leese8080

Sorry to hear this is happening to your ride man. How many miles do you have on your N52 engine?

v_therussian

Yep! Woo Hoo!

I'm guessing it is the thermostat and maybe the radiator and the pump. I'm going to the shop in the morning to get a list of parts needed, then running to the dealer and getting the parts, bringing back. Hopefully, will all be done by Wed night, but who knows...

Yeah, I hear ya! I'd much rather get the M3 S65 engine - that N62 with all those issues... its a nice engine, but I'd not even consider it.

Slightly over 87K miles now. This isn't that bad, after all. I tend to panic and pamper the car too much. Even as it was overheating, the engine was running smooth. I do get some ticking occasionally, and I think this was the last warning for me to get it done under the SIB. Other than that, I have to say this thing is very robust. Cooling systems in BMWs are notorious - I've been expecting a water pump/thermostat problem, even considered replacing those this past winter, but was told not to, "if it ain't broke don't fix it" kind of thing. Well, guess what? I was right - should have replaced them!

v_therussian

Just went to the techs, they are going to replace the water pump, thermostat and pressure test the cooling system.

Going to take the car back afterward and see how it behaves over the next few days - hopefully, everything will be smooth.

pradden

Awesome! I'm glad to hear you have no major issues! I heard those water pumps can be a bit pricy to replace since they are electric ($500+ just for part). Can you let us know how much it ends up costing you for the parts?

Good Luck, you should be back up an running in no time

v_therussian

If you're interested in parts, best deals are from Garry Romani and Tischer BMW - they are both vendors on this forum. I am not out of the water yet - let's see what happens after today... wish me luck

pjinca

Good luck Vladdy, hope all is well after the fix.

v_therussian

First things first, Thank you John (and everyone else) for wishing me good luck!

Here's where we're at with the car. After I got the report from Blacktone Labs saying there were absolutely no traces of coolant found in the oil, and the oil analysis showed excellent results all around, we hooked up the car to the diagnostic tool and read the codes. It showed codes for water pump and the thermostat (sorry - I didn't write down which codes exactly), so we installed a new thermostat and water pump. Entire cost, including parts, labor and the tow truck from Jersey to Brooklyn, ended up being right around a grand. The flatbed was expensive, because I paid out of pocket to get faster and better service, instead calling roadside - ~300. But it ended up being worth it, because the shop where I pulled into in Jersey, when she overheated, wanted to charge me 600 bucks for the thermostat ALONE! I don't think so

For as long as I've had this car, I've been noticing that there is a pretty good deal of oil on the engine and other components around the front, where the belt is. I've been chalking it up to some minor issue, but now I had a chance to clean everything there, let's see if we can trace it back to the source. I add about a quart of oil to the engine between oil changes, which is pretty normal for these engines, but if there is a bigger issue, I want to know about it. This was my wake-up call. I will be monitoring the engine bay closely over the next months, to see if the oil is actually leaking out anywhere, or it was some freaky thing.

I'm planning to get the belt and tensioner changed within the next few weeks, get a new MAF sensor and replace the spring guides up front - so my indie will have his hands full for a while. Additionally, I'm certain now that I want to take the car into the stealership and have the engine examined for the ticking issue - and the lifters replaced, if possible. Will try to work it out with BMW NA and/or the dealer to get it covered under good will (since SIB is there and well, it is a design flaw). Also, get all the recalls etc taken care of (I believe there is a recall for SOS call malfunction and the passenger airbag sensor - maybe more, have to do some research). If anyone can recommend a local dealer to work with - someone you may know - I'd sure be very grateful

sdg1871

Glad it was nothing major.

525iEnjoy

make sure you get a spring tensioner replacement they tend to last a little bit longer than hydraulic Tensioners..

v_therussian

Is this the part you're referring to: Mechanical Belt Tensioner part# 11287530314 ? I wouldn't get anything, other than original equipment.