Oh Nooooooo... Please! Not the Crusher?

[pawswish]

Ok... so I finally figured how this thread thing works. I'm new to this and came across bimmer.info through the excellent e34 article in the latest Roundel. I'm hoping someone out there can save my 1989 535i from the crusher.... HELP!!!

Prior to the issue with the blown radiator hose, even with 300,000 miles (all long run stuff) she ran like the day she left the factory. Now there are coolant issues... maybe a blown head gasket or warped head. If I de- pressurize the system I can drive just fine, but I'm too old to be messing with this stuff... and I know all about the bleeding challenges. With black on black, interior is perfect with no leather rips or tears, seats work fine including heaters (no funky seatback issues) new gas strut inserts and gas shocks 5K miles ago, perfect gearbox although a tad stiff in cold weather due to Redline oil, limited slip diff. What doesn't work? A/C, speedometer... that's about it. Light timing chain noise but that's to be expected at this mileage and some light rust.
I'm in southeast Wisconsin and will be donating the car to the Boy's Ranch if there are no takers, probably in a week or two. I think it's worth $500. Any takers? make me an offer I can't refuse. Please... she doesn't deserve to die this soon.

Thanks.

Pawswish

[angrypancake]

so what are the coolant issues? is it overheating or somethign? could it be air in the lines screwing things up?


are you getting the classic white smoke from the exhaust?

[BillionPa]

O_O

hold on to that till i consult with an associate.

im in the twin cities, and if he wants it we wil probably drive there to tow it.

[pawswish]

so what are the coolant issues? is it overheating or somethign? could it be air in the lines screwing things up?


are you getting the classic white smoke from the exhaust?

Overheated when the radiator hose blew. I changed the hose, refilled the coolant reservoir, started it with the cap off and as it warmed up the coolant came overflowing out of the bottle. So, I made sure the system was properly bled and it seemed fine. No classic white smoke. Drove it to work the next day and on the way home it got hot and I pulled over and had to refill the bottle and re-bleed. Since then the system seems to get way overpressurized, and I left it cool down overnight and the oil had a very slightly milky appearance the following day after I started it. Since then, I've run it around town with the system de-pressurized and it stays cool (below half point on the temp guage where it always is), no milky oil, no apparent white smoke, but it seems that the coolant goes down faster than it sould be evaporating. Hence my guess at a blown head gasket or warped head.

Thanks for responding! I've not driven it for a week, and figure a more knowledgable person is what's needed. Concerns are overpressurization, apparent coolant loss, slightly milky oil appearance when I pressurized the system the last time. Heater works fine while I'm running it so looks like all air is properly bled out through the bleeder screw.

[pawswish]

Works for me. It's a two owner local car. Previous owner put 240,000 miles driving to Rockford every day, and then it sat in his garage for over a year due to his health problems. It has some scratches and dents (more from his wife storing boxes on it and banging her damn SUV door into it, than anything else). I drive 80 miles round trip each day and it has been a great car. Too young to die.

Let me know. Am anxious to see it go to someone who will not route it directly to the crusher. Thanks for responding!

[SnakeyesTx]

I was about to mention that bleeder screw in the radiator. I was able to pour in almost half a gallon more coolant after I took mine out. But if you run the motor with that screw out, you get a pressurized fountain! Just verifying, you had the screw out when you filled the system correct?

[pawswish]

I was about to mention that bleeder screw in the radiator. I was able to pour in almost half a gallon more coolant after I took mine out. But if you run the motor with that screw out, you get a pressurized fountain! Just verifying, you had the screw out when you filled the system correct?

Yup... took that out and was able to add a bunch more coolant like you said. Curious thing is that when it got hot the second time, I had the bleeder screw out and could hear boiling down the hole, but the coolant reservoir still had coolant in there. How the heck does that happen? So I ended up doing the only thing that was available... pouring the coolant directly down the bleeder screw hole to cool the sombitch down. After everything stabilized, I drove it home unpressurized and temp guage etc was fine. System seems to overpressurize whenever I put the filler cap back on.

[pawswish]

I see you're a 530iA pilot. A friend has a '95 530iA.. beautiful condition... that he is very disenchanted with because it puked the tranny shortly after he bought it. He replaced that and it may be for sale. Anyone you know interested?

[SnakeyesTx]

I don't particularly recommend this normally, but have you tried taking the thermostat out and seeing if it still pressurizes? That's the last thing I could think of...

...unless you're experiencing the same issue I had. Try to take it to a shop that can test the coolant system for the presence of exhaust gases entering it. My head was actually *Cracked* between an exhaust valve and a coolant passage. Oil wasn't exchanged, but rather exhaust was pressurizing my cooling system and blew a hose. The test I assume is lithmus like because he says whatever he uses turns yellow when exhaust gasses are present contaminating the coolant. Generally these tests take a few minutes for the engine to warm up and run for a while, but mine was cracked so bad that it failed the test in the first 20 seconds.

[pawswish]

I don't particularly recommend this normally, but have you tried taking the thermostat out and seeing if it still pressurizes? That's the last thing I could think of...

...unless you're experiencing the same issue I had. Try to take it to a shop that can test the coolant system for the presence of exhaust gases entering it. My head was actually *Cracked* between an exhaust valve and a coolant passage. Oil wasn't exchanged, but rather exhaust was pressurizing my cooling system and blew a hose. The test I assume is lithmus like because he says whatever he uses turns yellow when exhaust gasses are present contaminating the coolant. Generally these tests take a few minutes for the engine to warm up and run for a while, but mine was cracked so bad that it failed the test in the first 20 seconds.

That would be my guess. HAve not taken the thermostat out, but wondered what role that could play in thsi whole ordeal. Thanks for the suggestion on the coolant test. I'd heard about that from a friend with a E34 M5 who had the engine rebuilt, but tracking it brought on the same overpressurization and coolant issues. Fortunately the engine-builder stood behind his work!!! Maybe my 535i had sympathy pains...

I'll check locally to see if there is anyone who can do that test, or failing that, maybe one of the local auto supply places sells whatever it is that is used to test the coolant. If I had the time and the energy I'd get a used head and replace it, but she is far from pristine and I'm looking around for another 5-series.

Cheers!