heaters still not working on 316i

x in the city

hi folks

changed the thermo (and 100euro housing!), fan belt, and water pump.

temp gauge going up half way now ,unlike before when it was always at cold.
however the heaters are still cold.........even after driving it for abit?

whats playing up now, is it blocked hose or something?

e

lomb

where did u get the car from?

mike65

I take it the coolant was released when the water pump went on? Maybe you have an airlock...also this my sound silly but it is possible to install the thermostat the wrong way round. I suspect the system has'nt been bled of air proberly.

Some useful reading about thermostats
http://we.got.net/~fiatplus/tech300.htm

Mike.

x in the city

it was bled all right............ no air lock, that i know of.

however, i didnt change the thermo, my brother did. theres no way of putting it on the wrong way round, its a sealed unit, with housing.

when he took out the old one, some of it was left in the block, he had a big big trouble getting it out, a drill, and chisel etc.
he finally got it out , but left some marks on the block.......small ones, but marks none the less
is this relevant, im not expert, but could air be leaking out of these. if so im screwed.

the fan belt was changed as well, and no leaks from the pipes.

really fustrating, i need to go to cork for classes......!

jaycee

the heaters are still cold.........even after driving it for abit?

Did he turn the heater controls to HOT and flush out the heater matrix..?

when he took out the old one, some of it was left in the block, he had a big big trouble getting it out, a drill, and chisel etc.

I have changed thermostats on several cars and some 4x4's and never heard
of anyone doing it like that .
Usually you unbolt the top of the housing then it can be split at the joint..(usually stuck a little .. ) Drop in a new thermostat about €15 for an expensive one .

Should take about 15 mins if you stop for a smoke.

x in the city

hey

how do i flush the heater matrix?

when he was taking out the old thermo, some of it was lodged solid into the block, not easy to get it out, hence the chisel etc!

i think the heaters are ok now, the windows and the feet are supplying hot air anyway. the face position is just cold, but maybe thats the way its meant to be, if any bmw folk can tell me?
cheers

ezza

lomb

where is the thermostat. is it under the car coming into the water pump. do u change it from the bottom?

jaycee

how do i flush the heater matrix?

Find where the two pipes from the heter matrix exit through the bulkhead,
find the nearest joints .. when the car is cold disconnect these and having
set the heater controls to hot use a hosepipe to alternatly force water in through one ..and out through the other .

It's a messy cold job ...but can work magic on a heater core .
Make sure the cooling system is properly bled after you connect everything back up and use the proper coolant mix.

DukeDredd

The heater on my 320 also didn't work until one day it got really really hot inside the car. The engine was on fire. Good ol' BMW strikes again...The Ultimate Barbeque Machine.

DivX

From personal experience the heater matrix will bleed itself if you leave the heater control on full and drive away.

You say the heater now works so i suggest at this stage to go back and recheck that there’s no air in the radiator.

Your brother probably knows how to bleed the system but just to run through it briefly, first make sure the car is at normal operating temperature and still running.

You need to open the bleed screw on top of the radiator (passengers side) a turn or so and you may see a few bubbles coming out with the coolant. Close the screw when the air has stopped.

Recheck your water level in the water expansion tank when you’re done.

Don't forget to top up with the correct anti-freeze concentration to prevent engine corrosion and frost damage, it sounds like corrosion may have already affected your old thermostat.

And may i suggest a Haynes Manual, very good reference when your in doubt, saying that the Bentley manual is better but it doesn't cover the 316 engine as the 316 never came out in the US (Bentley manuals are is published in the US).

spockety

In both E36 bmw's I've had (316, current 320) the front facing fans can't actually blow hot air, they can only blow cold air. Have a look at the diagram on the knob where you select the front fans and you will see that there is a symbol or colour indicating they only blow cold.
I think it is incredibly ****, but that's the way it is.

x in the city

yer, just cold air on the face position, its to prevent you nodding off id say!

do you have a petrol indicator light? i havent seen any yet on my 316.

spockety

What, you mean the bulb that comes on when you go into the red?
Yes they are on the 316. If it's not coming on it probably needs replacing, it's a ten minute job at most..

Seth Brundle

1. chances are that it works but you have never gone that low for it to come on.
2. it should be purely academic anyway as if you go that low then you run the risk of both dirt getting through and also fuel pump failure (petrol acts as a cooling agent for the pump)

stratos

are your carpets wet, are the windows foggy, i have changed t/stats many times on my bmw, never ever had to, or conceive of how you would need a chisel. Are you sure he didn't change the head ? :eek:

x in the city

the original one was buggered, some of it was stuck solid to the block, hence chisel.

its working ok now, .........just need to check out the petrol bulb

stratos

Heat is the work of the gods, chisel the work of the devil !