How hot does your car run?

[Balleristic31]

Ok, normally my car runs at just about a needle width shy of the halfway point on the gauge.
but.... Lately it has gone WAY above usual operating temp.. like all the way to the mark after halfway...
Do I need to check something out, and/or do i have a problem beggining to surface?
i just wanna know wat u other M42 guys are running temp wise and if its normal to run this hot.

Thanks

[Eecen]

That doesn't sound right.

My '91 318i is generally between the blue bar an 1/4. Hottest I've seen it get was half way between 1/4 and 1/2, and that was in stop and go traffic on a 35-ish*C day with me driving like a jackass.

[IRON-E]

Ok, normally my car runs at just about a needle width shy of the halfway point on the gauge.
but.... Lately it has gone WAY above usual operating temp.. like all the way to the mark after halfway...
Do I need to check something out, and/or do i have a problem beggining to surface?
i just wanna know wat u other M42 guys are running temp wise and if its normal to run this hot.

Thanks

You may want to chech m42club.com

[Balleristic31]

You may want to chech m42club.com

[Mike The Bavarian]

try bleeding the cooling system

[KenC]

Might be the thermostat.

[Balleristic31]

bled coolant system today. not much change if any.

hey Ken, could u give a link to ur rebuild thread, i couldnt find it

[KenC]

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=161782

[honkey]

mine runs at half.

[///digitalme]

both m42 engines ive had had run just shy of the half mark

[///digitalme]

mine ran really hot before, i changed the sensor on the side of the radiator and fixed my problems now it never goes past the middle, id say start with a termostat which is real easy to replace on the m42 shouldnt take more than half and hour

[e30trooper]

check: fan clutch , water pump , air in the coolant , temp sensor

Cant be anything besides those listed.

[anthony.]

Mine runs just a hair past middle unless I am sitting around idling. It'll go between 1/2 and 3/4 at that point but never goes past. I noticed if I am going about 60mph and let it coast in neutral it'll creep up to the close to the 3/4 and once I put it back in gear it goes back down to 1/2. Not to thread jack but could I have an issue with the fan clutch? The car never ends up over heating even if I sit idle for 20 minutes.

[Balleristic31]

Kind of an update: i changed my thermostat.

No difference :( but the new bmw coolant seems to have made the engine run a bit smoother than it was with the crap coolant it had b4.

[monty23psk]

I have an m42 and have done everything for the coolant. First, my needle runs a needle lenght past 1/4 mark. I live in S. FL where it is hot. I have remove my fan clutch and just have an aux fan. If you swapped coolant, changed thermostat. Really did a good job with bleeding, as sometimes it takes twice and can be a pain with the m42, the next would be to test fan clutch.