Here's some background info that I tried to sum up without leaving anything out:
Bought a 91 318i a few months ago. Timing chain guide was disintegrated so I replaced all the timing components. Started up. Took it for a test drive, everything checked out. Drove it to work a few days later (8 mile trip) it began overheating on the way back. 3/4 mark was the highest right before I turned off the highway. The built in reservoir leaked coolant and probably wasn't properly bled. Ordered a new radiator and bled it properly. Gauge was a tick past halfway until I cleaned the ground terminal for the temp gauge on the cluster. It read a few ticks under half way ever since.
Now at some point in time. Not sure if it was before or after overheating, it would have a rough start every time I started it when it was cold. I also eventually noticed coolant level was getting lower. Put the two together and you know where this is going. So pulled the spark plugs, all brand new, #2 was yellowish. I put a snake camera down there and sure enough there was coolant covering 25% of the cylinder, and this is with the motor mounted at an angle.
I can't see any white smoke come out ever. No bubbles in the reservoir. No milky oil. Saw a small puddle of coolant in my garage but it could've been from refilling the reservoir. I do keep noticing a puddle in this cavity between the alternator and the block. It seems to be dirty coolant. No oil.
I'm just trying to figure out if this is a cracked head or a blown headgasket. I don't want to take it apart if it's a cracked head as it's my only mode of transportation right now. I've been driving it like this for 2 maybe 3 months now so I doubt it's going to fail on me abruptly. Replacing a head gasket on the weekend wouldn't be a problem for me.
Thanks for reading this (tried to keep it short, I swear..) and TIA for any input you guys might have
Bought a 91 318i a few months ago. Timing chain guide was disintegrated so I replaced all the timing components. Started up. Took it for a test drive, everything checked out. Drove it to work a few days later (8 mile trip) it began overheating on the way back. 3/4 mark was the highest right before I turned off the highway. The built in reservoir leaked coolant and probably wasn't properly bled. Ordered a new radiator and bled it properly. Gauge was a tick past halfway until I cleaned the ground terminal for the temp gauge on the cluster. It read a few ticks under half way ever since.
Now at some point in time. Not sure if it was before or after overheating, it would have a rough start every time I started it when it was cold. I also eventually noticed coolant level was getting lower. Put the two together and you know where this is going. So pulled the spark plugs, all brand new, #2 was yellowish. I put a snake camera down there and sure enough there was coolant covering 25% of the cylinder, and this is with the motor mounted at an angle.
I can't see any white smoke come out ever. No bubbles in the reservoir. No milky oil. Saw a small puddle of coolant in my garage but it could've been from refilling the reservoir. I do keep noticing a puddle in this cavity between the alternator and the block. It seems to be dirty coolant. No oil.
I'm just trying to figure out if this is a cracked head or a blown headgasket. I don't want to take it apart if it's a cracked head as it's my only mode of transportation right now. I've been driving it like this for 2 maybe 3 months now so I doubt it's going to fail on me abruptly. Replacing a head gasket on the weekend wouldn't be a problem for me.
Thanks for reading this (tried to keep it short, I swear..) and TIA for any input you guys might have
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