E36 Temperature Gauge - Is This Normal?
Discussion
Hi guys,
Just picked up my new (to me!) E36 328i Sport. Everything seems to be good, but I have a question about the temperature gauge.
When driving slowly around town, it gets up to temperature pretty quickly and the temperature gauge sits bang in the middle (never goes above the middle). However, when you turn onto a motorway and build up some speed, the gauge begins to fall slightly (if cold is 9 o'clock and middle is 12 o'clock, then it falls to around 10/11 o'clock.)
Is this normal? Is it just because it's quite cold outside at the moment and so when you're cruising along the motorway at 70mph the car isn't working particularly hard so it doesn't get hot? My first thoughts were dodgy thermostat, but hot air comes through the vents no problem and the temperature drop only occurs when at relatively high speeds.
Thanks in advance.
Just picked up my new (to me!) E36 328i Sport. Everything seems to be good, but I have a question about the temperature gauge.
When driving slowly around town, it gets up to temperature pretty quickly and the temperature gauge sits bang in the middle (never goes above the middle). However, when you turn onto a motorway and build up some speed, the gauge begins to fall slightly (if cold is 9 o'clock and middle is 12 o'clock, then it falls to around 10/11 o'clock.)
Is this normal? Is it just because it's quite cold outside at the moment and so when you're cruising along the motorway at 70mph the car isn't working particularly hard so it doesn't get hot? My first thoughts were dodgy thermostat, but hot air comes through the vents no problem and the temperature drop only occurs when at relatively high speeds.
Thanks in advance.
I disgree.
My M5 sits just where you say, slightly cool as do all the other M5 owners that have quieried the same thing.
A different car I appreciate but they will both be working on the same principle. Dont forget it gets seriously cold so the coolant tempreture running 2 or 3C cooler is not really an issue.
If the temp needle fails to get above the first white dot then yes, get it changed.
My M5 sits just where you say, slightly cool as do all the other M5 owners that have quieried the same thing.
A different car I appreciate but they will both be working on the same principle. Dont forget it gets seriously cold so the coolant tempreture running 2 or 3C cooler is not really an issue.
If the temp needle fails to get above the first white dot then yes, get it changed.
Neil.D said:
I disgree
You can if you want but you should remember that the BMW temperature guage does not display the direct actual temperature. It's designed to sit in the centre, dead centre, and not move even if the temperature flucates unless the temperature is outside normal range. So if it's anywhere other than centre after 5-10 minutes, there is a problem. Normal temperature flucuations as the car sits in traffic or drives down a cold Motorway is accounted for within the range of temperatuers the car deems as 'normal' so will not result in a different reading on the temperature guage.The E36 in this thread has a faulty thermostat, it really is that simple.
I don't know enough about the S62 to say for sure whether it works in the same way but I'd assume it does so I'd guess your M5 has a faulty thermostat as well.
If the temp ever goes down, even by a fraction, the thermostat isn't working.
The "stat" part is from "Static"
When the engine warms up, it won't just open and stay open, it'll keep opening and closing in response to temperature to hold the temp at whatever it was designed for.
If the temp ever drops, that would mean that the stat is staying open, and the radiator is overcooling the engine.
The "stat" part is from "Static"
When the engine warms up, it won't just open and stay open, it'll keep opening and closing in response to temperature to hold the temp at whatever it was designed for.
If the temp ever drops, that would mean that the stat is staying open, and the radiator is overcooling the engine.
wiffmaster said:
Just picked up my new (to me!) E36 328i Sport
wiffmaster said:
Car is under warranty
Crikey! That's good going, seeing as the car is now two generations old!I ran an E36 328i for a couple of years - needle always dead centre (once warm).
ETA Nice car BTW - colour? pics?
Edited by monthefish on Thursday 22 January 17:44
monthefish said:
Crikey! That's good going, seeing as the car is now two generations old!
I ran an E36 328i for a couple of years - needle always dead centre (once warm).
ETA Nice car BTW - colour? pics?
Yeah, car came with a full 12 month warranty...whether it's any good remains to be seen!I ran an E36 328i for a couple of years - needle always dead centre (once warm).
ETA Nice car BTW - colour? pics?
Edited by monthefish on Thursday 22 January 17:44
Just did a long run in it today - temp gauge needle stayed around the 11 o'clock position the whole time whilst on the motorway, then returned to dead centre when driving in town. Maybe it's a goosed thermostat or maybe it's just the coolant concentration as suggested above - will see soon enough!
Thread and pictures here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Sticky thermostat is a common M52 2.8 problem --- about £9 from GSF and a bit of mucking around the change. Getting the viscous fan off can be an issue.
Nothing to worry about.
ETA = the E36 temp gauge is so heavily damped that a slight movement equals a large temperature change.
Nothing to worry about.
ETA = the E36 temp gauge is so heavily damped that a slight movement equals a large temperature change.
Edited by Dunk76 on Friday 23 January 10:19
wiffmaster said:
monthefish said:
Crikey! That's good going, seeing as the car is now two generations old!
I ran an E36 328i for a couple of years - needle always dead centre (once warm).
ETA Nice car BTW - colour? pics?
Yeah, car came with a full 12 month warranty...whether it's any good remains to be seen!I ran an E36 328i for a couple of years - needle always dead centre (once warm).
ETA Nice car BTW - colour? pics?
Edited by monthefish on Thursday 22 January 17:44
Just did a long run in it today - temp gauge needle stayed around the 11 o'clock position the whole time whilst on the motorway, then returned to dead centre when driving in town. Maybe it's a goosed thermostat or maybe it's just the coolant concentration as suggested above - will see soon enough!
Thread and pictures here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
monthefish said:
Looks great.
Cheers. Took it for its first long run yesterday, and apart from the fact I ended up using 2.5 litres of screenwash in the filthy weather, it was lovely.Dunk76 said:
Sticky thermostat is a common M52 2.8 problem --- about £9 from GSF and a bit of mucking around the change. Getting the viscous fan off can be an issue.
Nothing to worry about.
ETA = the E36 temp gauge is so heavily damped that a slight movement equals a large temperature change.
I'll get it swapped at the next service then - will be due in a couple of hundred miles and might as well get it all done at once. I assume there's no real risk of damage by driving the car with a dodgy thermostat for a few hundred miles? If it's likely to cause real problems, I'll obviously get it changed ASAP...Nothing to worry about.
ETA = the E36 temp gauge is so heavily damped that a slight movement equals a large temperature change.
Edited by wiffmaster on Friday 23 January 14:09
wiffmaster said:
I'll get it swapped at the next service then - will be due in a couple of hundred miles and might as well get it all done at once. I assume there's no real risk of damage by driving the car with a dodgy thermostat for a few hundred miles? If it's likely to cause real problems, I'll obviously get it changed ASAP...
No real risk, it's just a pain in this weather when it takes it time to heat up. Will impact fuel consumption and supposedly affect the catalyst if left long term.Mine wasn't even getting to 1/4 of the way.
Check the history, if the coolant has been drained to do the stat it's often a godd opportunity to change the water pump at the same time.
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