Burst expansion tank

[basil the dog]

Can any body give me an idea as to whether I've damaged my engine or not?
Driving at around 70mph and heard the warning beep of the temp gauge which was in the red, took my foot off the accelerator and coasted for about 400 metres then turned of the ignition and drifted on the hard shoulder, it was still dripping water from underside so hoping that it wasn't completely dry, so I'm wondering if anyone with can give me an idea if the the engine is likely to be damaged or not.

[Scooba_Steve]

Which engine? N52?

If you stopped straight away then probably not, but you're not going to get a definitive diagnosis online.

[basil the dog]

I should of put engine type in original post,
It's The 3si, (n52?)

[firebobby]

Fit a new tank then make sure you fill the system correctly and get any air out. Once your happy I would start the car and let it warm up. Keep an eye on the gauge and look/listen for any signs of over heating. You may have been lucky and got away with it.

[basil the dog]

Thanks for that,had the car dropped at a garage I use, what are the symptoms I should be looking out for once it's had a new tank?

[firebobby]

It may be worth having the pump checked as it may have stopped working and caused the overheat. I think the pump on your car is. If a garage is doing the work, they should check that the engine doesn't overheat once the work is done.

[Mr Tidy]

OP, if your car was dripping fluid when you stopped I'd suspect the expansion tank before the water pump.

When the pump died on my 1st E86 (3.0 N52 engine) the temperature gauge shot into the red in less than a mile but there was no leaking fluid.

It happened in December on an unlit NSL dual-carriageway so I drove it a few miles to get off that - I couldn't see it surviving the night stopped on the side of the road!

Got a new pump and thermostat fitted and all good - apart from my bank balance!