Bimmer Owners' Club

Castrol Magnatec is a great oil but there are others that compare such as Mobil 1 and I recently tried Petronas in my Z3 and it is absolutely fine....no Vanos noise or valve rattle, and a lot cheaper as well.  

Halfords do great deals periodically on the above makes

The only difference between the two oils is the viscosity or as the Americans call it the 'weight' which is related to the oil flow at certain temperatures. 

Your engine should be fine with each although for older engines I would be tempted to go for the 10w30.

However, there is a huge difference in oil quality so buy the best you can for your money.

Glad you sorted it Samuel...always a nice feeling to know it's an easy solution to resolve it.

Hi Emma

As Dave has mentioned, a lot of readings can be taken to establish if a component is working, but what's important is how to move forwards from here.

I would advise taking it to a Diagnostic specialist who can interpret the live data to determine the cause rather than replace any more parts.

Alternatively, for the age of the car and mileage, maybe you have to consider replacing it with a new model (sounds terrible I know) but the old saying 'head and heart'

Good luck with it all,   Cheers   Trevor

Hi Geoff...welcome to the Forum

Fine looking car and in fact if you squint slightly it looks very similar to the A5 

Good to have you onboard

Cheers,  Trevor

On 10/2/2017 at 9:13 AM, Trevor said:

Did you not say that the radiator tank was slightly cracked?

If so, this is definitely where air can enter, you lose the increased boiling point and 'hey presto'

Also, check the condition or replace the pressure cap as this can cause the same problems.

 

Glad you got it sorted....did happen to mention in my first post reply to replace the pressure cap, but at least it's running good now.

That's amazing the way some cars actually find their way home 

There should also be a bleed screw just on top of the thermostat area on the engine if I remember right....a small bolt which you (carefully) loosen and it should bleed out any air through that.

Hi John...welcome to the Forum

Looks like a bargain to me, as long as you know why it was stripped in the first place and where all the bits go.

Good luck with it

Cheers,   Trevor

That's good news about the Head Gasket at least but still sounds like air in the system.

If you buy a cheap infra-red temperature gun you can measure the cool spots in the cooling system....hoses, head, etc which tells you where there may be trapped air

Hi David...welcome to the Club

Probably a wise decision to move to petrol engine but I suppose it depends sometimes on your personal use...e.g. motorway or town driving.

Otherwise, as you say there are all the issues with DPF and other emissions related systems.

Good to have you onboard

Cheers,  Trevor

Did you not say that the radiator tank was slightly cracked?

If so, this is definitely where air can enter, you lose the increased boiling point and 'hey presto'

Also, check the condition or replace the pressure cap as this can cause the same problems.

Hi Emma...welcome to the Club

It does sound like fuel pressure but equally there are a number of other possibilities and it is worth taking the car for a road test with a scan tool connected to read out what is occurring when it happens.

Live data is by far the most accurate way to determine the cause or at least the data captured can lead to a more accurate diagnosis.

Injectors leaking back would suggest they are worn and need replacing but for the age of the car, secondhand ones may be suitable for use.

Keep us updated on how it all goes

Cheers,  Trevor

Thanks for posting the piccy. Looks in great condition Lee, going to be a classic soon enough!

Thanks for the feedback, great result then with the fan and also spotting the crack in the tank...that would definitely put the temperature up as it would be drawing air and therefore lowering the boiling point of the coolant. 

Just be sure that the electric fan is drawing air the correct way...e.g not competing against the viscous fan

Thanks for the update Simon....have you tried cleaning it with a lens cleaner disc...cheap to buy and may work?

Hi Melissa....welcome to the Club

I would firstly check the audio settings to see that nothing has changed with the levels and balance, then maybe adjust the balance to play the sound just through that speaker to see whether it is working. It may well be blown, but worth checking the output through it first.

Let us know how you get on with it

Cheers,  Trevor

Hi Lee

I would check out the thermostat or the water pump (as these tend to break up internally) as these components usually cause overheating, not to say it isn't the fan but I would definitely check these out as well

Let us know how you get on
Cheers,  Trevor

Unless the face drops down and the DVD slot is in there....

Hi Simon....welcome to the Club

Fine looking Beemer you have there, thanks for sharing the piccies....now go and enjoy it !

Cheers,  Trevor

Hi Simon....welcome to the Forum

I believe there is a unit in the boot (from memory, but don't hold me to this...it's an age thing).

Let us know what you find 

Cheers,  Trevor

Hi Lee....welcome to the Forum

Sounds like you've up a great little car...feel free to post up some piccies of it.

Good to have you onboard

Cheers,  Trevor

Just got to keep a regular eye on it as it is over the drivebelt which you definitely don't to drench with oil.

But otherwise it may only just stay as a weep rather than a leak.

Glad to hear it is all sorted now.

You may still get some residue from the exhaust if there is some oil lying in there and over time this will burn off.

Great result though 

HI Nicolas....welcome to the Club

That does sound totally suspicious to me and also as you say you can see the filter housing clear as day and looks totally dry....can you even assume they gave you an accurate reading of the battery condition?

Keep us updated if anything starts leaking

Cheers,  Trevor