At 495,000km despite pipe changes over the years, I've had one pipe and one flange failure in the last 9 months. I'll now do a major water system preemptive overhaul - but can anyone recommend this item that will give an audible warning?
Engine overheating & SS flanges
- Thread starter bonbon
- Start date
I've only ever had one 'pipe failure' and that was when the car (z3) was only 10 years old. The plastic thermostat housing just broke.
I wasn't driving. My wife was on her own on her way to work in the z3. She has no mechanical knowledge but even she knew something wasn't right when a sudden cloud of steam appeared around her.
There would have been no advance temperature warning. It would have been a sudden failure so I don't think a temperature warning device would have helped and after the event it would be too late.
In any case, she pulled over straight away and no serious damage to the engine.
I wasn't driving. My wife was on her own on her way to work in the z3. She has no mechanical knowledge but even she knew something wasn't right when a sudden cloud of steam appeared around her.
There would have been no advance temperature warning. It would have been a sudden failure so I don't think a temperature warning device would have helped and after the event it would be too late.
In any case, she pulled over straight away and no serious damage to the engine.
I tend to notice when the temp gauge moves from normal (once a split hose, once a leaking radiator, once a duff thermostat) and take the appropriate action without any consequential damage to the cars. Joys of almost 30 years of Z3 ownership. IMO an audible warning is unnecessary and just one more thing to go wrong! 
Still waiting for my diagnosis (good news - turns over ok).
In parallel, I have learnt I can replace the shitty plastic flanges that have failed (twice front, once rear) over the last 20 years with SS items from Ukraine made by the same manufacturer.
Really cheap to save an engine!!
Here are the links - clarify if it suits your engine (they seem to for my M44)
Contact Olena [email protected]
cooling.com.ua
In parallel, I have learnt I can replace the shitty plastic flanges that have failed (twice front, once rear) over the last 20 years with SS items from Ukraine made by the same manufacturer.
Really cheap to save an engine!!
Here are the links - clarify if it suits your engine (they seem to for my M44)
Contact Olena [email protected]
Патрубок охолодження 11531739208 BMW з нержавійки
Патрубок охолодження OEM 11531739208 для BMW з нержавійки Перевіряйте сумісність за OEM, маркою, моделлю та двигуном.
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Still waiting for my diagnosis (good news - turns over ok).
In parallel, I have learnt I can replace the shitty plastic flanges that have failed (twice front, once rear) over the last 20 years with SS items from Ukraine made by the same manufacturer.
Really cheap to save an engine!!
Here are the links - clarify if it suits your engine (they seem to for my M44)
Contact Olena [email protected]
Патрубок охолодження 11531739208 BMW з нержавійки
Патрубок охолодження OEM 11531739208 для BMW з нержавійки Перевіряйте сумісність за OEM, маркою, моделлю та двигуном.
That's the little pipe at the very back of the engine - is that the one that's failed on yours?
I've been meaning to change all my plastic pipes including that one.
That pipe at the back looks difficult to get at so a permanent SS fix looks interesting. That price converts to UK Pounds as around £20 ish which isn't bad. It's about the same as the plastic one. Couldn't see any shipping costs though.
bmwz3tower
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- Dec 5, 2024
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The pipe on the back of the head isn't too tricky to replace in my experience and if you've got the intake manifold off to change the lower one you get a bit more access.
The rear one is fiddly but doable - watch out though for severe corrosion pitting in the aperture in the head. I use some serious black RTV sealer.
The one on the side of the block is very fiddly. As the oil filter housing gasket nearly always needs replacing, I remove that and the alternator to give very good access, reassembling with a new gasket and plastic valve.
Oh, and always use genuine BMW parts. The top one is £15 and the side one is £20. Febi ones don't fit. The top one comes with a new O ring and the side one doesn't.....and the O ring is currently NLA from BMW. However, I use an O ring from Ebay like this:
The one on the side of the block is very fiddly. As the oil filter housing gasket nearly always needs replacing, I remove that and the alternator to give very good access, reassembling with a new gasket and plastic valve.
Oh, and always use genuine BMW parts. The top one is £15 and the side one is £20. Febi ones don't fit. The top one comes with a new O ring and the side one doesn't.....and the O ring is currently NLA from BMW. However, I use an O ring from Ebay like this:
So you're recommending genuine BMW parts rather than the stainless steel one mentioned by the OP?