-stat hosing: 172F
Lower hose: 180F
I can't really imagine what the problem is aside from a faulty gauge/sender or a bad HG, but I have no HG symptoms. Help is appreciated before I give up and take it to my local swap guru later this week.
Thanks!
It's been having overheating issues since I bought it. Highway driving is mostly fine with some occasional jaunts past 1/2, but city/traffic driving is very problematic. In stop and go the gauge will creep past 1/2, past 3/4 and nearly to the red until I'm forced to turn the heat on to cool it down. This is obviously exacerbated by running the AC, but even turning it off doesn't seem to cool the car down much once it starts climbing.
This was today after a quick run down the interstate and then some stop and go in stoplights:
The entire cooling system is less than 2 years old with less than 10k miles on it. Radiator, t-stat, pump, and hoses were all replaced with high quality OEM parts including a BEHR E36 rad. I just replaced the stock pusher fan with a 1600 CFM SPAL unit and have confirmed both high and low speed modes work. Kicks on low when AC is on and kicks into high once the gauge passes a certain point. There is no puller fan due to clearance issues. I can't 100% guarantee the system is bled but the PO drove it around for 2 years since the cooling system overhaul, and I did park it on an incline today and rev it a bit with the heat on in hopes of getting any remaining bubbles out. Coolant level is fine, and I am running blue BMW coolant. Ambient temps in my area are around 85-90F currently.
I took some readings with an IR thermometer while the gauge was sitting a hair above 3/4 and got the following:
Upper hose: 195F
T-stat hosing: 172F
Lower hose: 180F
I can't really imagine what the problem is aside from a faulty gauge/sender or a bad HG, but I have no HG symptoms. Help is appreciated before I give up and take it to my local swap guru later this week.
Thanks!
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