318ti-1995 problem help.... - BMW Forum

ncalasan318ti · 03-15-2009, 10:23 PM

tonight i was sitting in the car with the engine on and was for few minutes on the phone. From nowhere the car started to smoke and the chack engine light come on.Automaticlly i turned the car off and went outside.In the front end of the car a lot of fluid started to leak faster and faster until the whole fluid went out. I don't know what to do...please help
what it could be?something major?Should i drive it or jsut leave it there for pick up?
Please help......

johnnyBgood · 03-15-2009, 10:28 PM

This fluid? if it is green or blue, it means your car has a coolant leak.....you have to check & see where it is coming from.....

johnny,

witeshark · 03-15-2009, 10:28 PM

I'd say don't drive it. Was the smoking white? The cooling expansion tank may have broken.

ncalasan318ti · 03-15-2009, 10:40 PM

I could really not see what color the fluid was it happend at night...it comes from the front left side of the car.
the smoke was white...
how expensive would be to to fix it? I just got it a month ago and staff like this happens already...
what i should do?advise please
thank you very much

witeshark · 03-15-2009, 10:43 PM

White means the cooling system. What it'll cost can't be known until it's been looked at to determine exactly what broke.

ncalasan318ti · 03-15-2009, 10:55 PM

do you think it is smart to drive it a mile to my mechanic?

witeshark · 03-15-2009, 10:57 PM

I wouldn't do it. Any overheating may warp the cylinder head; that would be a major problem.

ncalasan318ti · 03-15-2009, 11:05 PM

OK thank you very much, I appriciate the advise...

talisman318is · 03-26-2009, 09:34 PM

Bet that was your issue. Not too hard to get the old one off, but a challenge to get the new one situated and tightened in place. You might need to find some screws just a bit longer than the ones which hold the expansion tank in place to get the tank started into its groove. Make sure no debris is in the groove where the expansion tank will settle. Even though the plastic on the expansion tank fatigues over the years, there is usually a reason it blows. My 318is has the electric fan configuration that some folks add after the FDM that many owners employ to avoid grenade fans -- and I'm ordering a new sensor switch and relay (if there is one) to get the fan back operating as it should. In the meanwhile, the A/C switched on gets the electric fan going to keep it from overheating. Good Luck.

ncalasan318ti · 03-27-2009, 09:35 AM

Thanks, It was the sensor switch. I was looking around and saw that my fan is not working so i chack it and it was the switch...fix it and everything is fine now.
Thank you for the help