N52 Engine Cooked??

J

Josh.ryan

Member
Hey, newbie here so sorry if something similars been covered already.

Went to look at a Coupe the other day and the guy replaced the water pump, I asked him how it went and he said on his way out of town it went and he nursed it back home, turning the engine off when the gauge went up - probably about 6 miles of driving on it. Pretty sure he cooked the N52 but this happened 2 years and 5k ago, so my thinking's that he got away with it?

Head gasket or warping would have shown by now?

Know I should probably give it a miss but gotta love that straight six.

Any advice would be appreciated, cheers.
 
I drove mine down the m6 for 20 miles with a fucked pump last year to an indipensant specialist just stopping when it overheated and waiting. Was fine ever since.
 
Check for mayo in the rad cap, perhaps do a sniffer test on the coolant, but for 5 k miles since the problem, would normally have shown a problem by now.
 
Thrustyjust said:
Check for mayo in the rad cap, perhaps do a sniffer test on the coolant, but for 5 k miles since the problem, would normally have shown a problem by now.
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Agree with this. :thumbsup:

Take it out for test drive. Get it nicely warmed up and give it a good ragging. :wink:
 
Hi and welcome to the forum OP. :thumbsup:

Sensible question to ask before you commit, but I really can't see it being an issue. I must have driven my 1st Coupe that far when the water pump died with no issue. If it really starts getting too hot the engine goes into "Limp" mode to protect it from damage.

In a way finding one that's already had a new pump is a bonus, because if these engines have a problem area that is it so you should be fine for years! The main issue with them is that a new pump is £200+ (or £500+ from BMW) before fitting! :o

As buzyg says, get it warm and chase the red-line - the 3 litre N52 is a great engine!
 
Thrustyjust said:
Do we have a mechanical pump as well as the infamous electric one ?
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No, all the facelifts use the N52 engine that only has the electric pump.

But at least with a Z4 you get a bit more warning as you have a temperature gauge! E90 & E91 3 Series don't have one, so you get an amber warning light on the dash, followed by a red one in less than half a mile - how do I know...……..? :lol:

To be fair your car may well have already had one - my 1st Coupe's water pump expired pretty much on the 9th anniversary of registration and at 60K miles.
 
Cheers Mr Tidy. I have a receipt for a replacement water pump but doesnt state electric or mechanical. Searching shows a mechanical and as the guy also changed the auxilary belt and thermostat , lead me to question which I had and which was changed ! Glad its been done on mine, but the springs look original and a little bit ............... er ............ unhealthy :D
 
No problem, Thrustyjust. It's quite common to swap the thermostat at the same time, and at the auxiliary drive belt may well have been past it's best although it's not related given the water pump is electric.

Ah yes, like most BMWs of this era they are known to suffer from springs snapping - both my Coupes had new springs before I bought them. But a pair of springs is much cheaper than an electric water pump!
 
dear sir, i had a woman once but after a while i didnt like her, if i get another one will it happen again ?
YOURS FAITHFULLY ..
worried .. :rofl:
 
road warrior said:
dear sir, i had a woman once but after a while i didnt like her, if i get another one will it happen again ?
YOURS FAITHFULLY ..
worried .. :rofl:
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Well if my experience is anything to go by, there's every likelihood it will happen again! :lol:

And Z4s are much cheaper to maintain. :rofl:
 
Definitely worth a look.

I'd regard it as a plus-point if the car has documentation confirming the water pump has been replaced already! You're avoiding the hassle of it failing, and a £500 bill even at a BMW Indy by the time it is fitted. :o

Let us know how you get on. :thumbsup:
 
Mr Tidy said:
road warrior said:
dear sir, i had a woman once but after a while i didnt like her, if i get another one will it happen again ?
YOURS FAITHFULLY ..
worried .. :rofl:
Click to expand...

Well if my experience is anything to go by, there's every likelihood it will happen again! :lol:

And Z4s are much cheaper to maintain. :rofl:
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you ain't kiddin
 
It will be fine Josh - unless it's changed as a preventative measure they all then to go like that. I've never heard of an N52 engine actually being damaged by it (which is surprising I know) so it must protect itself pretty well.
 
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