Bmw E91 overheating fun

[danbullock 15]

I’ve come to experiance that driving a E91 with a n52 on a long journey, you are taking a huge risk of being stranded on the side of the road. Why? No temp gauge + 12 year old electric water pump and thermostat + Brynderwyn hills = expensive trip back to Auckland on the back of a tow truck, leaving the wife, toddler, 2 dogs and bags in Waipu, waiting to be picked up.

Also, having no spare tire is not and ideal situation either. It’s fitted with non run-flat tires so  we have a bottle of Slime and a electric pump but this is not a 100 % fix. The tow truck driver said he has towed heaps of BMWs just because of a flat tire.

On a positive note, I ordered the pump and thermostat on Friday night from Pelican Parts and looks like they have arrived in Auckland today (Sunday) with expected delivery tomorrow. Not bad for this time of year. 

Any tips for a electric water pump repair? It has Active Steering, so this is bound to throw the situation into the Complicator. 

[Jacko 2154]

Unbolt pump and thermostat, bolt new one on. Use new bolts and torque to spec. Use BMW Coolant and bleed the system,  bobs your uncle. Took me 4 easy hours.

The BMW Service manual that covers it is online.

 

FWIW, you normally get a few error codes prior to total pump failure. Its nowhere near as bad as the internet makes out. 

Edited December 30, 2018 by Jacko

[Olaf 3317]

10 hours ago, danbullock said:

I’ve come to experiance that driving a E91 with a n52 on a long journey, you are taking a huge risk of being stranded on the side of the road. Why? No temp gauge + 12 year old electric water pump and thermostat + Brynderwyn hills = expensive trip back to Auckland on the back of a tow truck, leaving the wife, toddler, 2 dogs and bags in Waipu, waiting to be picked up.

Only if you choose to operate 10+ year old e9x without preventative maintenance.  Cooling system refresh before it's needed, anyone?

[kiwi535 538]

3 hours ago, Olaf said:

  Cooling system refresh before it's needed, anyone?

"old" car reality 101 .1

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

17 hours ago, danbullock said:

Also, having no spare tire is not and ideal situation either. It’s fitted with non run-flat tires so  we have a bottle of Slime and a electric pump but this is not a 100 % fix. The tow truck driver said he has towed heaps of BMWs just because of a flat tire.

I bet the owners soon realised that saving a few dollars on buying non-runflats was a short sighted saving.

[Eagle 1662]

Summed up exactly why id never take a car on a long trip that didn't have a full sized spare. Sure BMW are loving the savings on not having to include them anymore despite whatever bs they say to justify it.   

[FIAT 131R 223]

I have 4 or 5 cars with run flats.  Every single time I need new tyres it takes several days to get run flats sent from Auckland.   If I was on a trip would be so great to stay where the puncture occurred to wait for a new tyre to arrive.  I has to be the most money hungry decision ever made by BMW along with plastic water pipes, radiator overflow parts etc.   I hope the mongrels who made the descisions die a slow and painful death as karma delivers it's rewards.

[danbullock 15]

I’ve never owned run flats and the car came with decent Bridgestones. How do run flats work? How do you know when there is a puncture? Towie said it’s only so far you can go before the sidewalls start to disintegrate. So are they a “get me somewhere quick so I can buy another $300 runflat, that’s if that they have them in stock?” tire?

I knew the water pump probably had to be replaced at some stage, just Murphy’s law, bad luck, my procrastination, wife’s car.

Whats a summer holiday without a brakedown tale to tell the grandchildren one day anyway?

Not all is lost, repacked into the E36 and it carved up the Brynderwyns proving the  old girl still had it her.

[Gaz 1060]

5 hours ago, Eagle said:

Summed up exactly why id never take a car on a long trip that didn't have a full sized spare. Sure BMW are loving the savings on not having to include them anymore despite whatever bs they say to justify it.   

 

2 hours ago, FIAT 131R said:

I have 4 or 5 cars with run flats.  Every single time I need new tyres it takes several days to get run flats sent from Auckland.   If I was on a trip would be so great to stay where the puncture occurred to wait for a new tyre to arrive.  I has to be the most money hungry decision ever made by BMW along with plastic water pipes, radiator overflow parts etc.   I hope the mongrels who made the descisions die a slow and painful death as karma delivers it's rewards.

Less weight, protects against blowouts, and not getting run over on the side of the road while you change a tyre, yeah that screams money hunger. 

90% of all runflat tyres are available from dealers or overnight from Auckland and are cheaper than from Bridgestone or where ever you get tyres from. 

Hate on runflats for their ride/noise is justified but everything else is has no basis

[kiwi535 538]

5 hours ago, danbullock said:

I’ve never owned run flats and the car came with decent Bridgestones. How do run flats work? How do you know when there is a puncture? Towie said it’s only so far you can go before the sidewalls start to disintegrate. So are they a “get me somewhere quick so I can buy another $300 runflat, that’s if that they have them in stock?” tire?

I knew the water pump probably had to be replaced at some stage, just Murphy’s law, bad luck, my procrastination, wife’s car.

Whats a summer holiday without a brakedown tale to tell the grandchildren one day anyway?

Not all is lost, repacked into the E36 and it carved up the Brynderwyns proving the  old girl still had it her.

they can go some distance at a slower speed 80 km hr i think.Thy have very stiff sidewalls so less flex = less heat build up when"soft".My 120d had a tyre pressure system based on comparing the wheel speeds(using abs system).The soft one goes faster.The only time i has a warning i didnt even know i had a leak.When I got to work (about 5 km) it was 20 psiMy tyre place wouldnt repair it.I got a new one,and was able to keep it topped up in the meantime

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

18 hours ago, FIAT 131R said:

It has to be the most money hungry decision ever made by BMW along with plastic water pipes, radiator overflow parts etc.   I hope the mongrels who made the descisions die a slow and painful death as karma delivers it's rewards.

The cost of using runflats is acrtually much greater to BMW, not a cost saving. The cost of a spare tyre is more than outweighed by the added development costs to have to design and manufacture a suspension system to handle both types of tyres, plus all cars with run-flats MUST have a pressure monitoring system otherwise you will not know you have a flat until the tyre disintegrates many miles later (as per previous post - how you know when you have a puncture). Another key factor is the weight reduction in not having to carry a spare and have somewhere to put it - this then helps with the fuel consumption and emissions reductions needed.

I may have mentioned this before on another run-flat discussion - in my driving lifetime I have had two tyres get an instant loss of pressure due to a massive puncture on the motorwat - the first normal tyre, the second a run-flat. With the normal tyre the first I knew was when the rear end suddenly pulled massively to the left - I tired to correct / catch it, but ended up spinning into the concrete central divider at around 70mph. With the run-flat I got the warning light on the dashboard, followed by a slight pull to the left, no spin, no massive accident. When I got home and checked the tyre it had a three inch gash from hitting some sharp debris on the road - no wonder it went down so quick. I know which I prefer to drive myself and my family around on.

As for not doing long drives on run-flats, I regularly do Auckland to Naper via Taupo and the Napier - Taupo road. On one Friday night trip I managed to hit a pot-hole in the road at speed, just past the cafe where it starts to get twisty. Massive bang and it felt like the strut had punched up through the tower! Slowed right down, and it still felt ok, sped back up to 80km/h for rest of journey. Checked damage in the morning and there was a massive bulge in the sidewall, and when I went to the tyre shop they found a massive buckle in the rim as well, fitted a replacement there and then no waiting. Pretty sure a non-run flat 40 profile tyre on a 19" rim would not have survived that impact and again would have been another blow-out situation.

[kiwi535 538]

i did many many ks on the 120 d one was a full lap of the NI including highway 43 no problem at all esp the approx 1000k on approx 45 litres bit( welly napier gisborne whakatane tauraunga auckland otorahonga turamanui whangamomana hawera wanganui welly)

The ride was a bit harsh on that car (much better with pirellis than either bridgestones or continentals) but i never had any issues with grip or feel with the run flats

 

 

[qube 3570]

just did a 2000kms trip and luckily nothing happened with my non run-flats.

I will have to re-think this situation before my next big trip though after reading this thread (not that I didnt know about it before but just thought meh)

[Eagle 1662]

On 12/31/2018 at 8:04 PM, Gaz said:

 

Less weight, protects against blowouts, and not getting run over on the side of the road while you change a tyre, yeah that screams money hunger. 

90% of all runflat tyres are available from dealers or overnight from Auckland and are cheaper than from Bridgestone or where ever you get tyres from. 

Hate on runflats for their ride/noise is justified but everything else is has no basis

Im not disputing their benefits but if you to want limp back home after a puncture then that's your choice. Been in a number of situations where a runflats would of been a pita and would of been the end of my trip given they were in remote areas. Run over lol, clutching at straws much.

 

[NZ BMW 368]

Pretty sure you also can’t repair a run flat. 

They are a pretty hopeless idea in my view. I’d rather take the hit in mileage and just carry a spare then if you damage a wheel or, like in many places you are simply too far from a tyre shop you can still make it to where you need to. 

[Gaz 1060]

9 hours ago, Eagle said:

 Run over lol, clutching at straws much.

 

Happens more than you think 

9 hours ago, NZ BMW said:

Pretty sure you also can’t repair a run flat. 

Yes you can, as long as it's not in the sidewall or in the edge. Same as a normal tyre.

 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

Don’t let the facts ruin a good thread..

[FIAT 131R 223]

The thing about BMW in my opinion is they never listen to any  concern  I have and I am always wrong.  The discount I get offered is piss poor, 10%, and I shouldn't be worried about run flats not being available when going on a long trip.   I have bought cars from them costing around  $200,000.   I find BMW worse than any government department to deal with.  The good thing is that there are a variety of ways to get BMW cars and parts at much better rates.  If BMW ever decide to treat me with a little respect I will do a lot more business.  It's pretty simple really.  

[FIAT 131R 223]

For the record I was driving from Hokitika to Wanaka a distance of 419km.  No places in between where I can get a tyre for the M3.  Worrying about bloody run flats ruined the trip.   Accomodation is hard to get as well if I have to camp up and wait for a tyre to arrive.   I could have ended up stuck in the middle of nowhere. Tow truck fees in remote areas are also high when long distances are involved.  BMW response is no worries .

 

[NZ BMW 368]

22 hours ago, Gaz said:

Happens more than you think 

Yes you can, as long as it's not in the sidewall or in the edge. Same as a normal tyre.

 

Not if it’s been driven on, which is the whole point of them. But you’re right, you can repair a slow puncture. 

[Gaz 1060]

57 minutes ago, NZ BMW said:

Not if it’s been driven on, which is the whole point of them. But you’re right, you can repair a slow puncture. 

Once the tyre is flat, generally you can travel up to 80km at a speed of 80kph before the sidewall of tyre breaks down and requires replacement.  Which in most cases is enough to get the next town or garage but not always 

 

1 hour ago, FIAT 131R said:

For the record I was driving from Hokitika to Wanaka a distance of 419km.  No places in between where I can get a tyre for the M3.  Worrying about bloody run flats ruined the trip.   Accomodation is hard to get as well if I have to camp up and wait for a tyre to arrive.   I could have ended up stuck in the middle of nowhere. Tow truck fees in remote areas are also high when long distances are involved.  BMW response is no worries .

 

M3's dont come on runflat tyres unless someone has retrofitted them. And if it is a new one still under warranty then BMW roadside assist will come pick it up with no charge

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

3 hours ago, FIAT 131R said:

No places in between where I can get a tyre for the M3.  Worrying about bloody run flats ruined the trip.

Pretty sure all M cars come with performance tyres, and specifically do NOT have run-flats. Double check your tyres to see what they have written on them.

You still won’t have a spare wheel though, should be the motability kit in the boot. I  

[kiwi535 538]

4 hours ago, FIAT 131R said:

For the record I was driving from Hokitika to Wanaka a distance of 419km.  No places in between where I can get a tyre for the M3.  Worrying about bloody run flats ruined the trip.   Accomodation is hard to get as well if I have to camp up and wait for a tyre to arrive.   I could have ended up stuck in the middle of nowhere. Tow truck fees in remote areas are also high when long distances are involved.  BMW response is no worries .

 

so let me get this right...you drove 419 km and nothing happened but bmw dont care?Who for the record is "BMW" 

[M3AN 4016]

7 hours ago, Gaz said:

...then BMW roadside assist will come pick it up with no charge

This is an important consideration. I have 18's on the M3 so couldn't even fit a spare in if I wanted to carry one and runflats are not a performance option I'd consider at this stage.

If you're in such a situation then roadside assistance is an invaluable consideration. Whether it's part of your warranty, comes with insurance (I thought most insurers offered this free now anyway) or you pay for AA it's a very smart idea if you don't have or can't use a spare.

I get a couple of free callouts and flatbacks per year with State for the 328 and the same or similar from Swann for the M3. Touch wood I've never had to use it.

Last puncture I had was on a expensive rear tyre that had done less than 50 km's and was irreparable.   In the US it's common for damage insurance to come free with new tyres, I wish that were the case here.

Edited January 3, 2019 by M3AN

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

You can now get tyre and rim insurance in NZ... it's available from all good local BMW dealerships

Edit: don't think it's free with the tyres though, just saw that part of your comment - I don't think it's a huge sum of money, but not free. As you were.