325i getting hot???

[Bandit325]

Well, I've driven the car for a while.... I changed my Thermo, and checked my clutch fan, all is good.... I also found that my auxilary fan fuses were shot, both of them , high and low temp... I replaced them, and the car once again ran like a champ... for a week, now I'm leaking coolant from somewhere, haven't had time to check and see where yet, let's just hope I dont have any head gasket problems... thanx for the replies guys.

[H&Re30]

my car would be doing the same thing last summer...

check to see if the fan clutch it working

(just stick a rolled up news paper in the fan while the car is running, and if the fan stops...change the fan clutch...if it doest, well...dont worry bout it...lol)

[z3pilot99]

I have a simular issue. The car was fine. Replaced the timing belt, water pump, all of the front large cooling hoses and the three front oil seals. Took it out for a spirited 150 mile drive after work was done. It ran fine. Drove it to the USGP, about 500 miles round trip. No problems. Then a couple days later it started over heating. I could stop the fan with a rolled up magazine. So, I replaced the fan clutch. I did NOT do the thermostat when the other cooling things were done. At that time, when I tried to loosen one of the thermostat bolts I could tell it was going to break. I wanted to drive it to the USGP and didn't have time to remove both thermostat housings so I could drill out the broken bolt so I let it go. I just last night got all of that back together. Drove it around a little last night after doing the work and all seamed well. Drove it to work this morning and it is climbing back up 3/4 of the way. I have driven it around then cracked open the air bleed screw. I have done this about 4 times. I am pretty confident that I have the air worked out. The upper radiator hose gets nice and hot. The little "U" shaped one connected to the thermostat housing from the plastic/metal cross pipe does not get very warm at all. I know that is the return from the radiator. So, that seams correct to me. One thing I notice is that the thermostat housing; where it separates to install the thermostat; the engine side will get so I cannot touch it(normal I would think), the otherside is very cool. I can touch it without any problem. It is slightly warm, but, I think just from the heat radiating from the otherside. It is almost like the thermostat is not opening. It is a 1989 325is w/210k miles. This is my first E30. Bought it this spring. I had mostly played with first gen Toyota MR2s. Had a child late last year. Wanted something that would hold more than 2 people. Had a Z3 at one time. Loved it so, went back to BMW. Sorry, rambling. My reason for tell all of this is I know about everything there is to know about first gen MR2s. But not the BMWs. I understand automotive systems pretty well. But, this one has me stumped. Maybe I have the hoses in the wrong location? I don't see how but I don't even want to think about a head. Anyway to tell if it is the head or head gasket?

Thanks,
Ron

[porsche gt1]

You could have a clogged radiator or some other circulation issue. Worse case scenario is some internal engine problem like a cracked head or bad head gasket.

AGREE

[AdamF 88iS]

If it was the thermostat it would happen all the time.

Waterpumps never lose the ability to pump, they only leak. So unless there is fluid loss then it's not that.

You could have a clogged radiator or some other circulation issue. Worse case scenario is some internal engine problem like a cracked head or bad head gasket.

[NC325iC]

well i would say to check the coolant first of all
could be a bad thermostate, clogged hoses, bad waterpump, any number of things really

[Bandit325]

My girlfriends mom drove my 325i cabbie to NC from KY and on her way back she said she was pulling up a long ass hill on the interstate and it got HOT... she said she slowed down to about 45 and after a while, is finally cooled down, but now, everytime she tries to do the speed limit, it'll last a little while, then the temp will start to creep up again... does anyone have any idea what may be causing this... I never had a moments trouble out of the car before hand, so I'm not sure what it could be... thanx in advance