HELP! Broken down/stranded in NJ Fort Lee

[Ziggens96]

If anyone can provide any assistance it's greatly appreciated...matter of fact thank you for opening this thread.

Here's my situation:

I had a radiator hose come loose on the Palisades Parkway in Alpine, NJ this afternoon in my M50'd 318is. Car was overheating so I pulled over, got the hose re-attached with a new clamp, let it cool down, and then filled the car up with coolant. Now it continues to overheat and I am not getting any cabin heat. I had some bubbles in the expansion tank and was afraid it was a head gasket failure, but the car was only gently driven for a minute or two after the coolant temp started rising on the highway until I could exit off the highway (no shoulder). I am hoping the bubbles were just trapped air in the cooling system escaping. With all that said, I think the problem is a stuck thermostat.

I got a taxi and am in a motel room in Fort Lee right now. I am going to try to find a repair shop tomorrow morning.

If anyone can recommend a shop in the Fort Lee/Alpine area please do so.

Or if anyone thinks they can help me bleed the cooling system tomorrow, if my problem sounds fixable without taking it to a shop...even better. I have some coolant and tools with me. If you can help in any way, please post up or send me a PM.

30 bucks + gas money for anyone who wants to pick me up and take me over to the car tomorrow to have a look at it.

ANY help greatly appreciated...I will do my best to return the favor. Thanks again guys

[3ics]

Call Levent at Guten Parts - good luck...

[blunttech]

you have air in the system. if you can get the car pointed uphill and nail it quickly a few times to 6k it will normally purge the air. obviously dont hold it at 6k with no load on it but a couple quick jabs of the throttle always works for me. open up the heater and rev the shit out of it. If that doesnt work Im sure Levent will help you out

[Ziggens96]

It was the thermostat, guys. Stuck closed. I was bleeding the system today (properly, this time) and the upper radiator hose didn't get hot, at all. No cabin heat, same as before.

It's going to be replaced on Monday at a shop recommended to me by Emre here on r3v. Thanks, Emre, and thanks, r3v.

[brutus87]

Glad it worked out.