How much damage? - United Bimmer Community

**mincemeat** · 05-21-2006, 05:57 AM

My engine has decided to spit the dummy just now... in the middle of the night.

Heard a real racket while driving so I pulled over, then I saw the smoke and smelt it.

Popped the bonnet/hood and I got pretty much total coolant loss (the "arterial spray" smelled of glycerine), and the pulley on the front - just above the crank pulley - is bent.

I can quite confidently say that the cooling system has failed, but that bent pulley worries me. Whereabouts is the oil pump attached to the engine?!? If I lost oil pressure as well, then the engine's pretty much ground up right?

If it's just water pump it should be fairly fixable? (still not cheap I know)

Any comment would be greatly appreciated, cheers...

ps. I wish I had a camera. Would've at least got some trophy pics

**Dudesky** · 05-21-2006, 06:22 AM

I'm pretty sure that's the water pump. It usually has the fan attached to it, but I'm guessing your 318 has an electric fan. The bearings probably gave out. No hoses ruptured? Right now, it's 50/50, it could be bad if the impeller fell to pieces inside, or maybe replacing the pump and pulley might be all you need to do. Did you notice some slight leaking a few days or weeks before this, like drops of coolant on the ground? Usually the pump will leak through the weep hole just before dying out, giving you some warning. But never count on that!

**mincemeat** · 05-21-2006, 06:25 AM

Yes, the four cylinder engine had an electric fan only. It didn't give any prior warning except for the clanking noise when it died. Even then the temperature gauge read normal - I think that sensor is on the radiator itself?

It's too dark so I can't tell if there were any ruptures on the hoses.

Hopefully the clanking is just the pulley, and not some other major bearings too due to oil pressure loss.

So the oil pump is not attached to the same pulley?

In any event it's getting towed tomorrow... will keep an update!

Thanks for your comments.

**Dudesky** · 05-21-2006, 06:30 AM

No, your oil pump is gear driven off the crankshaft. And the coolant temp sensor/sending unit is on the intake manifold. What you're referring to on the radiator is the temp switch that controls the fan. I think it's just a water pump replacement . . I mean I hope

Edit: Coolant mishaps like this often damage the thermostat, so you'll probably have to replace that too. Even if it still works, you should do it anyway.