Asking on behalf of a son, who seems to stagger from one problem vehicle to the next. Currently he has a '53 reg BMW 5-series petrol automatic with 2.2 litre engine. He does a lot of long trips at weekends, his wife uses it in the week to take their daughter to pre-school and herself to work, so short journeys.
It's fine on the short journeys. On long journeys it tends to overheat. He says the heater acts strangely, blowing colder than it should and then sometimes going very hot. He thinks the going hot might relate to the aircon being switched on, but is not sure.
He bought it from a dealer who has an associated repair garage. The faults appeared after a few months so he has had to pay for repairs.
This garage has replaced the radiator, water pump and thermostat. On the first "go", I understand they failed to tighten a secondary drain plug fully, so daughter-in-law had to be rescued by the AA. The garage repaired and say they ran the engine for a long period to check, and all was OK.
On his long journey this week it has overheated again. He has looked at the oil and says it is oil-coloured and not white. He doesn't think the fan belt is slipping. Before the steam, the engine runs well.
He has rung me asking advice. He is in north London, I'm the other end of the country. I have told him to go back to the same garage or another one that he knows who basically repair commercial vehicles, but said I would ask online to see if anyone could suggest anything over the weekend.
He's a teacher with a horrendous programme of specialised outdoor activities around the country, so needs a reliable car. He is worried that the AA will blacklist him following experiences with his previous vehicle, an Espace. I had hoped the BMW would be simpler and easier to fix.
Any hints or suggestions gratefully received.