Diagnos this - car getting hot on track ...

[BryDog]

My 97 M3 gets hot on the track .. it goes from pointing noon to almost 1pm on the temp gauge. As soon as I pit in, it cools to normal or should I say, almost normal as the needle is always a hair past noon.

Also, oddly enough my heat does not work - it doesn't blow hot air.

Is this a Thermostat problem? If not, what is it? I just a bunch of coolant system stuff replaced so I am wondering if the shop messed it up.

BryDog

[smax]

Bleed it right.

[Devius1]

Also, oddly enough my heat does not work - it doesn't blow hot air.

bunch of coolant system stuff replaced so I am wondering if the shop messed it up.



Bleed it right.

+1
diy/search. :D

[328iJunkie]

air is not your friend.

[RRSperry]

1.) buy an infrared temp meter, and see what the thermostat outlet temp is.

2.) anything done reciently that might have an effect?

3.) bleed the system just to check. Is the heater valve actually opening?


1 O'clock isn't bad. when it goes to the red it's a problem. Perhaps it's normal operating function. Get a real gauge.

[TheM3nsah]

leaking heater core???

[Theodore]

Heater not working + over heat is a tell tale sign of there being air in the system. As was said, bleed it a few times and see if you can get the demon bubble out of there! :D

[BryDog]

This is great advice. Thank you very much.

The heater is definetly not working.

Recent work:
- new coolant lines
- bled the lines/system (flush)
- new M50 water pump w/ metal impeller
- new thermostat
- new aluminim housing
- didn't swap out the radiator (yet)

What's the job like to fix the heater ???

BryDog

[Nadroj]

I would go ahead and put in the new radiator then try to bleed it properly. you dont need to fix the heater, just bleed the cooling system properly

[M3BimmerBilly]

I had a partially stuck closed t-stat give me the same problems as you on track only.

[Theodore]

Do the radiator... it's not worth risking and is the main failure point in the system. Then go bleed it a few times w/ the front end raised up on ramps or jack stands.

[RRSperry]

Just looking at what you have done...

Bleed the system.

Jack the front of the car up. warm it up with the bleeder open, heat on high. Not the fan, but the temp control.

I bet it will be all better.

[Iguana8334]

yep, sound like air in the system to me, bleed it and get all that air outta there

[chandlerseattle]

+1 on getting a real temp guage. The stock guage is a dummy guage. Meaning it will read straight up and down given a fairly large variable in water temp. There is no real way to tell if you are overheating the motor until it is too late. On my guage I go anywhere from 170 to 230 depending upon conditions. I would say that 230 is getting warm though I have never seen the stock guage move even a hair out of the middle.

[BryDog]

>> On my guage I go anywhere from 170 to 230
>> I have never seen the stock guage move even a hair

Are you serious? Your car goes from 170 to 230 and the needle doesn't move? So, would it be correct that my needle going to 1pm, means my car was over 230 degrees?

BryDog
Hot-Car

[BryDog]

Here is my car in action and running hot: http://youtube.com/watch?v=nyVpg68LSw0

[chandlerseattle]

>> On my guage I go anywhere from 170 to 230
>> I have never seen the stock guage move even a hair

Are you serious? Your car goes from 170 to 230 and the needle doesn't move? So, would it be correct that my needle going to 1pm, means my car was over 230 degrees?

BryDog
Hot-Car

No, not neccessarily. But given the wide range of temps and having the stock guage not indicate anything out of the ordinary is a bit unsettling. On a previous M3 I did manage to overheat the car once when the radiator neck broke. I didn't know it was in that condition until after the temp got there. I don't know the exact #'s but the stock guage will read 'middle' until it hits a certain threshold (which I don't know) and then will immediately jump to the red overheat (red light) position. I am pretty sure there is no in between reading. I mean what are you reading anyways? there are hash marks but not any #'s to tell you exactly what those hash marks are right? So if you are going to track the car, get a VDO guage. It may save your motor someday.

[BryDog]

Good call, I will investigate getting some better gauges.

[gsxrpeter]

thermastat. Try and turn the heater on and if the temp comes down forsure it's the thermastat..



Is that a novice track day?