So I made it to Louisiana and back but...

[Gator325525]

This morning on my way to work she overheated on me. So while she did take me to Louisiana and back she couldn't do anymore. I was able to pull over after no more than 30 seconds so I'm hoping no major engine damage resulted.

I guess her cooling system just couldn't endure over 20 hours of work in such a short timeframe.

I'm hoping the repair bill doesn't eat me alive. :help

[DriftinDaddy]

Oh no!

Glad you made it back, notice any leaks or smells? Hopefully it's just some little pissant hose that's failed and is a simple/cheap fix....

[AquilaBMW]

Sorry to hear about the return trip. Any idea what caused it to overheat. Working constantly for 20 hours or more should not cause these cars to break down.

I realize they are old and such, but at the same time they are machines and should not just randomly take a lunch break when they please.

I hope it wasn't something major and that it doesn't break the bank. Good luck.

[Gator325525]

I saw a lot of steam coming out of the engine compartment when I first pulled over. And then when the car rolled off the truck at the shop I saw a good bit of fluid on the bed of the truck, so I figured she's leaked some coolant.

Yeah, I was impressed with how well she handled the stress I put on her this weekend. I was proud of her for making the trip like she did. At least she waited til we were in familiar surrroundings before breaking down on me.

[purplecty]

Maybe just a hose?

[jhonmagee]

hm dude usualy overheating them even once damages the piston rings and the belive it or not it wil bens the valves and do al sort of scorein on the piston walls u may not notice damage now but it might show in a later time the same thing hapened to mine i overheated it and no damage at first but over time goes ul get more blowby and the car wil jus screw itself to peices as far as the engine

oh and not to mention ur catalityic converts probley went to charcoal since the car heated up

[Gator325525]

Well, my '93 525i overheated on me back in January when the water pump went and that was 8k miles ago with no noticeable after effects. I'm hoping I can get as lucky with the M73.

It just so happened that the E34 was in the repair shop getting the struts replaced so I was able to just swap keys with them when I had the E38 towed in this morning.

[AquilaBMW]

hm dude usualy overheating them even once damages the piston rings and the belive it or not it wil bens the valves and do al sort of scorein on the piston walls u may not notice damage now but it might show in a later time the same thing hapened to mine i overheated it and no damage at first but over time goes ul get more blowby and the car wil jus screw itself to peices as far as the engine

oh and not to mention ur catalityic converts probley went to charcoal since the car heated up

Not true.

[M I C H A E L]

Not true.


yeahhh.. not sure where that guys going with that.. :confused

[Zues740]

When mine overheated the water pump blew, so that's probably the worst case scenario. I just installed an aftermarket water pump and she's good as new. The first time a hose blew and I guess it punctured my water pump or something and my mechanic didn't notice so about a week later my pump split.

[motion]

Take this opportunity to get the entire cooling system right, as others have said the failed component was already at the end of it's useful life.

[jhonmagee]

Not true.

actualy hav u ever had a car overheat on u before? if u hav not dont talk about stuff u dont kno look it up if u think im wrong

[dazednkenfused]

:eatpop:

[mattwa]

actualy hav u ever had a car overheat on u before? if u hav not dont talk about stuff u dont kno look it up if u think im wrong

Hey, I've had lots of cars overheat. I went through a 10 year stretch where I always owned at least one 1980's GM product, and they overheated constantly because they had crap waterpumps and radiators 3 sizes too small.

No damage. Ever.

The only time I ever damaged an engine by overheating it is when the waterpump exploded on my GTI and I couldn't get off the road for about 3 minutes. And that blew the head gasket and welded the piston rings to the cylinders. But the valves were fine.

Your cooling system will always let go before the heat can damage your engine.

Perhaps you're talking about what happens when you overheat a flathead V8, with the valves located in the block instead of the heads? Even then, components designed to live with combustion temperatures for hundreds of thousands of miles aren't likely to suffer damage at 400 degrees.

[sigtwenty]

It just so happened that the E34 was in the repair shop getting the struts replaced so I was able to just swap keys with them when I had the E38 towed in this morning.

They must have grinned ear to ear!

[toomann]

Not true.


Agreed.


actualy hav u ever had a car overheat on u before? if u hav not dont talk about stuff u dont kno look it up if u think im wrong


Your wrong.


This morning on my way to work she overheated on me. So while she did take me to Louisiana and back she couldn't do anymore. I was able to pull over after no more than 30 seconds so I'm hoping no major engine damage resulted.

I guess her cooling system just couldn't endure over 20 hours of work in such a short timeframe.

I'm hoping the repair bill doesn't eat me alive. :help


Sounds like a hose gave. May not be that expensive.

[COOPERDB]

hm dude usualy overheating them even once damages the piston rings and the belive it or not it wil bens the valves and do al sort of scorein on the piston walls u may not notice damage now but it might show in a later time the same thing hapened to mine i overheated it and no damage at first but over time goes ul get more blowby and the car wil jus screw itself to peices as far as the engine

oh and not to mention ur catalityic converts probley went to charcoal since the car heated up



Another vote for --- NOT TRUE

[sigtwenty]

Another vote for --- NOT TRUE

They overheat...just not damaged! Lol.


Coolant loss is not overheating by the way. Its just an illusion. Extended driving on coolant loss is overheating and total coolant loss while still driving is a fail.

[DriftinDaddy]

You guys are doing better than me, I couldn't make it through the first few words of his 1st post before my eyes crossed and my head started hurting.....

I'm not the grammar police, but cmon guy, clean it up a bit..... :rolleyes

[Saj8986]

actualy hav u ever had a car overheat on u before? if u hav not dont talk about stuff u dont kno look it up if u think im wrong

11s gonna 11.....oh wait....I'm an 11. Nevermind.:shifty

[rocket98]

Did you add any coolant while you were on your trip? If you do not bleed your system correctly it can cause overheating. I had the coolant line from the radiator to the expansion tank leak and it took awhile to locate the problem. Overheating unless you drive it foreever when it's hot should not caus any serious damage to your

[AquilaBMW]

actualy hav u ever had a car overheat on u before? if u hav not dont talk about stuff u dont kno look it up if u think im wrong

RUBBISH !!!!


http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww171/ElaineBeemer/Jeremy-Clarkson-ranting-h-007.jpg


This is usually where I would the "Joker" to see if you were being serious or not... :dunno.

For the situation that you suggest to occur, you would have to experience excessive / severe over heating, then you can blow your head gasket, warp your heads and all that other stuff.

By the way, what's with the Klingon speak ?!?! :eyecrazy


:eatpop:

I guess school is in :rolleyes. LOL!!!


They overheat...just not damaged! Lol.


Coolant loss is not overheating by the way. Its just an illusion. Extended driving on coolant loss is overheating and total coolant loss while still driving is a fail.

Thank You!



You guys are doing better than me, I couldn't make it through the first few words of his 1st post before my eyes crossed and my head started hurting.....

I'm not the grammar police, but cmon guy, clean it up a bit..... :rolleyes

I was going to let it go... but... :dunno


11s gonna 11.....oh wait....I'm an 11. Nevermind.:shifty

LOL! :lol:lol:lol




Did you add any coolant while you were on your trip? If you do not bleed your system correctly it can cause overheating. I had the coolant line from the radiator to the expansion tank leak and it took awhile to locate the problem. Overheating unless you drive it foreever when it's hot should not cause any serious damage to your

These are very good points. But.... actualy hav u ever had a car overheat on u before? if u hav not dont talk about stuff u dont kno look it up if u think im wrong.... Just saying man!

[sigtwenty]

RUBBISH !!!!


http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww171/ElaineBeemer/Jeremy-Clarkson-ranting-h-007.jpg

!

Lolz!!!!

And what I mean by illusion is this. Coolant loss creates all that smoke and smell. Meanwhile it only takes a cup of coolant to leak and hit the right hot spot on the car to create a volcano of smoke.
Even in extreme cases such as pressure then kaboom on a hose for example means there is still coolant INSIDE of motor that is 190-230 degrees. Cars overheating points are 265+ which means continued driving will create these pockets of air, and or higher temps.

Smoke is a good thing. It means you have time to shut the thing down.

[David325e]

Did you check the fluid levels after coming home? Could be you have a slow coolant leak. That amount of run time caused a low coolant level. Driving today there was just enough air to cause an over-heat and you burst the weakest place in the system.

Taking your cars to the shop?

[shadow11]

Did you check that plastic bleeder screw on top of the radiator? Mine broke and started leaking. Was a simple $9.98 fix.

[jhstealth]

actualy hav u ever had a car overheat on u before? if u hav not dont talk about stuff u dont kno look it up if u think im wrong


Did this person really come on a BMW forum and ask if we have experienced a car overheating?? lol

[Gator325525]

Well the shop calls me this morning and says the problem was that a couple of pulleys gave out. Consequently, they are going to replace them and the belts. Doesn't sound like a break-the-bank repair so I'm considering myself very lucky!

I was just about to go into a meeting when he called so I didn't have time to quiz the guy on the technicals of what he was talking about. Can someone fill me in how failing pulleys would cause the car to overheat?

Thanks guys!

[DriftinDaddy]

I went back and read your OP, OP, and think we all, myself included, jumped to the conclusion you had a leak- you never said that, only that your car overheated. Oops.....

That being said, well, your water pump is of course pulley driven, and your fan clutch off the front of that, but there's no real serviceable components there....Perhaps the tensioner pulley failed, allowing for belt slippage which caused the water pump and fan clutch to be underdriven?

Just speculating, let us know the end result

[Gator325525]

I honked at the Sherwood Forest exit both on the way out and on the way back. Did you hear me? LOL

[DriftinDaddy]

LOL!

I didn't, damn...

[toomann]

I went back and read your OP, OP, and think we all, myself included, jumped to the conclusion you had a leak- you never said that, only that your car overheated. Oops.....

That being said, well, your water pump is of course pulley driven, and your fan clutch off the front of that, but there's no real serviceable components there....Perhaps the tensioner pulley failed, allowing for belt slippage which caused the water pump and fan clutch to be underdriven?

Just speculating, let us know the end result

Could be.

[Gator325525]

Just heard back from the shop and the pulley that broke was the tensioner pulley and there was also a problem with the auxiliary fan not working. There goes my E39 fund, LOL!

[board57796]

Did this person really come on a BMW forum and ask if we have experienced a car overheating?? lol

:lol I didn't wanna say it

[DriftinDaddy]

Just heard back from the shop and the pulley that broke was the tensioner pulley and there was also a problem with the auxiliary fan not working. There goes my E39 fund, LOL!

Ah-hah!

Oh, if the shop has to replace the aux fan, find the E39 version of that fan, someone posted a thread here about it, it's a LOT cheaper than the E38 one, but practically the same exact fan.

[AquilaBMW]

Just heard back from the shop and the pulley that broke was the tensioner pulley and there was also a problem with the auxiliary fan not working. There goes my E39 fund, LOL!

Ah... I can see why you might have over heated. If the aux fan was dead too, that means your car would get real hot in traffic as there was no added assistance from that fan. You were still lucky.... that broken pulley could have led to other mishaps. I am happy even though amazed your belts did not snap or get caught on something.