N52 Engine Woes

[Mr Tidy]

Well my E91 325i had a little trip behind an RAC van this afternoon!

I was going along the Hogs Back (A31) towards the A3 at Guildford and soon after I passed the hotel I got an amber temperature warning light (no temp. gauge on these - to go with the lack of a dipstick)! Within seconds the light turned red so I got to the layby a bit further up to find some coolant had come out the top of the expansion tank, but the bottom hose was cold!

So it got taken to TWG Automotive, and I had the 2+ mile walk home!

Still it did arrive before TWG shut so it's on the waiting list - probably for the legendary electric water pump!

I'm just glad I decided to use the A31 rather than the M3 "Smart" motorway - that might have been interesting! :roll:

 

[Smartbear]

Well my E91 325i had a little trip behind an RAC van this afternoon!

I was going along the Hogs Back (A31) towards the A3 at Guildford and soon after I passed the hotel I got an amber temperature warning light (no temp. gauge on these - to go with the lack of a dipstick)! Within seconds the light turned red so I got to the layby a bit further up to find some coolant had come out the top of the expansion tank, but the bottom hose was cold!

So it got taken to TWG Automotive, and I had the 2+ mile walk home!

Still it did arrive before TWG shut so it's on the waiting list - probably for the legendary electric water pump!

I'm just glad I decided to use the A31 rather than the M3 "Smart" motorway - that might have been interesting! :roll:

It does sound like the pump, don’t pay crazy money for a replacement one as they’re available cheap online compared to Bmw sourced prices!
Rob

 

[Wildfire]

Did you have any symptoms such as the fan coming on when you first started the car and you having to switch off and turn on again?

That's what signaled the demise of mine. It's not cheap, but replacing mine did make the engine a bit quieter. I did the thermostat at the same time.

 

[Jembo]

I'm just glad I decided to use the A31 rather than the M3 "Smart" motorway - that might have been interesting! :roll:

I dread breaking down on a motorway with NO hard shoulder - the 1 puncture I had once on the M20 where there is still one is frightening enough with lorries thundering past inches away - lucky escape

 

[ph001]

Water pump for sure as you stated. It's slightly more tricky to change on the E91 as there is a small cross-member in the way iirc but still simple enough. There seem to be some far eastern pumps kicking around Ebay now for the £150 mark - can't comment as to their quality but it's obvious the original Pierburg ones aren't up to much. I would say anything more than £300 all in to have this done at a garage is over the top. Thermostat will be fine - never known one fail.

 

[Mr Tidy]

It's staying where it is - I don't have anywhere suitable to do it myself (and I'm not sure I'd have the ability)! :roll:

Just like when the pump went on my 1st Z4 there were no warning signs, just red lights!

But I knew this might happen when I bought the E91 - it was a surprise with the Z4.

 

[IRD]

It's staying where it is - I don't have anywhere suitable to do it myself (and I'm not sure I'd have the ability)! :roll:

Just like when the pump went on my 1st Z4 there were no warning signs, just red lights!

But I knew this might happen when I bought the E91 - it was a surprise with the Z4.

Sorry to read about your woes Iain. Hope the fix is quick and not too expensive.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Sorry to read about your woes Iain. Hope the fix is quick and not too expensive.

Thanks, Ian.

As it's an unscheduled job it may take some time, but it means I have to use the Z4 - every cloud, as they say! :lol:

 

[IRD]

Sorry to read about your woes Iain. Hope the fix is quick and not too expensive.

Thanks, Ian.

As it's an unscheduled job it may take some time, but it means I have to use the Z4 - every cloud, as they say! :lol:

Good job it didn’t happen on your journey up to Lincoln :roll:

 

[srhutch]

Water pump for sure as you stated. It's slightly more tricky to change on the E91 as there is a small cross-member in the way iirc but still simple enough. There seem to be some far eastern pumps kicking around Ebay now for the £150 mark - can't comment as to their quality but it's obvious the original Pierburg ones aren't up to much. I would say anything more than £300 all in to have this done at a garage is over the top. Thermostat will be fine - never known one fail.

Thermostats fail on the N52. Mine failed at under 3 years and under 30k. Failed open so the engine wouldn’t get warm.

 

[ph001]

Ok, now I've heard of one!

 

[Mr Tidy]

Good job it didn’t happen on your journey up to Lincoln

I know, that's what I was thinking! My nephew wouldn't have been amused as he was working an early shift the next day! :lol:

 

[Mr Tidy]

Ok, now I've heard of one!

No, you've heard of two!

The pump died on my 1st Z4C in 2016 just about bang on 10 years and 60K miles into it's life!

 

[ph001]

Oh i’ve heard of lots of pump failures...don’t get me wrong, but stat failures are rare indeed.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Oh i’ve heard of lots of pump failures...don’t get me wrong, but stat failures are rare indeed.

Oh right - sorry I misinterpreted what you meant.

I'd never know if the thermostat got stuck open on my E91 as it doesn't have a temperature gauge - I'm sure they call it progress!