Coolant issues!! Driving me crazy

[ucben105]

OK where to begin first of all it's a 89 325i. last week the throttle body gasket for the coolant went bad and it had to replace that. i made a gasket after i drilled and tapped the screw because it decided to break on me. That sucked but it happens. The same day my water pump starts leaking on me so i got to replace that. Finally think thats fixed take it for a test drive and my distributor cap went bad. I'm PISSED. I go home for the weekend and notice it is running hot. it stays at 3/4 i figured i needed to bleed the system no big deal. i replaced all the shift bushings, changed the oil and oil filter housing, and changed the transmission fluid. i go back to my apartment and decide i am going to bleed the system. i park it on an incline warm it up leave the cap on, and turn the heat on. I open the bleed screw and nothing but air comes out. I did this for about 10 mins and took it for a test drive and it overheated completly to the red. I then parked it waited for it to cool down and repeated the process several times. I searched on hear and read all the post i could find but im not having any luck. it seemed things got worse after i bleed the system. I still don't have heat either it just blows cold. before i would have it sometimes it seemed to just come and go as it pleased I'VE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR AT COLLEGE FOR PRETTY MUCH A WEEK AND IT'S GETTING OLD. I need answers, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance Ben!!!

[Dissembler]

so with the car running air would be continually coming out the screw? ->I really hate to say this but your looking at a head gasket :(

For no heat, look at your heater core hoses. If there is only the 2 main ones and they go straight into the firewall, then I havee no idea what could be the problem, something bad has happened inside the head or block that has completely cut off coolant flow. If your car has the redirection valve that was part of a recall, than that could be plugged into the open position (its designed to keep coolant out of the heater core in the event of heater core failure or an overheat situation)

GL

[CorvallisBMW]

Are you sure the system is filled to the proper level? If it is, and the heater is still cold, try bleeding it with the front end raised up a bit (like on a hill). Also, when bleeding it, rev the engine a few times. Sometimes bubbles will get trapped in the system and wont work out until the pump really get spinning faster and pushes them out.

[ucben105]

Don't say head gasket. i don't know i think i got it bled but i still don't have heat. the heat didn't work before i had to do all the work and i was thinking it was a valve or something under the dash, but then when it messed up i thought that might be why. what about a fan clutch? the expansion tank will just start boiling if you let the car sit there and run which to me seems like it's not circulating. is it supposed to do that. if its the head gasket then i will just swap the engine i have 2 more at home.

[ucben105]

if you put the heat aside what are the chances that the thermostat is bad or the fan clutch. that would make more sense why the expansion tank is getting so hot it's boiling.

[jlevie]

A lack of heat can be a sign that the heater core is still filled with air and proper bleeding is still required. To fully bleed the system try:

1) Using ramps or a jack get the front of the car 1' or more higher than
the rear. That will make the radiator and bleed screw the highest point
on the engine and facilitate removal of air.

2) With the bleed screw open, add coolant until no more air comes out of
the bleed.

3) Leave the filler cap off, or at least loose, and set the heat for max
temp and fan speed. Leaving the cap loose will prevent air that's still
in the system from causing a "coolant fountain" once the engine heats
up. Start the engine and allow it to warm up to operating temp. As it
warms up occasionally crack the bleed screw to release any air and top
up the coolant as necessary.

4) Once the engine is at temp bring it up to 2000-2500 for a few seconds
several times. Then crack the bleed until no more air is released. At
this point the heater should be throwing lots of hot air, which
indicates that the heater core is filled with coolant. You may have to
repeat this a few times to get all the air out.

5) Drive the car a bit, allow it to cool back down, and recheck the
bleed for air. Over the next few days you may get very small amounts (a
few bubbles) of air out of the bleed screw.

[ucben105]

did that a couple times last night and this morning. went to my first class which is only about 2 miles from my apartment and i had heat. the car was still running hot but i had some heat. then i just quit blowing hot. next thing i know the car is at the red i parked and went to class. i came out and went back and i had heat the whole time and the car never went past 3/4 which is still hot but not in the red until i parked then it started to creep up again. also my check engine light came on for no reason and it started to idle bad. i think that is either the tps or idle air control valve, but the idle air control valve never trips the check engine light, or at least it hasn't before. i've always just cleaned it out with brake cleaner. I'm not sure whats going on but i am pretty pissed and need this fixed.

[CorvallisBMW]

If it was a headgasket, you'd know. Your oil would be milky and full of coolant.

[ucben105]

sheew thats good to hear. i think i got it though i'm pretty sure it was the thermostat i replaced it today and seemed to be doing ok but i couldn't drive it long enough to tell because it kept dieing on me. thanks though i hope it was the thermostat. the only thing i lack is the radiator and my cooling system is completely done. i guess the glass is always half full lol

[delatlanta1281]

Wait, whats wrong with your radiator?

[ucben105]

nothing but with my luck tomorrow it will clog up on me i'm just saying everything else on the cooling system has gone bad over the past week fml. it has been nothing but hell since then. i'm hoping im about to get all this figured out. nothing mechanically has happened to it until now, and when it rains it seems to poar

[jlevie]

The loss of heat wile driving coupled with the engine running hot strongly suggests a head gasket leak. Sorry...

[ucben105]

Fixed it new thermostat

[BlackonBlack4.2]

This may sound stupid but what kind of coolant do you guys use (BMW, Preston 50/50)? mine needs to be changed? thanks, love the forum!

[Dirtbleed]

BMW Blue with Redline water weter.