E30 Zone

Hi my 325i sport... has started to overheat in traffic... once moving again it Is fine. If the heating is on then its fine..

Also when you push the clutch it makes a strange sound... once in gear car drives fine.... I've owned the car nearly four years first time I've experienced these problems

All help will be appreciated

Thanks

The viscous coupling for the fan may be on it's way out.
and the clutch problem i suspect thrush bearing.

Cheers for that mate... is there anyway of testing for this...

Does anyone know of a decent e30 mechanic... around maidenhead in berkshire...

Thanks

With the engine upto temperature poke a rolled up newspaper into the fan.If it shreds the paper to pieces and nearly takes your hand off then the viscous is fine,if it stops the fan from spinning then it is knackered.

Will try that tonight thanks

eko wrote:With the engine upto temperature poke a rolled up newspaper into the fan.If it shreds the paper to pieces and nearly takes your hand off then the viscous is fine,if it stops the fan from spinning then it is knackered.

Might be worth removing and flushing the rad. When did it last have one?

Last service about 3000 miles ago... 6 months ago... checked the coolant... level was fine
Thanks.

I poke a rolled up newspaper into the fan and it stopped spinning so I guess the viscouse coupling needs replacing. Just to add my car has aircon and I understand a different radiator would this make any difference or is it still the same problem?

Thanks

Same prob with mine....new viscous coupling sorted it out straight away. Got mine online for £30. BMW will want to charge a lot more and i didn't think it was worth it seeing as the previous owner replaced it with a BMW one only two years ago and it was knackered.
Nice and easy to change.....go get yourself a 32mm spanner from Halfords (£10), stick it over the big nut on the front of the fan and give the end of the spanner a whack with a hammer. REMEMBER that the nut is a left hand thread, so whack it as if you were tightening it. once loose, the fan should spin off.
Then just remove allen bolts holding the coupling to the fan and fit the new coupling. Spin it back onto the front of the engine and tighten the nut (again remembering it's the opposite direction)

Hi,
A good test is to start the car and let it warm up stationary,when the temperature starts to rise up above normal turn your heater controls to the hot setting and put the blower fan on full speed. If the temperature after a few minutes starts droping back to normal then it is definately the viscous coupling. The viscous when operating correctly disipates the heat from the rad. By carrying out this method you are using the heater to get rid of the heat.

Good luck
peter

cheers guys... i believe it to be the problem

will order the part next week.