1999 M3 daily driver running log

[m42b32]

138.9k

Every 3-4 months for the last year or so I've gotten a low coolant warning, but nothing on the ground and the engine isn't burning any so I wasn't sure where it's been going. I'd top it off, look around with a flashlight, find nothing, and then shrug and go do something else...

Well, I got back from a trip this weekend to a decently sized puddle of coolant under my car and found the thermostat housing is now leaking quite a bit. Looks like it's been weeping for a while, so that answers that question. I had replaced it with a cheap aluminum one (one of two Uro parts I've ever purchased, can't say I'm surprised) a few years ago and I guess a lot of people have had similar problems with them. Since there are no quality aluminum housings on the market, I'll be going back to the OEM plastic. It's now parked until the parts come in to fix it.

[straight6pwr]

hmm, i bought the aluminum one, but MTC brand. hope its ok! Can you share where the leak was from? (integrated gasket or at hoses)

[B C]

The E39 M52 is aluminum and has a bleeder screw on it. Just cut your top radiator hose down and be cool with me.

[m42b32]

straight6pwr said:

hmm, i bought the aluminum one, but MTC brand. hope its ok! Can you share where the leak was from? (integrated gasket or at hoses)

Haven't taken it apart yet, parts should be delivered Saturday, I'll be sure to update! 

snap said:

The E39 M52 is aluminum and has a bleeder screw on it. Just cut your top radiator hose down and be cool with me.

Not a bad idea, didn't know those were aluminum or is that aftermarket? Also, nice one haha

[B C]

OE

[straight6pwr]

did the bleeder screw make bleeding easier? or did you still have to jack the car up/massage hoses/do a rain dance?

[B C]

I let my car idle for 15-20 minutes, it got up to temperature, I opened the screw a few times. I had just half of a baby's breath of air  puff out and that was all I could get. As far as im concerned its bled, but we will see for sure once I start driving. Definitely easier than bleeding an M42 radiator on an M20

[KaiserRolls]

Switching to a stant lev-r-vent cap was quite nice for this

[Daggerty]

Snap has the perfect driveway for bleeding the cooling system

[B C]

Pretty much the reason I bought the house. It faces East so its easier to see the coolant level during saturday morning wrenching

[m42b32]

139k

Thermostat and thermostat housing replaced, swapped in a brass bleeder screw on the expansion tank too, so far no more leaks. I had an 80C thermostat in there before, and it kept coolant temps around 190 at the head sensor so I replaced it with another Behr 80C unit and a genuine BMW composite thermostat housing (with a bunch of RTV, apparently the genuine housings don't have the paper gasket on them anymore). I really couldn't tell why the aluminum one had started leaking, no cracks or anything, though the rubber gasket looked like it had flattened out quite a bit so that may have been the problem, but who knows... I'm just happy to be driving it again. 

I seem to always pick terrible days to work on things, but I wanted my car back so nothing a tarp, bungee cords, and a WJ Grand Cherokee couldn't fix. Not pictured: the 6"of snow burying both cars and 1/4" of ice sealing the hood/doors/trunk shut. 

[Boris3]

Now that's just about one of the best examples of wrenching dedication I've seen and downright humbling. Well done sir.

[B C]

I feel like im the only person running a 92C thermostat these days

[jc43089]

snap said:

I feel like im the only person running a 92C thermostat these days

I have an 88 at least.  I also have no fan and a broken temp gauge.  #livinontheedge

[m42b32]

snap said:

I feel like im the only person running a 92C thermostat these days

I had the original 92C for the first 5k that I drove the car and had no problems (only had the factory buffered temp gauge at the time, but it never moved past the middle), the lower temp thermostat really just gives you a minute or two of a buffer in case something goes wrong. If you have an additional temp gauge with actual numbers to keep an eye on things you should be fine!

[KaiserRolls]

Come to think of it, I dont remember what ° I have. Probably 88 [emoji19]

[m42b32]

Ready for summer! Slapped on the roof rack and a square set of 17x8.5 contours with 245/40/17 Falken Fk510's. Loving the wider rubber already, it looks a lot meaner! Not usually a black wheel fan, but on the white/modena it really makes the interior pop!

I also discovered I don't have any roundel center caps for my wheels, so if anyone has a set in decent shape (68mm, 36136783536) let me know!

[Rekpoint]

m42b32 said:

Ready for summer! Slapped on the roof rack and a square set of 17x8.5 contours with 245/40/17 Falken Fk510's. Loving the wider rubber already, it looks a lot meaner! Not usually a black wheel fan, but on the white/modena it really makes the interior pop!

 
I also discovered I don't have any roundel center caps for my wheels, so if anyone has a set in decent shape (68mm, 36136783536) let me know!

Curious how the roof rack is mounted.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[m42b32]

Rekpoint said:

Curious how the roof rack is mounted.

Its Thule Traverse 480 feet, with the fit kit 1015 (fits the feet to an e36 coupe), and I can't remember the width of the bars but I had them on my e30. Looks like they don't make that specific fit kit anymore but some retailers still have it in stock. It's basically rubber pads that are shaped to the roof profile, and then clamps that come down and grab onto the crack just above the window trim. It basically squeezes itself to the shape of the roof, but its on there really well!

[Jdesign]

This looks great white black wheels. I dig!