Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

Ok guys need a quick bit of advice, I decieded to do a radiator flush as it was beginning to look a little dirty, now ever since if i give the car any guts it begins to get very hot...... now a little back ground, the hoses are quiet soft !! so im thinking of replacing then anyways, but im wondering if o may have clogged the radiator or the theromstate??? im a little lost, cause i flushed it another time thinking that would help !! but it doesnt seen to have helped...

also aboyut 2 weeks ago i somehow misplaced my radiator cap so i got anothter on and just thinking maybe it not suitable for a r33 GTST ??? and help or agvice would be benificial ... should i take the tadiator out and do a major flush of the engin and radiator ? repace the thermo??

thanks guys

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/
Share on other sites

getting them properly flushed mean having the end tanks taken off, and due to the age of these cars there is usually hairline cracks in the tanks, which means new tanks when getting that done, take it out and geta quote.

re: cap for radiator, you see the coolant spilling out of the overflow tank?

did you Bleed the radiator system properly when you refilled it after the flush?

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341211
Share on other sites

getting them properly flushed mean having the end tanks taken off, and due to the age of these cars there is usually hairline cracks in the tanks, which means new tanks when getting that done, take it out and geta quote.

re: cap for radiator, you see the coolant spilling out of the overflow tank?

did you Bleed the radiator system properly when you refilled it after the flush?

thanks for the quick reply !! i did bleed the entire system and bleed and air trapped in the system, it did once have coolant spill over the overflow the first time it got hot... but hasnt done it since, also stupid question !! but could it also possibly be incorrect coolant?? im usesing a stock standand Radicool "type A" coolant? should have i used a turbo specific high grade coolant??

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341237
Share on other sites

coolant is the same

remember that adding more coolant increases the boiling point of the fluid, but DOES NOT make it better at cooling. so as lonmg as there is no leaks and the coolant is diluted, it could be a blockage.

doubt it would be the thermostat as if that didn't open you would not see the high temps

sounds like a blockage in the radiator..

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341289
Share on other sites

coolant is the same

remember that adding more coolant increases the boiling point of the fluid, but DOES NOT make it better at cooling. so as lonmg as there is no leaks and the coolant is diluted, it could be a blockage.

doubt it would be the thermostat as if that didn't open you would not see the high temps

sounds like a blockage in the radiator..

so would it be a good idea to take the radiator out and give iot a good flush??

or is there something i can use to do the job?? or should i have someone who totally knows what they are doing?? like i have the confidence to do it myself !1 i jsut dont want to make the problem any worse ....

thanks so much for the advice

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341356
Share on other sites

your flush you did included removing the radiator and pumping some high pressure water through it before putting it back in the car ????

proper flush will costs you if the end tanks are cracking, cos when they remove them they usually damaged and need to be replaced

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341464
Share on other sites

your flush you did included removing the radiator and pumping some high pressure water through it before putting it back in the car ????

proper flush will costs you if the end tanks are cracking, cos when they remove them they usually damaged and need to be replaced

No i didnt take it out !! was just a general clean and flush,,, thew end tanks where are they situated !! and doesn the radiator just slip out once it been taken off the manafold?? and what kind of cost are u thinknig ?? just an estimate??

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341475
Share on other sites

couple of hundred at least.

the end task are the plastic bit on the radiator... like where the pipes go into it .. and the rad cap is located

if you are going to do track days, look into getting a quote from a radiator place... if its a few hundred look into getting a bigger radiator

http://www.justjap.com/parts_ncooling.htm

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341508
Share on other sites

No i didnt take it out !! was just a general clean and flush,,, thew end tanks where are they situated !! and doesn the radiator just slip out once it been taken off the manafold?? and what kind of cost are u thinknig ?? just an estimate??

Sorry bout all the stupid questions !! just a little worrieD and i want the car back fully on the road !! interesting fact i can drive it for quiet awhile without the heat riseing !1 it just if i put my foot down a little ...???

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341517
Share on other sites

could be the thermo not opening enough to flow enough with the increased heat from a thrashing, or the radiator not having enough flow to cool enough after a thrashing..

change the thermostat if you can do it yourself, be cheaper fix, if it dont work then atleast you wont have to worry about it later

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341533
Share on other sites

When you say it becomes very hot, do you mean it keeps rising or it just runs hotter than before?

The reason I ask is because if the thermostat is stuffed and no longer opening you won't have any coolant circulating and it'll bake itself. Craved dude I don't understand why you said " if that didn't open you would not see the high temps". Could you please explain a little more? As far as I know, if the thermostat stays closed to assist in warming the block and once it reaches operating temp, it opens, allowing coolant in, to prevent high temps...?

Happily corrected if I have things ass about.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341545
Share on other sites

it could be a number of things...

blocked radiator, air pocket trapped in the system, faulty thermostat, etc..

a way you can check for a blocked radiator - disconnect both hoses from the radiator and put your garden hose in the top connection. Is the water filling up inside and then coming back out the top? is there any water coming out the bottom connection? if so, is it the same amount as you're putting in?

did you bleed the air out of the system at the plenum?

are you losing any coolant?

to give you an idea of prices, i had my radiator professionally cleaned and rebuilt for around $250, that included new end tanks.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341550
Share on other sites

could be the thermo not opening enough to flow enough with the increased heat from a thrashing, or the radiator not having enough flow to cool enough after a thrashing..

change the thermostat if you can do it yourself, be cheaper fix, if it dont work then atleast you wont have to worry about it later

cool !! ill do that on the weekend, ill do the hoses and the thermostat, and then and only then ill have to get it look at by someone !! so ill do another minor flush and do those couple things, fingers crossed, thanks for the advice, ill let u know if any changes occur.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341558
Share on other sites

i might be having a mental blank, but the temp sensors are located after the thermo, so if its not open then the water on the temp sensor side isn't as hot as inside the engine...

hence why a car stays at cold til it sort of suddenly gets warm when the thermo opens.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341556
Share on other sites

cool !! ill do that on the weekend, ill do the hoses and the thermostat, and then and only then ill have to get it look at by someone !! so ill do another minor flush and do those couple things, fingers crossed, thanks for the advice, ill let u know if any changes occur.

oh another question !! a thermostat, how much u think ?? i had a look and a nismo ine was about $150... i thought they were about 50 - 70$

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/126790-overheating/#findComment-2341570
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • So, I started this repair and got as far as "fixing" the holes with some fibreglass. God all those years working on boats came back quickly. I decided I'd reach out to some rust guys just to see what they would say about it. I came across a guy about 40 mins away and went to see him. He said the windscreen needs to come out, that there might be some more bits around the windscreen and he'd quote them at the time. But his quote was $300 to remove and replace windscreen and $3k for the damage he can see. He said he could respray the roof for $1200 and the bonnet for another $800 (somebody has previously rattle canned it, its horrendous). This is $5300 + any small additional bits. It's a lot, I get that and the name of one of my fave youtube channels 'Not Economically Viable' comes to mind.  I'm not being financially rational, but I've taken him up on the quote. He's opening a new shop in November with more room, so we're waiting for that. I'll leave the currently missing headliner out until then. I'm looking forward to it being fixed and having the paint looking nice again (lots of clear coat issues on the roof too). / flame suit on.
    • Oh and some up-and-comings; New rear drivers wheel bearing. I'll do that this weekend while the diff is out. The car is already up and the d/c axles and missing exhaust will help with space. This is the last bearing for me to do and I've been dragging my feet on it. I also have some new EBC blue stuff pads for the car and some new brake fluid. I haven't ever flushed the fluid in this car and looking forward to it. I have 600 degree fluid to put in. Not exactly "race fluid" but better than the typical stuff I have been using.
    • A proper clutch/plate type mechanical diff with quite a lot of pre-load and high locking % is better for drifting. Much more consistent in its behaviour. A helical can be annoyingly vague and inconsistent in how it responds under the sorts of abuse found in drifting.
    • Some updates here. I pulled the entire interior out, minus some trim to respray the seats with Colourlock dye. It turned out really nice though I accidentally let the dog in the car after and she scratched up the front seat.  This is what it looked like before, the colour was just washing out everywhere but thankfully the leather was in good nic. Then after the respray   And after the bloody dog jumped in The headliner is out waiting to be retrimmed, but it will stay out now until Nov - see why below. I replaced the stereo/headunit with a period-styled Android headunit. I have no after pics, but I'll get some. This is because of the missing pixels. I tried to fix this twice with replacement ribbon cables but couldn't. Also the bluetooth interface I'd bought for this was crap. Then there's the rusty roof. Pics and info in this other thread. I have decided to get this repaired professionally, but I'll update that thread. This is why the headliner will stay out for now. I'll be getting the roof and bonnet resprayed at the same time the rust is fixed. I also had an interesting issue with my drivers door lock.  For a small period I was having issues getting any 12v power to the car - I mean *any*. It would have no dash lights, nothing. It happened while I was at the shops and I couldn't get in the car. So, we had 2 problems. The most pressing here is that I was locked out. I have only a single physical key hole on the car, the drivers door and no amount of turning would unlock the car. Surely it doesn't need power for this? The second issue is why am I losing all power periodically, The battery isn't dead, its almost like the battery isn't even there. Two issues that were surprisingly easy to fix. You fellow BMW over-engineering lovers will appreciate this. The lock in the door has 5 states; mechanical lock, electric lock, neutral, electric unlock, mechanical unlock achieved at -90 degrees, -45 degrees, 0 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees. Although, the unlock is towards the front of the car, so opposite for LHD countries. Sticking the key in and turning 45 left or right is what is used 99% of the time. It activates the central locking etc. 90 degrees is for dead battery access and, obvs, only un/locks the one door. But because the mechanical lock is never used and is 27 years old, it seizes up. I was totally unable to turn the key far enough to get to the mechanical unlock (At the time of locking myself out, I didn't even know this was a thing). I eventually did it with some vicegrips and teflon spray.  I made a quick vid for other E39 peeps.   The battery issue is totally new to me also - It wasn't making sufficient contact between the post and the terminal. The terminal was bolted on tight, but the car wouldn't have power. After checking the battery with my multimeter I accidentally contacted the terminal and the battery post and the car got power. The battery was only a few years old and in good condition. I cleaned the post and the terminal with a wire brush, bolted it back on tight and never had the issue again. I'm still surprised that despite having solid contact it didn't work. Also, the car was getting Warragamba sized pools of water in the back when it rained. My initial concern was another rust problem. But when I went out on Weds while it was raining and while I had no headliner in I could see a steady stream of water coming through the roof mounted aerial. As this aerial is for the (now removed) car phone I pulled it out and whacked a blanking grommet in the hole. It seems fine now. I'm thinking I might get the hole permanently filled when the rust is fixed. Moving forward and things in progress; The tailgate needs some attention. I have taken all the trim off to clean it all and address some small rust spots. I have partially done all of this but I'll finish it up hopefully this weekend. As all the trim are now entirely devoid of trim clips I have bought a heap of strong velcro and I'm hoping it does a good enough job as any of this trim in good condition is super expensive and usually in Europe as we dont have many of the wagons here. Suspension and brakes!!! This is exciting. In the front; New control arms New sway bar links New lower Eibach springs (the only modification I'm planning on this car) M Sport shocks (these came with the car and will replace the longer shocks in the car) New top mounts Used 540i calipers (stock brakes suck!) New 540i disks and pads (22x296 mm for 528 and 30x334 mm for 540i) New front wheel bearings (thank all that is holy for bolt on bearings!) Annnnd in the back; New control arms New sway bar links Adjustable air suspension arms (fool the car into what the current height is so the self levelling suspension can match the new front ride height) New ball joints I'll also be doing a brake fluid flush while I'm in there. I'm planning on switching the car over to the 16's that came with it so I can clean up and respray the M Sport 17's. They've lost a lot of colour over the years and have some gutter rash. None of this will start until the E90 is back.
    • You mean you will regret it for drifting duties? I don't quite follow.
×
×
  • Create New...