BMW 330i (2006) - E90/N52 - Engine Coolant warning light
Discussion
Dear all,
I wonder if anyone can set my mind to rest re. an issue I had today with the above ?
While driving along, the above came on momentarily and it was yellow. This is my son's car and I am unfamiliar with a lot of the symbols but assumed (because it looked like a radiator) that it was telling me that the coolant was low. I slowed down (to 30/40 mph) and drove the 6 odd miles home which took approx 15 mins. During the journey home, the symbol did NOT come on again, nor were there any other warning lights or any sort of engine issues.
On getting home and stopping the engine, I heard the fan running and there was clearly steam coming from the engine.
Opening the bonnet showed steam coming up from the rad area and water splashes dotted around.
Since I have AA Homestart, I called the AA and when he arrived (really quickly) he quickly spotted a break in the top hose into the cylinder head and since he didn't have one and by this time (4:30pm) his garage contacts were closed, he suggested that I get someone to fix it next week (and since I know a couple of local mechanics, this isn't an issue).
My BIG concern was that in driving it home - albeit gently - I might have caused some serious engine damage but he said that if the engine temperature had gotten too high, there would have been RED warning lights and warning bells and messages telling me to stop immediately, etc. and there was none of these.
Furthermore, we started the engine when he was there and he looked at it, heard it and smelled it and said that it sounded fine.
(We talked about BMWs and he really did sound as if he knew his stuff).
Can anyone set my mind to rest re. the above ?
The manual says nothing about engine temperature or yellow to red warning light progression.
Is that the case ? Where can I find this out online ?
Do you think that I have been lucky ?
Any suggestions as to how I can tell if I have caused engine damage ?
This is my son's car and a number of people in this forum helped me choose it in the first place and it has been a great car. My son is in the Royal Navy and is at sea at the moment and I am looking after it and giving it a run every few days to keep it in good order and I am not looking forward to telling him that I have knackered it.
Thanking you in advance.
I wonder if anyone can set my mind to rest re. an issue I had today with the above ?
While driving along, the above came on momentarily and it was yellow. This is my son's car and I am unfamiliar with a lot of the symbols but assumed (because it looked like a radiator) that it was telling me that the coolant was low. I slowed down (to 30/40 mph) and drove the 6 odd miles home which took approx 15 mins. During the journey home, the symbol did NOT come on again, nor were there any other warning lights or any sort of engine issues.
On getting home and stopping the engine, I heard the fan running and there was clearly steam coming from the engine.
Opening the bonnet showed steam coming up from the rad area and water splashes dotted around.
Since I have AA Homestart, I called the AA and when he arrived (really quickly) he quickly spotted a break in the top hose into the cylinder head and since he didn't have one and by this time (4:30pm) his garage contacts were closed, he suggested that I get someone to fix it next week (and since I know a couple of local mechanics, this isn't an issue).
My BIG concern was that in driving it home - albeit gently - I might have caused some serious engine damage but he said that if the engine temperature had gotten too high, there would have been RED warning lights and warning bells and messages telling me to stop immediately, etc. and there was none of these.
Furthermore, we started the engine when he was there and he looked at it, heard it and smelled it and said that it sounded fine.
(We talked about BMWs and he really did sound as if he knew his stuff).
Can anyone set my mind to rest re. the above ?
The manual says nothing about engine temperature or yellow to red warning light progression.
Is that the case ? Where can I find this out online ?
Do you think that I have been lucky ?
Any suggestions as to how I can tell if I have caused engine damage ?
This is my son's car and a number of people in this forum helped me choose it in the first place and it has been a great car. My son is in the Royal Navy and is at sea at the moment and I am looking after it and giving it a run every few days to keep it in good order and I am not looking forward to telling him that I have knackered it.
Thanking you in advance.
No, that shouldn't be an issue.
When the electric water pump died on my E91 325i last year I got the amber temperature warning light, followed less than a minute later by the red one, so I stopped!
But as you never got the red light it should be fine.
It's probably less of an issue losing a bit of coolant than not having it circulating!
When the electric water pump died on my E91 325i last year I got the amber temperature warning light, followed less than a minute later by the red one, so I stopped!
But as you never got the red light it should be fine.
It's probably less of an issue losing a bit of coolant than not having it circulating!
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff