That's hot!

[Jean]

Car has been running a little hot lately when standing still, runs at dead 1/2 when moving. I was at a red light and I could see how fast the gauge was moving, was waiting for radiator or a hose to pop...but it didn't... These little m10s just don't die....head/gasket time ftl

[Raxe]

I drove home with it firmly in the red once when the thermostat broke. Quite a stressful trip.

[TDE30]

I was just speaking to a guy who had the exact same situation with his M44 (fine while driving, but any time spent standing made it get hot quickly. So I guess you ruled out the possibility of it being a water pump or one of the radiator lines?

[Bey]

My 84 has been doing that for years. Still runs strong though. Tough lil motors.

[E30SPDFRK]

fan clutch time

[Jean]

Hoses are all less than 2 years old, same with t-stat and water pump. Radiator replaced last year (put in a new one with hoses/belts/water pump/tstat 2 years ago but the top part of it blew after a year and a half). Not using a fan clutch, electrical fan on at all times. It's never gotten this hot and nothing changed, so I am thinking it's the head/gasket....it would always stay in 1/2 zone and would it would take 20+ minutes before for it to get to 3/4 , but now it takes a few minutes. Once I start moving and turn the heater fan on, it quickly goes back to 1/2.

[structured]

I'd bet you a new headgasket that your problem will be fixed when you replace your fan clutch. Try sticking your hand (or a rolled up newspaper) into the fan when it is spinning. If it stops easily, your clutch is toast.

[Jean]

Read again, not running a mechanical fan. Electrical fan has been working just fine for over a year, same config, no changes made.

I'll take that head gasket, thanks!

[E30SPDFRK]

pwnt

[structured]

it's pwnd by the way...

You win, I should read closer. But if I had read and did see that you didn't have a fan clutch, I would have said that your electric fan wasn't working hard enough. So I'll bet you a headgasket that your electric fan sucks.

Come on, double or nothing.

[mikeedler]

try your waterpump first. it doesnt make any sense that the car would run hotter at idle with a bad headgasket. the coolant isnt circulating well enough.-- possibly the belt is slipping on the pump pulley?

I agree, fan of thermostat/waterpump-- but not the headgasket.-- try tapping on the cluster (by the temp guage)to when it creeps up-- sounds stupid, but I had a M10 car that did that- the needle would drop right back to the half mark.

[blunttech]

You win, I should read closer. But if I had read and did see that you didn't have a fan clutch, I would have said that your electric fan wasn't working hard enough. So I'll bet you a headgasket that your electric fan sucks.

Come on, double or nothing.

i would like to gamble with a guy like you. so his electric fan has worked fine in california summers for a year and all of a sudden its not working hard enough?
you sound like a gold star certified master BMW tech. what is your BMWCCA member number?

[Hick]

atleast its and m10 headgasket. those take 15 minutes to change, tops.

[fretburnr]

.-- try tapping on the cluster (by the temp guage)to when it creeps up-- sounds stupid, but I had a M10 car that did that- the needle would drop right back to the half mark.

I'm going to go with this, same thing with my old '90 i

[Jean]

try your waterpump first. it doesnt make any sense that the car would run hotter at idle with a bad headgasket. the coolant isnt circulating well enough.-- possibly the belt is slipping on the pump pulley?

I agree, fan of thermostat/waterpump-- but not the headgasket.-- try tapping on the cluster (by the temp guage)to when it creeps up-- sounds stupid, but I had a M10 car that did that- the needle would drop right back to the half mark.

I'll double check the water pump / belt (belts are also new). Cluster is 100% working, i just recently put in brand new odometer gears, newish si board with lithium batteries and made sure the two nuts on the back of the cluster are there.