Overheated And Burned

[1998BMWZ3]

I dirve a 1998 BMW Z3. Been pretty regular with oil and maintenece checks. Couple of days back when I was driving the car in rain, I saw the "Check Engine" sign light up for about 10 minutes. I didn't bother because it went off soon.

However, yesterday while I was driving in the rain again, the "Check Engine" sign lighted up and I continued to drive. The engine got heated up, it crossed red. Smoke comes out of the hood and the car just stopped. I waited for a while and managed to restart the car and drive for quarter of a mile before it dropped dead. I can't start it now. Opened the hood and can smell that somethings burnt, but not sure what. Engine oil and coolant look fine. I friend of mine who knows a little about BMW says the engine is burnt.

Any idea what could be wrong and any estimates on how much expenses I can expect to get this fixed?

I appreciate your help.

[htp.bmw]

Originally posted by 1998BMWZ3@Mar 3 2005, 06:10 PM
I dirve a 1998 BMW Z3. Been pretty regular with oil and maintenece checks. Couple of days back when I was driving the car in rain, I saw the "Check Engine" sign light up for about 10 minutes. I didn't bother because it went off soon.

However, yesterday while I was driving in the rain again, the "Check Engine" sign lighted up and I continued to drive. The engine got heated up, it crossed red. Smoke comes out of the hood and the car just stopped. I waited for a while and managed to restart the car and drive for quarter of a mile before it dropped dead. I can't start it now. Opened the hood and can smell that somethings burnt, but not sure what. Engine oil and coolant look fine. I friend of mine who knows a little about BMW says the engine is burnt.

Any idea what could be wrong and any estimates on how much expenses I can expect to get this fixed?

I appreciate your help.

[snapback]303453[/snapback]

this is the E30 forum... and it sounds like you will need at least a new engine/ a new radiator. I have a 1990 325i bmw cabrio and it needs a new engine and i ordered one for 850 from vinesauto.com it should be here soon. Alot of work has to be done

no offence, but if you saw it go into the red, why did you keep driving?

[BMWJNKY]

Well first off this is the E21-E30 section, first and second gen 3 series.

If you have an all almn block you may have just bought yourself a new engine. I've seen it a few times at our shop where someone over heats the almn engine in the Z3 and it is garbage after that. The head and block warp so much that it can not be machined straight. If you have an iron block you may get lucky and only need a head or to have you head milled square again. The smoke you saw was from oil and coolant hitting the hot exhaust when the head/block warped allowing the headgasket to blowout and leak.

Sorry to be the bearor of bad news here but hopefully you have learned from this. If you ever see the temp go above 3/4 turn your car off and tow it to a shop. BMW's are designed so when they are at proper running temp it will be right at the 1/2 mark on the gauge. The check engine light probably came on cause the eletric t-stat set a fault for not opening properly.

[1998BMWZ3]

Originally posted by htp.bmw+Mar 3 2005, 09:55 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(htp.bmw @ Mar 3 2005, 09:55 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-1998BMWZ3@Mar 3 2005, 06:10 PM
I dirve a 1998 BMW Z3. Been pretty regular with oil and maintenece checks. Couple of days back when I was driving the car in rain, I saw the "Check Engine" sign light up for about 10 minutes. I didn't bother because it went off soon.

However, yesterday while I was driving in the rain again, the "Check Engine" sign lighted up and I continued to drive. The engine got heated up, it crossed red. Smoke comes out of the hood and the car just stopped. I waited for a while and managed to restart the car and drive for quarter of a mile before it dropped dead. I can't start it now. Opened the hood and can smell that somethings burnt, but not sure what. Engine oil and coolant look fine. I friend of mine who knows a little about BMW says the engine is burnt.

Any idea what could be wrong and any estimates on how much expenses I can expect to get this fixed?

I appreciate your help.

[snapback]303453[/snapback]

this is the E30 forum... and it sounds like you will need at least a new engine/ a new radiator. I have a 1990 325i bmw cabrio and it needs a new engine and i ordered one for 850 from vinesauto.com it should be here soon. Alot of work has to be done

no offence, but if you saw it go into the red, why did you keep driving?

[snapback]303519[/snapback]

[/b][/quote]


Well, house wan't too far so figured couldn't get worse. But looks like I am screwed. Is it worth going for a new engine (Hope it doesn't cost my arm & leg)? Will the car run reliably?

Thanks a lot

[htp.bmw]

yea once you replaced the burnt out parts you should be back on the road again

[bryan1970]

if it got so hot towhere it died then it might run okay for a while but there will prolly be problems down the road. we had a similar situation in a E46. she drove it untill it quit and firts we replaced everything accept the block and head. we had to replace the rad becasue the plastic inside the ngine melted and cloked it all up. it ran for a while then it came back with a bad head gasket. and it was an aluminum block and if they get over heated they are pretty much trash becasue the threads for the head bolts pull out. so it got a new engine.

[offabroadway]

ghead <-- Why oh why did you keep driving?

Doesn't matter how far or close you are to your destination, if the car is running hot, shut it down completely and wait. There's usually a reason. My first car was a Plymouth Reliant, and you had to really watch those things' temp guages because if it managed to get itself into the red zone, you'd just bought yourself a day's work and a headgasket. Piece of crap car it was, but that's besides the point.

BMWs are much more precise and leaps and bounds ahead in terms of engineering from the humble K car. When a BMW tells you it's hot, it's not pulling your leg.

I'm throwing my bet in with a new engine if its the aluminum 2.8L. New rad would be good too. Anything else that cooked should get replaced too.

Expensive man.