Temp question..

[camberwears]

Hey everyone i have a question about my cooling system .I have a 1986 325es with 213xxx on it when my car is at idel the temp goes to the 3rd line ( not to the red but past the center) i have checked the fan clutch and it seems good i have replaced the expansion tank and coolent cap.when i drive with the heater on the temp guage is normal but ( sometimes ) the check light comes on and the coolent light comes on so i am stumped any help would be great .again thanks in advance .

[jlevie]

If the temperature rises only when idling, the probable cause is the fan clutch.

[nomansland92]

This my sound odd but give it a try, when your stopped and the temp is up at the 3rd line put your rpm at like 1200 to 1500 and see if the temp drops. My fan clutch has never worked ha and this so far has been working for me, worth a shot

[lateracer]

Coolant sensor level check light = lost coolant. Might be time for a cooling system pressure test.

If you're losing coolant and have poor idle speed cooling but do have a good fan clutch, then I'm inclined to think your pump has gone bad.

[camberwears]

I have good idle and the car does not leak coolant ( i check oil and coolant every gas fill up ) si i guess my fan clutch needs to be changed .cool it is an easy fix .thanks for the input :)

[lateracer]

Sorry about that, I was talking about how well the car cooled itself at idle (cold vs. hot), not how well it ran at idle.

Might be early to start buying parts. Your overheating symptoms can be caused by a bad fan clutch, a failing water pump or a clogged radiator. Fan clutch is the best place to start looking since it needs to come off to get to the other two anyway.

A backwoods - but dependable - way to check if your fan clutch is working is to try and stop it with a rolled up magazine while your car is idling and warm enough to engage the clutch. Obviously, it's not an approach for cautious people, but do your best to not break your wrist.