E30 Zone

Took the car out for a drive today. It went well until I realised the engine was overheating. I managed to get get it home in time. Opened the bonnet and immediately realised there was brown resedue all over the front of the engine. I then Checked the radiator reservior to find its completely dry. So I fill it up turned the engine on and notice water dripping from above the pulleys then falling on the pulleys causing water to splash everywhere.  I can't really see where the leak is coming from. It could be a split pipe but I'm not sure.

Any help please?

I've made a little video YouTube Video: [youtube][/youtube]

Jack it up, get under that fother mucker and see where the leak is coming from.

Impossible to tell for sure from the angle in the video, you need to be under it.

It may be the water pump leaking.

Before you jack it up, check the 'top hose'. I just had the same leak (I think).

Top hose connects to thermostat at the top end of the pipe and water pump at the bottom end of the pipe.

No. 1 in this diagram:


At the beginning of the video you can see water leaking around the area of the bottom of the pipe (the jubilee clip even looks rusty so it may have been leaking for a while). This water looks as if it is dripping down onto the oil pressure sensor and is being sprayed around a bit by the drive belts etc.

I just had the same thing. It was a split in the top hose (at the bottom end of it - or left hand end in the diagram) just where it connects to the water pump.

I fixed mine by doing this:
I put a washing up bowl under the car.
Undid the jubilee clip at the water pump end of the hose.
Drained the coolant.
Undid the connection at the top end of pipe from thermostat housing.
Took the pipe off.
Found the split in the pipe. (It was near the end of the pipe - your looks the same).
Cut the end of the pipe off at the split (about 10mm off the end of the pipe)
Refittied and refilled and no problems.

Have ordered a new pipe for £11 from here just in case.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-E30-320-3 ... 5ae546b5a3

Look at the video at 30 secs

Click this link to jump to that point in the video


You can see what looks like a split in the pipe there.

The metal pipe that runs across the front of the engine sometimes rusts out and you get pin hole leaks. Could be that.