loosing water.........

[bmw 0]

Drove around for work purposes this morning, about 8:00am, All gravy, Temp normal etc.

Pull up to destination, notice a little bit of steam coming from front left(passenger side). Check temp gauge, a few mm over dead centre. hmm. Let it sit for a moment with motor off, get out old trustfull rag and take radiater cap off, sh*t not much water in there!! WHere did it all go? Luckily i have a 3L just juice bottle filled with water in my boot so i top it up, and drive back to work slowly, keeping an eye on that gauge ( which acted normal)

Went off for a days work in the work van, and get back in my car around 3:00 to go home. Temp didnt go hot at all, sweet. Got home, let it sit for about an hour. Had to go 3min down the road, stop for another hour, and come back again.

Temp gauge still normal, checked the radiator end tank thing, sh*t, water at the bottom line of that tank, so i fill it up with motor running, and a few minutes later, water starts pissing out the bottom!!! So i shut it off, checked the oil, was ok, could do with a bit more so i put a little bit in.

Waited untill my dad got home, and i showed him the radiator, water was back to that bottom marking again, so i toped it up and nothing came out, (motor was just above the blue at this stage) so i took it down the road to get to normal temp, come back, no steam, temp wasnt in the fully normal place yet, still needed to get a bit warmer, and i open the cap, and its back to that bottom mark again, albeit, with a bit of white bubbles at the top..

.....Headgasket? We'll find out next episode.

(ive done a headgasket before in my old mr2, that was a c**t of a job, if its to costly, i wouldnt mind getting a loan and repowering it)

[bmwsparkle 3]

exactly the same when i blew mine

[bmw 0]

Thats cruel to me, for it to blow and not even raise the temp gauge sweet FA!

How much did it cost you to completley fix yours etc?

[318is 0]

For one - I would drive it no more until you properly diagnose the problem.

First steps is to get:

Compression check done,

pressure test cooling system,

leak test ( testing combustion gasses in cooling system )

take it from there

I believe your engine had a profile gasket problem, but by now it should of been taken care of.

[cainchapman 0]

Have you looked at the heater control against the LHS firewall? The E34 started to leak there. There is a pump hidden underneath the 2 solenoids. Mine was leaking. It then blew (thankfully at home, I found it).

About $100 from McMillans off memory. Head Gasket leaking should be giving you creamy oil.

[bmw 0]

The oil on the dipstick is fine, so i dont think its leaked into an oil gallery.

We had a bit of a look at it just then, warmed it up from idling etc. Once almost at normal operating temp water started dripping rather fastly from the radiator...

(on a side not, will a 325 motor bolt straight up to everything in my car)

[Gus 5]

dude...if you want a 325, sell the 318is for stupid money and buy a M325i. plus it doesnt sound serious, a leaking radiator isnt really call for a new engine

[bmw 0]

I dont know what my car is worth! What is it worth?

But would a 2.5 motor bolt up/plug into everything i have

[bmwsparkle 3]

it wouldnt, and to me, its sort of sacrilage to be butchering a 318is to put an m20 in, and meh, headgaskets blow, its all a matter of when, u'll probably put an m20 in and find that that headgasket will blow soon enough, let alone, if its not already...

its not that expensive for the job, do some porting and a cam whilst the heads off, or alternativly sell it to me with the headgasket still blown.

[Gus 5]

no it wouldnt....would need an entire loom change i imagine along with gearbox

depending how tidy, could prob sell iS for aroun 6-7...easy enough to buy a pre FL motorsport 325i

[318is 0]

I think I remember Gus saying before in another similar thread that you will need:

Wiring loom

Computer

at the least, possaly also;

New beefier front end

Gus shall be able to confirm.

BTW: Sounds like your radiator is leaking - good news ( kindof )... should be an easy fix.

[bmw 0]

Well i dont think ill bother with the 2.5. Ruining a perfectly good/rare 318is.

Got a feeling its the radiator. So i will have that checked next week

[kiwi535 538]

The oil on the dipstick is fine, ............ water started dripping rather fastly from the radiator...

Sounds like you have found the problem to me

[cainchapman 0]

Please don't bugger up an E30 318iS. They are a great little car and rare.

Not so fast, but handle well. As you are in Rotorua, go across to Taupo on the 14th Jan and check out the Club day.

[bmw 0]

I might go to taupo then, prob wont race though.

If someone wants to offer me 7....ill hand you teh keys

[bmw 0]

Well its not leaking anymore. Temp is normal, im thinking it was just the radiator cap but will go and take it to Autohaus for a pressure test.

Yuss