If the radiator is gone, the expansion tank is probably next.  And if it
goes you've got less than 10 seconds to stop the engine before it
overheats.  $2K is a little high, but not unreasonable for replacing
everything.  Do it.

FWIW, all BMWs have weak cooling systems.  The E36 is actually
one of the better models on this front.  70K is perhaps a little early,
but it's a 10-year-old car.

FloydR

The difference between these two is minimal.  Replacing the whole system
basically means the radiator, the hoses, the tank, and the water pump.
That's about all there is to it.

I think you probably want to replace the radiator and the hoses, which
you know are problems.  I think pre-emptive replacement of the waterpump
isn't a bad idea.  At that point, you've already replaced 90% of the
system anyway.  Changing the thermostat and the tank probably aren't really
worth it, but it'll add ten minutes to the job and a minimal amount of money.

And anyway, the next thing that is going to fail will be the heater core.
That $2000 doesn't include a heater core, does it?  If it does, go for
it.  You couldn't pay me enough money to replace that....
--scott

This is a tough one.

The cooling system is plastic, and you are noticing the plastic is degrading
as a normal reaction to the heat and chemicals. Odds say that if some of the
plastic is giving up, the rest of the plastic is not far behind.

I would suggest that the metal and rubber parts -- t-stat and hoses -- are
something you can look at and replace or not, subject to the inspection. You
should expect the radiator and water pump to need replacement, the hoses are
pretty subjective. There is logic in replacing the entire system -- you will
not be facing new service requirements in the future.

It seems to me that $2k is a bit steep here. In order to compare apples with
more apples, you need your Second Opinion to quote his price to replace the
same parts, or get your First Opinion to give a quote on replacing the parts
the Second Opinion says need replacing. I could replace all of that stuff in
a day, perhaps an afternoon. Without pulling out the price sheet and
calculator, I think you have a parts list that should settle down somewhere
around $750.

I would do this job myself in my driveway, and I'd probably stick to the
radiator and water pump. The main reason to include the pump at this point
is, the radiator has to come out to gain access, and the water pump impeller
is known to wear out because of the material it is made of. Since the
radiator is already out, it makes sense to go after the pump just to avoid
taking the radiator out later to replace the pump at that time. The hoses
are something I would inspect, and keep or replace as the inspection
dictates. If you are having somebody else do the work, then the hoses are
worth replacing because the only cost factor is the parts themselves -- the
labor to remove and install the original hoses is the same as for installing
the new ones.

Here's another way to look at service vs. value of the car, can you replace
the car for $2,000? Can you replace the car with another of similar quality
and comfort for $15,000? I doubt your car is worth $15k, (I'm not arguing
that point, and given the low miles I could be worng), but assuming it is,
can you buy another car to replace this one for that price? Your car is good
for at least 250,000 miles, I'd not hesitate to buy a box full of parts for
it.

If you are tired of driving that old piece of crap, then trade it in. If you
still get enjoyment from it, then buy the parts and not look back.

You can go online to the autoparts company of your choice and add the prices
of the radiator, upper and lower hoses, water pump, t-stat and housing, and
coolant. You should consider the cost of the viscous coupling (fan clutch)
that drives the main cooling fan. This is a part that is a wear item, and
the cost should come in at about $75. This is another part that comes off to
access the water pump, so there is no additional labor involved in replacing
it.

in article
245f6a3e-c2b5-4d65-b78e-d9c02fec5ed3@t42g2000hsg.googlegroups.com, mcquarrie
at 00derek@gmail.com wrote on 10/21/08 5:46 AM:

wow ... only 70K miles on it ... and the recommendation is for a complete
swap out of the radiatior system ... since there are lots of leaks in it.

my guess ... is that someone put some acid to clean out the radiator system
and it ate it out from the inside.

BMWs have a weak cooling system as it were ... having all aluminum airplane
parts running around in there ... one bullet and it is gone.  Lose your
engine and it is toast.  Toss the car away.

Since you can go another 2000k miles on it ... I would do it on the one
hand.

On the other hand ... for just a few thousand more you can trade it in and
get an upgrade to a year 2000 model or better ... where all the new engine
and transmission technology is in there.

So .. for the extra 2K dollars ... I would do a trade in and get a better
system all around and better mileage.

sumbuddie wear blind sea

I had all those parts (except heater core) replaced, in a piecemeal
fashion over the course of a couple years, in my 1994 E36 and in total
it came to something close to $2,000, so the price you were quoted
doesn't seem unreasonable to me. They may also want to check/replace
the sensor that attaches to the bottom of the expansion tank, if that
wasn't included in the quote.