Lots of steam...

[JaMMi]

Hi guys,

I was sat at McDonalds just now talking on the phone and when I went to leave I noticed a rather large volume of steam coming out from around my engine...
I got the car home and found that one of the pipes hd a split in it, and that water had been pi$$in onto - well, pretty much everything really!
I ummed and ahhd about whether to tape over and around the split (which I didn't think would last) or to cut the end of the pipe off, and reattach it.
I ended up risking the cutting option... As I was pretty sure taping it would simply mean a short-term fix and that the tape would end up getting hot water under it (at pressure) and the steam incident would repeat. So I got out my trusty stanley knife and basically chopped the end off.

To my horror - IT WORKED! My reputation as a useless tw@t will be ruined. Shameful.
Trick was to make sure angle of my cut was exactly same angle that pipe end had originally, so it fitted snug onto the block again.
Anyways - I've put more coolant in, and eveything seems fine (waited patiently with engine running for bubbles to filter through and topped it up when needed).

My question is this - I found someone mention the rad bleed valve as being blue/black (on the 318is I think) but on the 325i the only blue/black fitment I can see appears to be the drain plug at the bottom of the radiator... Does the 325i have a bleed valve? Or alternatively, is there anything more I should do to ensure she's safe n sound??

Thanks!

[kam-325i]

The bleed "Valve" is ontop of the thermo housing....

[Brianmoooore]

Bleed valve on a 325 is a metal screw on the water outlet elbow, in front of the temp sensors. Fairly obvious to find, but can be difficult to unscrew. Has an 8mm head with a skirt around the bottom, which stops you putting the spanner on properly and loves to round off.

[JaMMi]

Thanks guys - mission accomplished!

I was ready with my 8mm socket - and had gone down garage to get coolant (had put about 1l of water in prior so needed coolant to balance it up again - and indeed the screw had been completely rounded off and some light pressure from some grips got the screw undone.

Valve started peeing water after about 1 minute, so indeed some air in there, but not alot - so all good. I let valve keep trickling while I topped it up with properly ratio'd coolant/water and then added some extra coolant for good measure (its got real chilly down here recently) - engine temp throughout was just above 1/4r - which is normal on this engine (better than the 1/2th it Had been during the steam issues) so I'm dead chuffed and everything is rosy.

thanks again!