BMW 520i SE - overheating problem - help please

I have and love my BMW 520i SE, 1998 Range. I recently travelled to Devon 260 miles away. On the very last ten miles it started to overheat when I got caught up in a traffic jam. When the traffic started flowing the temp dropped. I arrived at the camp and called the RAC who advised that it could be the Viscous fan and thermostate. I had these changed and found the radiator has burst on the seam. I had some radweld but on and was advised that it was a temp job. I left it all week whilst on holiday. On the day of leaving the battery was flat. I jumped it and got ten miles in journey and it overheated again and cut out on me. I called out the RAC who brought me home. To date I have had the fan changed, the thermostate, radiator and the water pump changed but this does not seem to have resolved the problem. Can anyone give me a clue what else could be wrong with it. The engine still sounds sweet - no banging etc. Hope to hear soon. T

Reply to
T's
Loading thread data ...

Would this be the M50 engine? i bought my first BMW a few months ago, a 91

520 and had the same problems as you, i changed like you have but still the same problem, i was told to carefully bleed the rad a few times. and that cured it.

i think i let it get warm with the heater blowing full and keep bleeding and topping up while squeezing hoses.

did it 3 or 4 times

Reply to
Jules

hi this could be one of two things either you havent bled the cooling system properly this can be done cold by opening the bleed valve on top of the radiator its a black cross headed screw next to the cap and one in the top hose open them and top with coolant untill the coolant emerges from the bleed screwsclose the screws and run the engine with rad cap off you should see a small jet of coolant being pumped back into the neck of the cooling bottle this tells you that the water pump is pumping if you can see this fit the cap and run to temp drive down the road and see if it over heats if it does it may be that the head is cracked a pressure tester on the cooling system will give a good indication as you have fitted everything else these are the most likely causes but if not let me know

Reply to
bm mech via CarKB.com

I have now been told by my garage that the gasket head or the head gasket is damaged and needs replacing. He has advised me it will cost at the highest =A31400. Can anyone who knows let me know 1) is it worth doing 2) What should it cost 3) Can anyone recommend anyone to do the good repairer in Manchester?

Thanks for the responses I have received so far. The information has been spot on a real help to me.

Thanks T

T's wrote:

Reply to
T's

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.