1991 318i running hot.

[lukasbmw]

Just picked up a 1991 318i sedan today at the auction. Nice little car. It is in great shape aside from a small rear dent and a ghetto fabolous glovebox fix (Some idiot broke the latch and repalced it with a hookeye and latch drilled into the dashboard. Good God!)

Not sure if I will flip this or keep it as a beater.

Anyway, on the way back from the auction, the car pegged the red zone. The car did not overheat, BUT if it were hotter out, I'm sure it would have.

There are no leaks, the radiator looks alright, and the coolant container is full.

I'm thinking I need to do a coolant flush and replace the thermostat to solve this problem.

Anyone else agree or think it is something else?

The dipstick is clean...only oil. This rules out a headgasket leak or cracked head.

[lukasbmw]

Oh yeah, any interest if I put this thing up for sale? It's a 1991 318i with 177k. White on tan. I'd ask $1900 after I fix this problem. -Eric

[gazellebeigem3]

yeah i agree, flush and thermostat to start with.

[Jordan]

Old coolant isn't the issue.

Get the car up to temp and grab the upper radiator hose. Let go because its hot.

Now go grab the lower hose. I suspect you will find it warm at best. Most likely cool. If so its time for a new tstat because its stuck shut or barely opening.

If the lower hose is hot as well then the system has too much air in it. It should be bled out.

[2002maniac]

the car pegged the red zone. The car did not overheat, BUT if it were hotter out, I'm sure it would have.

wha? What do you consider overheating?

t-stat, flush, bleed. If that doesnt fix it replace the water pump.

[asubimmer]

are you sure the gauge isn't just messed up? tons of e30's are

[hamann318is]

My timing profile gasket blew, and I had a lower temp thremostat in the motor. The guage read normally before the gasket blew. Afterwards, with the correct thermostat, the gauge was reading close to the red. Turns out the grounding nut on the cluster was lose.

That's something to check before you open 'er up.

[Anthrsckmnd]

Yeah, check the ground nut on the back of the temp guage. I relpaced the t-stat, water pump and fan clutch on my 318is and bled the system, it would still read between 1/2 and 3/4 temp. Took 15 minutes to pull the instrument cluster and tightened up the fuel and temp guage nuts and now it stays right at 1/2. If you lightly hit the top of the dash over the temp guage, does the needle bounce around a lot?