3-Series (E36)Chat relating to the BMW 3-Series from 1992-1999. Autodoodad
Specific models include: BMW 316i, BMW 318i, BMW 318iS/ti, BMW 320, BMW 323, BMW 320, BMW 324, BMW 325, BMW 328.
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I just (in December) bought a 318i (1994) and since have driven it about 3000km. It only had 144000 on the clock so ZAR 40000.00 was not a bad buy, but... If come to realise "he" uses about a pint (500ml) of oil every 500-1000km and also a bit of water. That's about the usage I had on my old 518i (1983), even worse actually... What's normal for this car, provided the hot driving conditions of South Africa (in the last week we had about 45 degrees celsius/113 degrees fahrenheit) I'm also a bit of a "fast" driver, with the last 1500 hitting 140-150km/h every now and then, with the occasional 200km/h.
The oil usage is normal, also you have to keep in mind that higher RPM use will use more oil. As far as the coolant loss, you may just need a new radiator cap. A leaking cap is a somewhat common issue on the BMW's, the cap won't leak enough to allow coolant to drip out but it leaks enough where it won't keep the steam in. I'd say put a new cap on on the radiator and maybe try to get some Liqui Molly engine treatment.
The brand is Liqui Molly and on the bottle it just says Engine Treatment. Maybe try and get some online. Liqui/Lubro Molly makes a good product that is somewhat popular in European shops so it shouldn't be too hard to find.
What weight oil are you using down there? I would hope at least a 20w-50 or something like that. Most of the time it's just the O-rings on the radiator caps that go bad. They are easily replaced (at least in the States that is...). Any other temperature problems?
Yep, using multigrade (that's what we call it 20w-50). No real temperature problems. He stays steady at "mid" range, even during 45 degrees celsius ( 113F) the other day. Between a tank-fill of petrol (gas) he'd use about a liter to liter and a half of water. Will have a check on that cap later.
But now... if done another stupid thing. I haven't checked the oil for some time - ran it below the dipstick. I filled up about 1.5liters yesterday! What I first thought was the exhaust noise seemed to have been engin noise. He's running smootly again, but my question is how much damge did I cause the engin. The oil light never came on, while temp stayed at mid range, so he did not overheat or anything.
Do you guy's know how the oil is distributed inside the engin? When the level goes down, what get the least oil first? The timingchain maybe?
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