OriginalOwner

fluid in #3 ?? and white smoke ??

that ain't Karma ..... that's bad news am thinking I.

time for a can of block sealer !! (and people wonder why I have so much gooey goop in my cooling system .....)

Cheers,

Carl

Think positive Karma !!!

the test unit itself is leaking, not the engine ..... or a hose clamp isn't tight ..... or you've got air in the system and it is compressing ....

think positive, man, think positive !!

Cheers,

Carl

the thermostat is designed to open at it's design temperature. Doesn't matter whether heater valve is on or off because the heater isn't in the primary cooling loop. I prefer to think of the heater loop as a "side loop" not associated with the primary cooling loop.

If you suspect the thermostat isn't opening, remove it and toss into a saucepan with water to cover and heat it up. You'll see it open. If you have a thermometer, that can be helpful.

as for burping, if I think I'm having that problem I remove the radiator cap then set it back on without rotating it fully closed. Then I drive around awhile. If I had a burping problem, it goes away. If I didn't have a burping problem, then I still don't. Win-Win.

as for personal history, a couple of years ago I installed a new radiator and the car still ran hot. Turns out there was some very gooey goop in the head and/or block somewhere, because suddenly it appeared in the top of the radiator where I could see it. I removed the radiator and flushed it out. Haven't had an overtemp problem since and the gauge needle moves from 1/4 to 1/2, no higher.

That gooey goop, without any scientific basis other than a silly wild ass guess, I surmised it had collected at the coolant outlet from the head and was partially blocking coolant flow into the radiator, having collected around the temp sensor that sticks into that fitting ..... and thus also holding some backpressure resulting in reduced coolant flow which kept the temp high. Somehow/something finally dislodged the goop and it went directly downstream into the radiator. I got lucky and saw it before it "melted" and again went elsewhere. Wierd theory, but more evidence included the fact that one day the car temp was "normal," and the next day was running "hot" and never stopped running "hot" until the goop showed up.

Cheers,

Carl

2002AD in Pomona has always had the used parts I've needed.

http://www.2002ad.com/

1-800-4-2002AD

Cheers,

Carl

Congrats !!

those black/yellow license plates are classics.

the rear license frame shows West Bay BMW in San Rafael ..... maybe they did some service on the car and still have records on file. Could be a method to find the CA owner .....

West Bay BMW

http://www.westbaybavarian.com/index.aspx

Cheers,

Carl

when you amortize all the costs over the next 60 years you'll be driving it, you are already $15K ahead !!

Cheers,

Carl

wow, that car is less than 10 miles from where I'm sitting.

Cheers,

Carl

my bizarre story. Similar symptoms.

Actual Problem: a goopy sorta/kinda slushy corrosiony goop on the positive battery terminal. This prevented cable contact to the battery terminal, electrically speaking.

I removed the battery cable, cleaned everything, put back together. All was fine after that.

Cheers,

Carl

Sierra Hotel !!

Cheers,

Carl

some translation may be required ......

http://oldbimmerclubgt.com/manuales/BMW%202002/Manual%20de%20servicio%20BMW%201602%201802%202002%202002A%202002tii.pdf

Cheers,

Carl

the link to window stickers .....

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,378198

Cheers,

Carl

+1 LimeySteve.

that or a major hosedown with WD-40 or some such spray lube product. Easy on, Easy off.

Cheers,

Carl

got myself mentally psyched up for tomorrow main events:

1) will tackle a valve adjustment.

2) chamois exterior surfaces, then wax paint and ArmorAll rubber.

Cheers,

Carl

Lee,

is it still a SoCal car after all these years ??

Cheers,

Carl

that coolant system tester, I assume that's the one that replaces the radiator cap ?? So, when running, there is no 15psi radiator cap in place to relieve pressure, so pressure will climb to whatever it wants to.

System pressure will definitely increase as the engine gets hot. First indication of problem(s) is losing lots of water. If you are holding pressure and not losing water, seems normal to me.

Cheers,

Carl

"Hey kids, I'm a professional. Don't try this at home."

Cheers,

Carl

I use the same gasket over and over, here's a trick from the 1930's. Since this is not a pressure-retaining gasket, you needn't worry about leaks. Spread a light coat of wheel bearing grease on the gasket surfaces.

Cheers,

Carl

so, like, where is it ?? you got a lat-long on it, or some such ??

Cheers,

Carl

That is one fantastic looking 2002tii !!!!!!

Cheers,

Carl

while looking for one thing, I stumbled across this .....

Rare Colors ..... and further down the page, the numerical list of BMW color codes ....

http://www.germancarforum.com/community/threads/rare-coloured-bmws.23769/

Cheers,

Carl

always good to look the part of The Smartest Man In The World !!

Cheers,

Carl

Thanks To All !!

it is Atlantik blue with tan interior.

Cheers,

Carl

Location: always in SoCal

Average daily commute: only drove it as a commuter when it was raining, and that commute was 25 miles roundtrip (otherwise on a motorcycle)

Total mileage: 229,500

How long you've been driving it: 38 years

Longest trip you've taken it on: San Diego to the Bay Area quite a few times.

Cheers,

Carl

.

Another candle on the birthday cake. Simply amazing.

Cheers,

Carl

Awesome drive, those are great roads !!

Cheers,

Carl