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Thread: BMW Overheating issue

  1. #1
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    BMW Overheating issue

    Hello guys I am new here, I have a 2011 bmw 535I Xdrive, I am at 89,857 miles, and starting yesterday I have been overheating kind of randomly between 30 minutes of driving to as little as 2. I have it parked and will be driving my beater until I can figure out the issue, the coolant was pretty low, i added about 16 ounces of water yesterday (only water didn't have coolant on hand or time too get to the store.) and it got me home from work only overheating once. (35-40 minute drive) today I turned on the heater because i had my beater torn up so i couldn't drive it yet, and i had to drive her around, and noticed the heater was only blowing cold air. There are no leak puddles under the car anywhere and the coolant is on the max line like it has been so I don't think k there are any leaks. I've Done some research and it could be anywhere from a big air bubble from being so low, to needing to replace the water pump, and thermoostat, to the whole thing. I only have about 500 dollars on hand to spend, I will do all the work myself so labor isn't an issue only parts. any suggestions, ideas as to what My issue could truly be? I really don't want to spend money unless I need to 100% and time isn't something i have alot of, but I can spend a day or so to work on it. I also don't want to limp it anywhere anymore now that the beater is up and running.

  2. #2
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    The most important thing is to use a BMW specific diagnostic scan tool, and read the codes in the DME (engine computer). A generic OBD scan tool can't tell you what the car's computers know, and it's almost certain that the DME has a fault code for this overheating issue.

    In the end result, it's very likely that you're going to need a new water pump and thermostat. This is not a pleasant job, and I HIGHLY recommend that you do both items at the same time. Both items are maintenance replacement at your mileage, even without an issue.

    Make absolutely sure that you buy your parts from a BMW specialist shop, NOT your local Autozoo or O'Really's. FCP Euro or getbmwparts.com are two of the finest; the second one is an actual on-line BMW dealership.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  3. #3
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    That is what I was assuming as well. I figured I could see if anyone thought maybe just burping it would work, But i guess I'll just bite the bullet, and take a day off work to replace the pump and thermostat.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Unfortunately I don't have a bmw dealer within 20 miles of my house so i'd overheat on the way there probably. so I guess ill just replace the pump and thermostat and hope it is what the problem was.

  4. #4
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    You don't need a BMW dealership.

    If you're planning on keeping your car a while, buy a Foxwell NT510 or 520 from Ebay, and you'll be able to diagnose your car yourself.

    https://www.ebay.com/i/172319102926?ul_noapp=true

    What if I'm wrong?

    Don't throw $700 worth of parts at your car until you're sure what's wrong with it!

    Yes, if you have a code for either the thermostat or the water pump, you should replace both. But DON'T ASSUME. You know what happens when you ASSUME, right? You make an ASS out of U and ME.

    Diagnose first, then replace parts as necessary.

    Make sure you use blue BMW coolant and distilled water.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  5. #5
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    Installing aftermarket cooling system parts in a BMW is verboten!

    Find an indie shop that specializes in bimmers in your area at www.bimrs.org. If it is the water pump buy a new pump and thermostat made by the supplier to BMW at FCPEURO. Use only BMW coolant and DISTILLED water.

  6. #6
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    Hey guys I have an update, so i bought a scanner, and scanned the diagnosis tool, and this is what popped up. there were 4 errors but i can't figure out the issue. it hasnt overheated but the coolant is steaming and bubbling over heavily when i burped the coolant. so i refilled it to the max line 50% coolant 50% water and it hasnt overheated since, but i havent driven it very far. around 10 minutes total in 2 days of driving because im scared to get stranded somewhere. what do these mean and what should i do?

    The only aftermarket component ive ever used is prestone concentrated coolant mixed with water because of convenience.

    https://gyazo.com/cb3f88ea7ec6690d87d383aa347fd844
    https://gyazo.com/62d5199c28f4b2f75927c286281f0415
    https://gyazo.com/2934df51089c124c5f34eed66b0d1157
    Last edited by sadisticblazer; 09-14-2018 at 02:49 PM.

  7. #7
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    Did you properly bleed the cooling system of entrapped air?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by crazy4trains View Post
    Did you properly bleed the cooling system of entrapped air?
    Im not sure if i did it properly, but i followed a guide from another forum, basically run the engine with the cap of the coolant resevoir off.

  9. #9
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    the pictures wont pop up so ill just quote what the scan tool said

    "800334/intermittent" "cid pwm reduction on account of overtemperature"

    "801c20/permanent" "zgm central fault memory full - no control-unit fault"

    "HKA integrated automatic heating/air conditioning" "no fault"

    "NSTR instrument cluster" "no fault"

  10. #10
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    To bleed the cooling system of air, on your car:

    Fill reservoir to full mark. Leave the cap off.

    Attach a battery charger to the jumper positive and negative points underhood. (If you don't do this, there's a really good chance you will kill your battery)

    Turn ignition on, but do not start the car. You must see the check engine light, or the ignition isn't on.

    Set heater temperature to full hot (84 degrees). Set blower fan speed to full low (not off). A/C and "auto" settings must be OFF.

    Put your foot flat on the gas pedal and hold it to the floor for 15 seconds.

    Get out of the car, leaving the door open.

    Look into the coolant reservoir. You should see the coolant squirting out of a small hole near the neck. This will continue, intermittently and at different speeds, for TWELVE minutes.

    At the end of that twelve minutes, shut off the ignition, disconnect the battery charger and adjust the coolant level to exactly the correct level. You are done. There is no air in the system.

    If you don't see the stream of coolant, you did not do it right.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    To bleed the cooling system of air, on your car:

    Fill reservoir to full mark. Leave the cap off.

    Attach a battery charger to the jumper positive and negative points underhood. (If you don't do this, there's a really good chance you will kill your battery)

    Turn ignition on, but do not start the car. You must see the check engine light, or the ignition isn't on.

    Set heater temperature to full hot (84 degrees). Set blower fan speed to full low (not off). A/C and "auto" settings must be OFF.

    Put your foot flat on the gas pedal and hold it to the floor for 15 seconds.

    Get out of the car, leaving the door open.

    Look into the coolant reservoir. You should see the coolant squirting out of a small hole near the neck. This will continue, intermittently and at different speeds, for TWELVE minutes.

    At the end of that twelve minutes, shut off the ignition, disconnect the battery charger and adjust the coolant level to exactly the correct level. You are done. There is no air in the system.

    If you don't see the stream of coolant, you did not do it right.
    I did that word for word except 2 differences, no jumper, and engine all the way on. the stream of coolant was pretty steady it slowed and bursted at different times though. my car hasnt overheated since, so fingers crossed this was the problem. Thank you much for all the advice everyone! I will post an update if it overheats still. in which case i have no idea what could be the issue since nothing is showing up on the scan tool.

  12. #12
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    You can't do this with the engine running.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    You can't do this with the engine running.
    Okay so i have an update and could use some help. I replaced the water pump and the thermostat. im still overheating, and the car is not blowing out hot air. just cold air. i cannot find any leaks anywhere, and the old thermostat and water pump still work. so that wasnt the problem. once again i hooked the car up to my scan tool again. and still no error codes relating to overheating. i can't find or figure out the problem. any ideas?

    - - - Updated - - -

    i also noticed that my fan goes on and off kind of frequently with the car in idle. and before it overheats the fan blasts on. not sure if these facts help. maybe its something to do with my fan sensor or the radiator?

  14. #14
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    "The old water pump and thermostat still work"? Huh? They are computer controlled. If they are not connected to the car's electrical system, you can't diagnose that. The engine computer measures the amount of current necessary to drive the water pump a certain speed - that's how it knows if it's bad.

    I said DO NOT BUY the parts until you were sure what was wrong.... you bought the parts anyway, although you had no code for water pump or thermostat..

    I told you exactly how to bleed the cooling system, and you did it completely wrong, with the engine running.

    You DID have a code for intermittent overtemperature....at which point, you should have used the diag tool to check engine temps against reality.

    Maybe you've got a bad fan. Maybe the head gasket is blown and the head is warped. Maybe the radiator is clogged. Maybe the temp sensor is bad, or it's wires are shorting.

    But for sure, you're not going to fix it if you don't exactly follow the directions I gave you for bleeding the system of air. This isn't an option, and you can't do it "your way". This is a very specific, computer-controlled, BMW procedure which flushes the cooling system of air.

    If you don't precisely follow the directions, you have not bled the cooling system.
    Last edited by bmwdirtracer; 09-30-2018 at 07:44 AM.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  15. #15
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    I apologize, i should have mentioned. i did redo the bleeding procedure word for word of what you said after and it didnt help, when i did it somewhere under the engine made a loud whine noise for like 5-10 seconds and then nothing happened. I replaced the waterpump and thermostat as a lets see maybe im lucky or maybe not, and my mileage is right around where people seem to replace those preemptively anyway. The overtemperatue code i didnt know what it meant and noone replied stating so i figured it wasnt a big deal. Obviously i was wrong.
    Last edited by sadisticblazer; 10-01-2018 at 06:56 PM. Reason: Addition info

  16. #16
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    Can you read engine temperature with your scanner?

    When you do the bleeding procedure, the water pump will work, at high speed for a couple of minutes, and, then at varying speeds, for a total of twelve minutes. If it didn't do this, redo the procedure. Did you have the door open or closed? If the door is closed, the vehicle will shut down power consumers, including the water pump.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    Can you read engine temperature with your scanner?

    When you do the bleeding procedure, the water pump will work, at high speed for a couple of minutes, and, then at varying speeds, for a total of twelve minutes. If it didn't do this, redo the procedure. Did you have the door open or closed? If the door is closed, the vehicle will shut down power consumers, including the water pump.
    I redid it about 8 times or so. every time i heard a loud whine under the engine for like 5 seconds and then nothing after that for like 4 minutes and no stream of coolant so i gave up.

    as for temp i dont know how to use my scan tool to be honest so im just going to say no until i learn it a little more.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    Can you read engine temperature with your scanner?

    When you do the bleeding procedure, the water pump will work, at high speed for a couple of minutes, and, then at varying speeds, for a total of twelve minutes. If it didn't do this, redo the procedure. Did you have the door open or closed? If the door is closed, the vehicle will shut down power consumers, including the water pump.
    Just to give some closure. I traded the car for a nice beamer and some cash because i got my m license and want to use it. but apparently the guy who i sold it too figured out the issue was that the lower radiator hose was blown up like a balloon and completely clogged so he replaced both upper and lower hoses, the radiator and the radiator fan and said that the car is working beautifully again.

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