how much for thermostat installation

[houstonm3]

how much should i expect to pay for thermostat replacement along with anti-freeze replacement in the delaware region.:help

[TH3 Shifty]

umm... seriously.. if you cant undo 4 bolts with a 13mm socket... there is a problem..

but i'll take a stab at your question..

a BMW stealership will put on, another crappy plastic thermostat housing for about $25 for the part.. $150 for labor.. a thermostat will cost 20$.. they will charg you about 30$ to install that too.. coolant.. another 25$..

i think they will charge you around $250 when all is said and done...
in what you can do for $12 for a metal thermostat housing, $1 for the gasket, 9$ for the thermostat.. and 2$ for a gallon of distilled water.

[houstonm3]

i bought a thermostat already, i think its duralast or something not OEM.
its all metal and no plastic, do i need any more parts.
where can i find DIY pics for the replacement?
my car is not heating up and i'm pretty sure its the thermostat

[tka1]

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/E36-Thermostat/E36-Thermostat.htm

This applies to most BMW 6 cylinder engines.

[Johno]

If money is no object to you, $250 sounds right.

If you want to save some bucks and come out ahead, here's what you do: Get new radiator, thermostat, aluminum thermostat housing and a new water pump and radiator hoses. Get new belts too if yours feel cracked to the touch underneath.. Replace all of the above mentioned yourself.

You will need:

screwdriver
metric socket set
Allen-head socket (to release tension on belt tensioneers)
Size X (can't remember the numer. M6?) bolts to drive out the water pump
Wrench from bike shop that is thin, flat and 32 mm I think.
2 gallons BMW antifreeze
1 gallon distilled water

It took me 4 hours to swap out, taking my time. For about the $250 you plan to spend (Maybe $300 total) you will get a lot more value for your money.

[Ron97M3]

If you have a pre 12/96 build date car then you should have the water pump replaced if it is original to the car. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about the water
pump as it is the newer all metal one.

I would say just replacing the thermostat is at least a 1 hour job and likely a
dealership would charge you two. The time is in draining and refilling and bleeding the cooling system. You might ask how much for a coolant change
and that would give you 2/3rds of the job.

It isn't difficult but it does requires a special 32mm wrench and tool to hold
pulley to remove the clutch fan which blocks access to the thermostat housing.

I would say you would be fortunate to find someone to change your coolant with BMW blue (the only kind to use) and change your thermostat out for $250.
Call up the service dept at the BMW dealership and I bet $400 there!

[kainam00]

I'd make a post in your regional forum... if you were local, I'd help you do this for a 6 pack of Guinness.

[khafra]

If money is no object to you, $250 sounds right.

If you want to save some bucks and come out ahead, here's what you do: Get new radiator, thermostat, aluminum thermostat housing and a new water pump and radiator hoses. Get new belts too if yours feel cracked to the touch underneath.. Replace all of the above mentioned yourself.

You will need:

screwdriver
metric socket set
Allen-head socket (to release tension on belt tensioneers)
Size X (can't remember the numer. M6?) bolts to drive out the water pump
Wrench from bike shop that is thin, flat and 32 mm I think.
2 gallons BMW antifreeze
1 gallon distilled water

It took me 4 hours to swap out, taking my time. For about the $250 you plan to spend (Maybe $300 total) you will get a lot more value for your money.

This post makes me think of motorcycle forums. On those, for common motorcycle maintenance or modifications, the mechanically-minded members make photo-illustrated "how-to" guides. I'm pretty sure I haven't seen anything like that around here except one set of "DIY" links, and I distrust shop manuals. Guides from real people usually point out "gotchas" that the manuals miss. Perhaps car forums just aren't as n00b-friendly...

[kainam00]

This post makes me think of motorcycle forums. On those, for common motorcycle maintenance or modifications, the mechanically-minded members make photo-illustrated "how-to" guides. I'm pretty sure I haven't seen anything like that around here except one set of "DIY" links, and I distrust shop manuals. Guides from real people usually point out "gotchas" that the manuals miss. Perhaps car forums just aren't as n00b-friendly...

All of the information is out there, and not really that hard to find to be honest...

Here's a couple "how-to" guides on this-
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=773738
http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/E36-Thermostat/E36-Thermostat.htm

[chebimmer]

If you have a pre 12/96 build date car then you should have the water pump replaced if it is original to the car. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about the water
pump as it is the newer all metal one.

I would say just replacing the thermostat is at least a 1 hour job and likely a
dealership would charge you two. The time is in draining and refilling and bleeding the cooling system. You might ask how much for a coolant change
and that would give you 2/3rds of the job.

It isn't difficult but it does requires a special 32mm wrench and tool to hold
pulley to remove the clutch fan which blocks access to the thermostat housing.

I would say you would be fortunate to find someone to change your coolant with BMW blue (the only kind to use) and change your thermostat out for $250.
Call up the service dept at the BMW dealership and I bet $400 there!

Ron, I normally agree with you, but I think it is prudent to replace the water pump even if it is the newer metal impeller one, they are not all metal, just the impeller and they are still prone to failure. At least that is Mike Miller from tech talks unyielding stance on these pumps.
+1 on doing it yourself.

[Ron97M3]

Ron, I normally agree with you, but I think it is prudent to replace the water pump even if it is the newer metal impeller one, they are not all metal, just the impeller and they are still prone to failure. At least that is Mike Miller from tech talks unyielding stance on these pumps.
+1 on doing it yourself.

What I know is I replaced my metal one from my 12/96 build date car at 100,000
and that was no sign of weakness in it. The pump bearing had no play and there was no metal weakness or rust anywhere. I also theorize that the BMW Gods got a backeye over the plastic pump earlier failures and they then made sure the new one was extra good ... just logical thinking. Now I replaced mine as I replaced the plastic thermostat cover and the radiator with some hoses.
My thermostat had stuck open like two years ago at 80,000 when I just replaced it and the upper/lower hoses.

I recognize the poster hear is asking how much he should be charged and I am sure a dealership and likely many mechanics will charge a lot for the extra pump adventure thus my telling him IF his build date is 12/96 or greater not to bother.

[SKooT1027]

I'd make a post in your regional forum... if you were local, I'd help you do this for a 6 pack of Guinness.

Guinness comes in 4 and 8 packs :shifty :shifty .. unless you are talking about bottles, but I know you're better than that

[Sadiq]

Guinness comes in 4 and 8 packs :shifty :shifty .. unless you are talking about bottles, but I know you're better than that


Guinness bottles are nasty.


OP: Try posting in regional forum and getting some DIY help - there's no substitute for having someone help you in person. The things you want to do are very easy, but can be daunting if you've never really worked on your car before. Give it a shot, you won't mess anything up. Check out

www.bimmerdiy.com (http://www.bimmerdiy.com)
www.pelicanparts.com (http://www.pelicanparts.com)

Instead of spending $3-400 on one radiator flush from a dealer, you can put that money towards buying every tool you'll ever need for your car. Pick up a mechanic's set from Craftsman, those are good, and I wish I had gotten one of those instead of piecing together a set.

And also search these forums, there are a LOT of user-created DIYs with pictures and explanations of "gotchas." Remember, key word is "Search." :D

[chebimmer]

What I know is I replaced my metal one from my 12/96 build date car at 100,000
and that was no sign of weakness in it. The pump bearing had no play and there was no metal weakness or rust anywhere. I also theorize that the BMW Gods got a backeye over the plastic pump earlier failures and they then made sure the new one was extra good ... just logical thinking. Now I replaced mine as I replaced the plastic thermostat cover and the radiator with some hoses.
My thermostat had stuck open like two years ago at 80,000 when I just replaced it and the upper/lower hoses.

I recognize the poster hear is asking how much he should be charged and I am sure a dealership and likely many mechanics will charge a lot for the extra pump adventure thus my telling him IF his build date is 12/96 or greater not to bother.

Good point. Still, and maybe its that everyone gives them a black eye unjustly, I would consider a Stewart water pump if you do the job yourself, just consider it, the money you save doing it yourself affords the stewart unit, but if you take it somewhere, Ron has made a good point. And it is good to hear your's was solid Ron, even after that many miles.

^Also, very good advice by Sadiq.

[Ron97M3]

Good point. Still, and maybe its that everyone gives them a black eye unjustly, I would consider a Stewart water pump if you do the job yourself, just consider it, the money you save doing it yourself affords the stewart unit, but if you take it somewhere, Ron has made a good point. And it is good to hear your's was solid Ron, even after that many miles.

^Also, very good advice by Sadiq.

Know what I know about my 97 12/96 M3 I would not have bothered to replace that pump at 100,000 here I would have likely let it go.

I have a great advantage I can do it myself and I find good parts cheap like at www.rmeuropean.com. If one must endure the $stealership$ paying MSRP (or beyond?) for parts and having them charge like $150 an hour the considerations
need to change. Unless price is no object.

[adms1018]

how much should i expect to pay for thermostat replacement along with anti-freeze replacement in the delaware region.:help

Are you located in the state of Delaware or somewhere in Houston? If in Delaware, what part of Delaware?

[91M5]

My mechanic, very well-versed in M3's and especially heavily tracked ones, just replaced my aluminum thermostat housing with oem plastic. I asked him why and he told me that during his multiple head replacements on M3's he has seen the corrosive effects of alum. thermostat housings which are a different alum. than the head AND he hasn't seen the plastic housing fail. He thinks that as part of the plastic impeller water pump issue the thermostat housing issue is overblown. I did a search on these forums and didn't really find a bunch of failed housing posts. Just my .02.

[Ron97M3]

My mechanic, very well-versed in M3's and especially heavily tracked ones, just replaced my aluminum thermostat housing with oem plastic. I asked him why and he told me that during his multiple head replacements on M3's he has seen the corrosive effects of alum. thermostat housings which are a different alum. than the head AND he hasn't seen the plastic housing fail. He thinks that as part of the plastic impeller water pump issue the thermostat housing issue is overblown. I did a search on these forums and didn't really find a bunch of failed housing posts. Just my .02.

YEP make sense ... good post. Anytime you think yourself wiser than the
BMW engineers you need to question yourself.

[91M5]

I could imagine it may get brittle as it ages but if you regularly maintain the cooling system (I do my waterpump and hoses every 60k on my M5) then I can't imagine there is a high risk of failure.

[wsmc831]

YEP make sense ... good post. Anytime you think yourself wiser than the
BMW engineers you need to question yourself.

the same engineers that put in the plastic water pump, built the rear shock mounts, put plastic necks on aluminum radiators....etc?

engineers are actually just people, and very often some OTHER people can actually redesign something better.

[Ron97M3]

the same engineers that put in the plastic water pump, built the rear shock mounts, put plastic necks on aluminum radiators....etc?

engineers are actually just people, and very often some OTHER people can actually redesign something better.

Your right, point is you need to use your head, not that all the BMW designers
did was the best. The plastic water pump impellers was crazy stuff!

[wsmc831]

yep! I replaced one of those on a friends wife's 328 a couple years back...with a metal one. The bearings on that POS failed in under a year....

seems like such a simple concept to build a decent water pump......

[kainam00]

Guinness comes in 4 and 8 packs :shifty :shifty .. unless you are talking about bottles, but I know you're better than that

Hehe, I guess helping someone do something for a "6-pack" of Guinness is a local joke. Basically, I don't enjoy swimming in coolant enough to do it for a 4 pack and an 8 pack would make me some sort of alcoholic ;)

[jskibo]

For a price point, Wife's 525i yesterday:

Metal water pump
Thermostat
Flush and fill

$351 < Yeah I know, but it's too friggin cold and my garage is full of crap, so is the hangar.

[houstonm3]

Are you located in the state of Delaware or somewhere in Houston? If in Delaware, what part of Delaware?

just moved to wilmington, DE from houston to freeze my balls here