BMW 2002 FAQ

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[quote="BarryA"][quote="elementfmfl"]Thanks for the info! I come from a aircooled background, what would you guys consider a "normal" operating temp? There is a steady drip occuring from the lower area of the radiator, I tightened the drain plug, but am not currently sure if the leak id from there. i suppose it could be a missing of torn o-ring.[/quote]

radiator, check ALL your hoses, connections and hose clamps - if the hoses are old they could be cracked or have dried out and loosened on the tank fittings; there's also a possibility that the hose clamps have backed off a bit, or that hoses that are a couple of years old have compressed a bit leaving the clamps a bit loose.   Sometimes, just the tightening the clamps will stop a leak.

If that DOESN"T take care of the leak, start looking for leaks that originate elsewhere - surface tension can take the drip from a slow leak quite a distance from the point of origin, so you may have to follow a liquid trail back to the source.   If the engine is grimy with oil and dirt, it can be a huge help to get all the grunge cleaned up - makes it far easier to spot the source of any leak.

One other factor that may play into your situation - there were several different styles of cooling fans used on '02s - some early cars had 4 blade fans that don't move a whole lot of air.  Depending on which fan you have installed, you might need a more effective fan (or a supplemental electric pusher fan in front of the radiator).

For reference, an '02 with a properly functioning cooling system and temperature gauge should run with the gauge needle in the middle of the blue band under most conditions - idling in traffic or pulling a steep hill (especially in very hot weather) will cause the temp to go up and the gauge to read higher, but it really shouldn't run in the red for any period of time.[/quote]

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