BMW 520i SE - overheating problem

BMW 520i SE - overheating problem - help please

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T's - 02 Sep 2006 21:52 GMT

I have and love my BMW 520i SE, 1998 Range. I recently travelled to
Devon 260 miles away. On the very last ten miles it started to
overheat when I got caught up in a traffic jam. When the traffic
started flowing the temp dropped. I arrived at the camp and called the
RAC who advised that it could be the Viscous fan and thermostate. I
had these changed and found the radiator has burst on the seam. I had
some radweld but on and was advised that it was a temp job. I left it
all week whilst on holiday. On the day of leaving the battery was
flat. I jumped it and got ten miles in journey and it overheated again
and cut out on me. I called out the RAC who brought me home. To date I
have had the fan changed, the thermostate, radiator and the water pump
changed but this does not seem to have resolved the problem. Can
anyone give me a clue what else could be wrong with it. The engine
still sounds sweet - no banging etc. Hope to hear soon. T

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Jules - 02 Sep 2006 22:09 GMT

> I have and love my BMW 520i SE, 1998 Range. I recently travelled to
> Devon 260 miles away. On the very last ten miles it started to
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> anyone give me a clue what else could be wrong with it. The engine
> still sounds sweet - no banging etc. Hope to hear soon. T

Would this be the M50 engine? i bought my first BMW a few months ago, a 91
520 and had the same problems as you, i changed like you have but still the
same problem, i was told to carefully bleed the rad a few times. and that
cured it.

i think i let it get warm with the heater blowing full and keep bleeding and
topping up while squeezing hoses.

did it 3 or 4 times

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bm mech - 03 Sep 2006 07:57 GMT

>I have and love my BMW 520i SE, 1998 Range. I recently travelled to
>Devon 260 miles away. On the very last ten miles it started to
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>anyone give me a clue what else could be wrong with it. The engine
>still sounds sweet - no banging etc. Hope to hear soon. T

hi this could be one of two things either you havent bled the cooling system
properly this can be done cold by opening the bleed valve on top of the
radiator its a black cross headed screw next to the cap and one in the top
hose open them and top with coolant untill the coolant emerges from the bleed
screwsclose the screws and run the engine with rad cap off you should see a
small jet of coolant being pumped back into the neck of the cooling bottle
this tells you that the water pump is pumping if you can see this fit the cap
and run to temp drive down the road and see if it over heats if it does it
may be that the head is cracked a pressure tester on the cooling system will
give a good indication as you have fitted everything else these are the most
likely causes but if not let me know

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T's - 04 Sep 2006 19:26 GMT

I have now been told by my garage that the gasket head or the head
gasket is damaged and needs replacing. He has advised me it will cost
at the highest £1400. Can anyone who knows let me know 1) is it worth
doing 2) What should it cost 3) Can anyone recommend anyone to do the
good repairer in Manchester?

Thanks for the responses I have received so far. The information has
been spot on a real help to me.

Thanks T

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