Thermostat gauge

[bimmer_over_wife]

Hi all,

After I warm up my car and the thermostat needle is out of the blue zone, I drive the car off and all of a sudden the thermostat needle goes all the way right to the red zone. The engine is not overheating and when I turn the car off and back on, the needle readjusts correctly. Is this just a simple malfunction or is my car trying to tell me something? Thanks!

[warcraftjjs]

If the car is not Over heating it could just be a sensor replacement or it is gumed up. I'm sure some other guys on here have other suggestions or you could try these guys. FCP Groton – Discount Car Parts & Auto Parts- Low Prices | Free Shipping

[FCPGroton]

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[Steve323i99]

Originally Posted by bimmer_over_wife

Hi all,

After I warm up my car and the thermostat needle is out of the blue zone, I drive the car off and all of a sudden the thermostat needle goes all the way right to the red zone. The engine is not overheating and when I turn the car off and back on, the needle readjusts correctly. Is this just a simple malfunction or is my car trying to tell me something? Thanks!

Mine did this as well. I changed out the thermostat and the problem was fixed.
If you have the time an money and you haven't done it yet, it may be a good time to change out the thermostat, waterpump, hoses and expansion tank. If and when your BMW overheats it's going to cost a lot more than replacing those parts which are a known faulty area for these cars. Good luck

[bimmer_over_wife]

Thanks for the heads up, can you tell me how much the total cost was for labor and parts? and where is the best place to buy the parts from?

[Steve323i99]

For the thermostat Labor = $0.00 Part = $93.00 from the dealer. There are other places that you can buy from such as:
Pelican Parts - Porsche Parts & BMW Parts - Automotive Parts and Accessories - Porsche & BMW
Auto Parts at AutohausAZ - OEM Auto Parts - Discount Replacement Parts, Resources and Car Care Tips
You can get the part numbers from
RealOEM.com Online BMW Parts Catalog by typing in the last 8# of your vin to get your vehicle specific part numbers.

Labor changing the thermostat is really easy. The hardest part is probably bleading the system to make sure there is no air.

[bimmer_over_wife]

I'll check those out, I meant how much did the whole job cost including the thermostat, waterpump, hoses and expansion tank? I have 87000 miles on it and other than the thermostat acting up and the car has a small jerk sideways when I brake, the car is running smoothly.

[bimmer_over_wife]

I calculated the parts on Pelican and they came up to be $243. Does this sound right and can this project be done by non-mechanic or its too difficult? Thanks

[Steve323i99]

Sound about right. I think that they can be done by someone that has a little experience. If you are unsure there are a lot of things on the web that can help.
Try reading this.
BMW E46 - BimmerWiki

I didn't do all mine at the same time like I suggested but they all failed right around the same time. The hoses and thermostat I did myself. I have yet to replace the Expansion tank and water pump.

[bimmer_over_wife]

Once it starts warming up I'll get started on the work! Hopefully i won't have too much trouble with the tank and pump. One more thing, do I have to change the radiator hoses, or those have nothing to do with the pump and tank?

[Steve323i99]

I would recomend that since you are there you should change the hoses also. Yes the radiator hoses. Like I said when you are all finished make sure that you bleed the system of air properly before you go blazing down the street. Should be the process in the link I provided to you above.

[bimmer_over_wife]

Thanks for all the help, I'm gonna get to it as soon as the weather warms up and recover from the kerscher purchase lol

[FCPGroton]

We may carry some of the parts you are looking for, if you want to compare prices. also free shipping all orders over $150.

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