Sport getting hot

[r1chardc]

Hi all, my E30 has been tucked up in the garage for the last 6months- it gets very little use but has always been reliable. I've just pulled her from her cover and put air in tyres and fuelled her up- I've been all of 1 mile and noticed the temp gauge over the halfway mark heading to 3 quarters and nearing the red. I've returned home and you can hear the water bubbling in the expansion tank, a couple of the pipes near the rad felt very hot and almost empty?

My thinking is maybe the water pump has seized? As I say if it's done 200miles in between MOT's in the last year I'd be surprised so was waiting for something like this to happen!

[Brianmoooore]

How is the heater performing?

[r1chardc]

Was very hot, put it on full blast in hope it would draw it from engine?

[jimbom30cab]

Could your thermostat failed to have opened ? Worth taking it out and testing it.

[Brianmoooore]

If the heater was working overtime, then the water pump is likely to be fine, and an airlock is also unlikely to be the problem.
As jimbom30cab says, thermostat is a distinct possibility.

[aimlessrock]

given that she has not been used much I would also look to do the news paper test on the fan as the coupling could be failing..

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ooling#Fan

[Brianmoooore]

given that she has not been used much I would also look to do the news paper test on the fan as the coupling could be failing..

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ooling#Fan

I'd assumed that the distance you have driven was at a reasonable speed. If this was not the case, then the viscous coupling could be the problem.
Note that the viscous coupling won't engage anyway, if hot coolant isn't flowing through the rad. because the 'stat is stuck shut.

[r1chardc]

Thanks guys, I'll have a play at the weekend. Appreciate the replies and advice.