e36 overheating!!! - Page 2 - United Bimmer Community

**Bruce Meredith** · 05-15-2012, 07:17 AM

Thank you for the quick reply. I'll check all of the wiring and fuses. Do you know of an online shop who would sell used parts like a fan clutch?

BruceM

DEATH2000 · 05-15-2012, 09:22 AM

A few places carry them. Pelican Parts. Bav Auto. Bimmer Specialst. The BMW Parts Store. GetBMWparts.com.

Just make sure you shop around for the best price. If you need the part number head over to RealOEM.com and enter your cars information and it will show you parts diagrams with the numbers.

**Bruce Meredith** · 05-16-2012, 03:19 AM

Hi I asked my mechanic about the possibility of the problem being the fan clutch. However he said it doesn't have one just the electrical fan. He recommended a auto electrician. Anyone have any ideas on tho one..?

Once again thank you in advance.

DEATH2000 · 05-16-2012, 05:11 AM

Do you have a large whiteish fan behind the radiator but before the belts?

The electric fan is easily replaceable. It has a connector on the bottom drivers side.

**Bruce Meredith** · 05-16-2012, 05:46 AM

Hi, no my fan is black. It is immediately behind the radiator with no fan on the motor at all. I will chase the electrics this week and see if it isn't just a fuse. I was told that the fuses for the fan are of high capacity and under the dash so I will look in that direction too.

Thank you very much for your reply.

BruceM

DEATH2000 · 05-16-2012, 11:26 AM

I think the previous owner may have done what's known as the "fan delete mod" to your car. Check the link below. In the diagram is the fan I'm refering to. It sits behind the radiator.

http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E3..._fan_coupling/

This is the electric fan I've been refering too:
http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E3..._fan_coupling/

**Bruce Meredith** · 05-16-2012, 07:51 PM

I only have the electrical fan behind the radiator. There is no mechanical fan fitted to my car. The car came from New Zealand so maybe the mod was done there. If the electrical fan doesn't supply enough air to the motor for cooling then I would have expected this to have happened a long time ago. I will check the electrics this week to see if it is just a fuse or the harness or some other electrical component. Can a mechanical fan be refitted to the car? There seems to be a lot of space between the motor and the electrical fan and on the main drive shaft there is a one inch or so thread protruding forward. I suspect this is where the fan clutch would have been. The diagrams shows the fan that is non-existent on my car. Thanks for the help. Hear from you soon.

By the way where are you in Canada? It's a great place.

Regards

BruceM

**yeswecan** · 05-19-2012, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coxapple007

hi, had problems with the car over heating (1994 320i coupe e36), cjanged the T/S and water pump, bled the system and all was fine,
its just started over heating again, when in stop start traffic but not all the time.
i bled the system and it seemed happy

however when i checked the water level after using it, the level had dropped slightly
this morning i took the car into work - a journy it doesnt usally like, but there were no signs of over heating at all!!!! the heater vents all seemed ok. i switched the engine off, and lifted the bonet to check if it was bubbling over, was ok again, yet as soon as i looked water start hissin from the top of the filler cap and just poured out!!!! i dont understand as the engine running and its all fine, yet i turn it off and it dies on me

Anyone no what i can do to save my baby??

Hey bro, let me tell you something, i know how u feel and i can say, i know the reason why it makes ur BMW overheating. I have a 1998 E36 323is, it got overheated last month, so, i change the water pump and everything seems like ok...however, after 7 days, it overheated again on the highway. The coolant sprays out everywhere under the car...then, i check the fan, the fan beside the radiator and engine is working, but, it is so slow! so, i changed a new fan. As well as a new radiator at 206 USD. When i start the car and drive, i can hear the fan's strong sound, both the front fan and the fan between engine and radiator are working together when u drive.
So, what I'm trying to say is first, hit the gas pad, if u hear any sound like "ta ta ta"... it may be the water pump is cracking down. U need to change it.
If after several days, it overheat again, trust me bro, check the fan, and radiator. Or, may be hose is leaking.
If u still getting overheated, it may be the hand gasket, the way to test it is to check u engine oil to see if it is leaking. Or if u can see the white smoke coming out from the exhaust.
Anyway, hope this helps, and enjoy ur E36!

**Bruce Meredith** · 05-19-2012, 04:17 AM

My car does not have a fan clutch as it is fitted only with and electrical fan which sits behind the radiator, No fan on the engine at all. The electrical fan won't kick in at all. So no fan for any cooling..???

Any Ideas..?

As stated previously the thermostat, water pump and radiator are brand new, with new silicon radiator hoses. Only one fan though and that is electrical. It doesn't work at all.

Thank you in advance.

By the way the diagram you posted shows a fan that is not fitted to my car although there is a one inch threaded shaft protruding from the harmonic balancer where a mechanical fan could be fitted.

BruceM

**yeswecan** · 05-19-2012, 08:43 AM

based on ur saying... the electrical fan only works when the sensor tells it to do so if the engine is too hot and it needs fan to support it. But my e36 323is 1998 does have two fans, one is ele fan and another one is behind the engine and radiator.
As u said, thermostat, water pump and radiator are brand new, with new silicon radiator hoses. It seems like u need to check the hand gasket.
also the bleed screw, make sure there is no air lock in ur cooling system.

DEATH2000 · 05-19-2012, 08:59 AM

Bruce, a previous owner must have removed your mechanical fan. It's a common moe to gain a few extra HP. Was their any other mods done?

This could be why the car is continually overheating. But first re bleed the coolant system to make sure theirs no air left in it.

**Bruce Meredith** · 05-19-2012, 09:49 AM

Hi and thanks too all for your response. I have had the car for about five years. It had always run well till last year when the radiator blew. Then, unfortunately for me the radiator died again just out of twelve months so no warranty work there. That was replaced and all was doing fine and the water pump packed it in to I had that and the thermostat and new silicon hoses replaced as well. Then out of the blue the engine died. It would run for five- ten minutes and overheat and the computer would shut off the motor. Fluids are good and hoses are tight everything is new but the car only has one fan which is electrical and doesn't come on at all.

Still questioning???

BruceM

**Bruce Meredith** · 05-30-2012, 04:11 AM

High no joy with the electrical fan. Can anyone tell me if I can just refit the mechanical fan to the car. There is an inch or so of thread protruding from the main drive shaft at the front of the engine and I'm assuming that this is where the fan clutch and fan would be mounted. Is it as simple as affixing the fan clutch and then the fan?

Thank you in advance

BruceM

DEATH2000 · 05-30-2012, 08:55 AM

It's easy to put one back on. You just need the parts. Here is the link on it from the BMW TIS: http://tis.spaghetticoder.org/s/view.pl?1/00/32/77

**daveocity** · 06-03-2012, 11:33 PM

Hi Everyone. This is my first post. Thanks in advance for your help!

It's a frustrating experience to not be able to figure out why my E36 keeps overheating. Here's the list of changes/checks I've made so far:

1) Removed the thermostat completely.
2) Checked the water pump - it looked fine. It has metal impellers, so I don't think that's the problem. Coolant definitely seems to be circulating.
3) Had a code that the Camshaft Position Sensor was bad, so I replaced that.
4) Removed the Catalytic Converters completely (thought they might be clogged). Now I'm running straight pipes (I live in an area where emissions testing isn't needed anyway).
5) Did a radiator combustion gas test - came up negative.
6) Flushed the radiator and engine block. Seems to be flowing fine.
7) Checked the operation of the auxiliary fan. Works fine on A/C and also kicks in when car is running hot.
8) Used compressed air to clean out the radiator and transmission radiator. The transmission radiator was pretty clogged up - looked like it had been leaking. I will probably replace that.

Here are the symptoms:

1) Starts great. Lots of power when the engine is cold/warming up. No overheating immediately. Can run A/C without any issues.
2) Even without the thermostat, the car slowly approaches, then remains at normal operating temperature for about 15-20 minutes.
3) Starts to heat up after that. Stop-and-go driving definitely speeds up the overheating, but it overheats at a slower rate even on the freeway.
4) Running the cabin heater pulls the temp down immediately, but it still creeps higher after that, especially if I'm still in stop-and-go traffic.
5) No smoke of any kind in the exhaust.
6) Coolant level does not seem to be diminishing.

Could it be that all I need to do is a better job of bleeding the system? I am also going to go ahead and replace the fan clutch also but are there any other possibilities that I should check? Thanks, everyone.