N52 water pump: bleeding and codes

bigwinn

bigwinn

Elite
 Lincoln UK
Site Supporter
Hi all

Not seen this before so looking for guidance

Replaced the expansion tank as it was showing dribbles. Car wasn’t overheating and got up to temp fine so assume the pump is good.

Done- go to start bleeding via the car- won’t initiate.

Use inpa- says it’s bleeding but it isn’t.

Check for codes and the car shows 2E84 with no MIL. That’s like a BMS code for comms as I read it. Code is persistent won’t disappear.

Checked the wiring and it’s, well, crispy. See pics. Plugs were clean but I used contact cleaner just in case.

Questions-

Can I bleed the car in the standard way you’d bleed an M54 with the engine running?

Should I replace the green wiring?

Anyone else experienced this at all?

Cheers in advance

Stuart
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I'm not sure if the standard bleed process would work? How would a non-running pump restrict the flow? Would it effectively 'close off' some waterways?
Given the state of the wiring I'd be concerned that the pump wouldn't operate properly in normal use either.

I think if it were me I'd be sorting the wiring out.
Interestingly, I noticed that some cheaper water pumps on eBay come with a new section of loom and a replacement plug.
Wonder if you can get that separately?
 
Agreed the wiring and earth need sorting

I was just mulling the bleed- surely if I start the car (and the pump runs as per normal) you can bleed in the normal way?
 
bigwinn said:
Agreed the wiring and earth need sorting

I was just mulling the bleed- surely if I start the car (and the pump runs as per normal) you can bleed in the normal way?
Click to expand...
Well the process forces the pump to run.
When you start the car the pump may not run for quite a while until it really needs to. It doesn't run continually and even when it does, it can run at different speeds as needed (I believe - I'll read up NewTIS).
So you could have quite an airlock built up by the time it starts running. If it's in the heater matrix it's a sod to shift.
 
enuff_zed said:
Well the process forces the pump to run.
When you start the car the pump may not run for quite a while until it really needs to. It doesn't run continually and even when it does, it can run at different speeds as needed (I believe - I'll read up NewTIS).
So you could have quite an airlock built up by the time it starts running. If it's in the heater matrix it's a sod to shift.
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I’ll see if the repair sorts the issue and revert back

Makes sense cheers
 
NewTIS was interesting reading. Doesn't make it very clear about how it runs, but does say it can self-diagnose. Not just whether it's stiff etc, but also if the ratio of coolant to water is wrong! Really?
 
The thermostat is alongside the pump at the bottom of the engine it will get warm last and the cylinder head will boil, the wiring needs repairing first action
 
There was someone the other month that had a pump that ran but wouldn't bleed.

There's also been people who've had their N52s overheat after a coolant change because they were ignorant that there was an automatic bleed sequence so I presume the system just won't self-bleed with the pump running normally. Reminds me of the Land Rover 300tdi engines that were a pig to bleed. Usual instruction was to raise the front quite high and run the engine. I only had ordinary jacks which didn't go far on a Disco so went down the country lanes until I found a nice steep bank to drive up. Same idea would probably work on the N52 but you'd need a winch to drag it back onto the road ;)
 
My N52 had been throwing a lost communication with water pump code ever since o got it 2.5 yrs ago. Ran fine. Finally died a few weeks ago. Earth connectin look poor to me, but cleaning and refitting made no difference. Refilling was trickier than web searches suggested. Holds 6.5 litres of coolant. Vacuum fill only pulled in approx 4.5 litres. Filled expansion tank to max. Moment i ran the pump the tank emptied instantly. Suspect pump/stat closes off part of the cooling system. Used a fill tank fitted to the expansion tank next time and worked fine. Ultimately if the self bleed process wont work and vacuum filling alone wont work....not sure how it will be possible to fill an N52.
 
Just been trying to look for the code in carly / ancel....no luck.....but the actual wording next to it was "lost communication with water pump".....if your code is similar could be the same. When i dismantled the 18 yr old water pump it looked like there was water ingress to the electronics in the pump which faces the front of the car.
 
Bmw Enthusiast said:
Just googled 2e84....thats what i had. New water pump time perhaps? Mine ran for ages, and failure was intermittent. Would run for bit then stop.
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I’m going to repair/replace the wiring and see if that resolves the comms issue

If not I agree I think it’s a new pump
 
Updating

Wiring repaired

Still same codes and no water movement

Now assuming pump is cooked so popping a new pierburg one in

👍🏻
 
bigwinn said:
Updating

Wiring repaired

Still same codes and no water movement

Now assuming pump is cooked so popping a new pierburg one in

👍🏻
Click to expand...
That's become a very expensive expansion tank!
Though I guess maybe it could have sprung a leak due to the pump not working properly in the first place?
 
enuff_zed said:
That's become a very expensive expansion tank!
Though I guess maybe it could have sprung a leak due to the pump not working properly in the first place?
Click to expand...
That’s what I am thinking. Seen it before that the overpressure causes issues like that

£329 for a pierburg at euro car parts was better than expected
 
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