E36 316 -98, bad handling and no heat.

[FreddanO]

Hi Guys!

Bought me an E36 316i last fall, with the M43-engine. Bought it in September-October, and have rolled since then, worked well.

Now in November (before it got cold) I checked the anti-freeze, sustained only -5, so I dropped the lower radiator hose and filled with 50/50 and bled the system.
After a week or something, I drove around in the city, and the temperature rose. I let it cool for a while, and then I went home - no trouble with overheating on the way home.
Wondered if it could be the water pump, so a new one was installed, filled with 50/50 anti freeze and bled it again.
After a week or so I lost the heat again, suspected that I failed to bleed it properly, so I bled it again.
Bleeding was done uphill.

Worked great until today, a few weeks-a month later. Now I have non-existent heating and it felt like air in the radiator hoses. The coolant gauge is where it should be.
So it's got to sneak in air somewhere in the coolant system, but where?! Can't see any anti-freeze leaks where I park the car, and there is no sludge under the oil cap either.
Will give it a try to bleed it again tonight so we'll see, but does anyone have any suggestions on what more we might do for debugging purposes?

Besides, now that it has become slippery outside here in Sweden, I have discovered something quite disgusting. I feel it most on the slippery highway, where there is "tracks" in the road (do not know the english word for that).
It feels like you are "floating" on top of the road and the car is swaying or "dancing" back and forth, I feel as though it is coming from behind.
It is impossible to go faster than 70 km/h. Also got a very strange swings in ca. 25 km/h after a meeting when I went out of the slush string.
I have ordered the RTAB's because it was my first thought, but I will gratefully accept suggestions for both problems, I'm getting very tired of the car now ..

I ask for understanding for some grammarfaults, since English is not my 1st language.

Best regards!

[scooper]

seems your car needs to be bled several more times. Squeeze the lower radiator hoses to get some air out. Position the chassis so that the passenger front is highest and step on the accelerator to get the coolant to circulate faster. Crack the bleeder screw a little and keep the expansion tank cap loose. Check every 45 seconds or so to see if a little stream of water comes out from the side of the bleed screw into the expansion tank.

If your car seems squirrelly you need to replace the suspension bushings and ball joints. New rtabs will help a lot but you should do the rest if they haven't been done since new. Make a huge difference.

[FreddanO]

Unfortunately I deleted my message by mistake... Small phonebuttons...
However, ball joints etc were okay according to the "MOT" or yearly inspection. That is why I thought about the RTAB's.

The way to bleed you mentioned is how I bled it the last time.
I have tried to bleed it tonight to and got some air out and some heat. But I think it is air left, I think the air and hoses to the heater should be hotter.
It is -12C here now so it was not so nice, I will try again tomorrow.

[FreddanO]

seems your car needs to be bled several more times. Squeeze the lower radiator hoses to get some air out. Position the chassis so that the passenger front is highest and step on the accelerator to get the coolant to circulate faster. Crack the bleeder screw a little and keep the expansion tank cap loose. Check every 45 seconds or so to see if a little stream of water comes out from the side of the bleed screw into the expansion tank.

If your car seems squirrelly you need to replace the suspension bushings and ball joints. New rtabs will help a lot but you should do the rest if they haven't been done since new. Make a huge difference.
Let's try again.. Accidently deleted my last reply, tried to make a new reply but that did not post I think.

However, the way you mentioned I should bled is how I have done it before.
Tried to bleed it again today and I got some air out, and got some heat. I do think that it is air left unfortunately, I think the air and the hoses should be hotter.
We will see tomorrow on the way to work.

The ball joints and suspension is OK according to the MOT or yearly inspection, that is why I thought of the RTAB's.

[guymandude]

+1 rear trailing arm bushings.

Maybe rear subframe bushings.

[FreddanO]

+1 rear trailing arm bushings.

Maybe rear subframe bushings.
Thanks!

I hope it will be better with the RTAB's, the rear subframe bushings is more of a PITA to replace I think?

[scooper]

don't forget to turn the temp to full heat and fan on high (full bar or 4).

[FreddanO]

don't forget to turn the temp to full heat and fan on high (full bar or 4).
-22C here in Sweden today. Really nice..
Tried to bleed it again yesterday, did not get better. Got some small bubbles out. The little "squirt" in the exp.tank is solid with no air and with good flow.
So, this is how I done:

1. Open bleeder screw and exp.tank cap.
2. Full heat, full fan.
3. Fill upp with anti-freeze.
4. Wait for some small bubbles to come out from the bleeder.
5. Close bleeder screw and pump the hoses, when I do that the level rises in the exp.tank, does not matter which of the hoses i squeeze, and I get some heat in the lower hose when I squeeze it.
6. Fills up when the coolant level falls.
7. Open up the bleeder screw and revs a little.
8. When I think it is just coolant left I close everything and take it for a drive.

Went to work this morning and felt on the hoses when I parked. Upper hose is hot, lower is cold, both are hard as a stone. No coolant in the oil. Temp gauge is 5 minutes past 12 as it has always been.

Any suggestions? Will give it a try to lift it up in the front today and bleed again. If that does not do the trick I have to go to a workshop I guess.
Anybody have an idea what it could cost?

Thanks so far!

[jmo69]

Did you ever change the thermostat? Bleeding is good but if the stat is opening too early the heat will never get hot. The one in my car when I bought it was an 88°C and was opening at 62°C, put in an 82° and had plenty of heat. Put in the stock 92° and all is well.

[FreddanO]

Did you ever change the thermostat? Bleeding is good but if the stat is opening too early the heat will never get hot. The one in my car when I bought it was an 88°C and was opening at 62°C, put in an 82° and had plenty of heat. Put in the stock 92° and all is well.
No, I did not change the thermostat. It was the bleeding that was the problem. Raised it up inte front and bled it again - success!
I have bought the cap for the expansion tank just for safety, since they often leaks I've heard.