[Reznick]

Originally Posted by BMWnStuff

I do know from "old school" knowledge that when a car is over heating you should open the windows and turn on the heat to let heat out of the engine compartment. Once you've come to a stop put it in neutral and give a little gas to jostle some fluids around. Not sure if BMW's still work the same or have evolved too far for me to understand them anymore... But that's supposed to work.

Not trying to be an ass but that "old school" knowledge will get you one thing.A blown head gasket. any time you get an indicator telling you there is a temperature problem, the first thing you do is pull the car over and turn it off.It's the thermostat, water pump or you're losing coolant.Any one of those will cause you major problems if you keep driving. Jostling around fluid that is being spewed on the pavement or isn't being circulated isn't going to get you any good results.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by Reznick

Not trying to be an ass but that "old school" knowledge will get you one thing.A blown head gasket. any time you get an indicator telling you there is a temperature problem, the first thing you do is pull the car over and turn it off.It's the thermostat, water pump or you're losing coolant.Any one of those will cause you major problems if you keep driving. Jostling around fluid that is being spewed on the pavement or isn't being circulated isn't going to get you any good results.

Still kinda sucks, since the car is turbocharged, you save the engine but that piping hot oil cooks that turbo.

[AHB900]

Im just wondering if the fact that my car has had about 20 limp modes in the past 2 months (yes I have been to the dealer for this issue multiple times), is some how related to this.

[kent11202]

Originally Posted by AHB900

Im just wondering if the fact that my car has had about 20 limp modes in the past 2 months (yes I have been to the dealer for this issue multiple times), is some how related to this.

A little off topic but, can't they access codes or something to verify all this? If so, I think I'd be looking into Lemon Law issues because 20 times in two months is insane.

[AHB900]

Originally Posted by kent11202

A little off topic but, can't they access codes or something to verify all this? If so, I think I'd be looking into Lemon Law issues because 20 times in two months is insane.

According to the sales advisor they will be running codes. Im about to get off class and give them a call to get an update.

I was looking at lemon law in CA and it says they have to attempt to fix the same problem 2-3 times before you qualify. I may have understood this wrong but if I did get it right then this would be attempt 1. Every other time I went to the dealer (different dealers) I was told that i need to bring the car in with the limp mode in order for them to be able to do anything. Well here you go my car is F'ed up.

[kent11202]

Originally Posted by AHB900

According to the sales advisor they will be running codes. Im about to get off class and give them a call to get an update.

I was looking at lemon law in CA and it says they have to attempt to fix the same problem 2-3 times before you qualify. I may have understood this wrong but if I did get it right then this would be attempt 1. Every other time I went to the dealer (different dealers) I was told that i need to bring the car in with the limp mode in order for them to be able to do anything. Well here you go my car is F'ed up.

Based on what you've said below, did they just blow you off or did they start writing it up? If so, that "might" be of some help if you have any paperwork to support you brought it in to multiple dealers. Just saying...

Every other time I went to the dealer (different dealers) I was told that i need to bring the car in with the limp mode in order for them to be able to do anything.

[AHB900]

Originally Posted by kent11202

Based on what you've said below, did they just blow you off or did they start writing it up? If so, that "might" be of some help if you have any paperwork to support you brought it in to multiple dealers. Just saying...

They just blew me off.. Anyway update, the cars ready to be picked up and it was the FAN. Lets see what happens.

[Reznick]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

Still kinda sucks, since the car is turbocharged, you save the engine but that piping hot oil cooks that turbo.

+1 on that. Thats why you need to get the car turned off as soon as possible.Newer cars have tighter tolerances and run at higher temps so it doesn't take much to have a small problem get one really hot, cooking everything in the process if you keep driving.I haven't had any problems with my turbo, but I wonder why BMW insists on allowing that sort of problem to go into Limp Mode.It should be understood that if there is a cooling problem that you pull over and turn the car off.I only jumped in because I cut my teeth on old school muscle cars.If there is air stuck in the line, that needs to be taken care of while its still in your garage/driveway, but turning the heat on and revving the engine isn't going to help you any in that situation.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by Reznick

+1 on that. Thats why you need to get the car turned off as soon as possible.Newer cars have tighter tolerances and run at higher temps so it doesn't take much to have a small problem get one really hot, cooking everything in the process if you keep driving.I haven't had any problems with my turbo, but I wonder why BMW insists on allowing that sort of problem to go into Limp Mode.It should be understood that if there is a cooling problem that you pull over and turn the car off.I only jumped in because I cut my teeth on old school muscle cars.If there is air stuck in the line, that needs to be taken care of while its still in your garage/driveway, but turning the heat on and revving the engine isn't going to help you any in that situation.

It sounds like the fan failed based on his update. In that scenario, the temps likely rose slowly leading to the "drive cautiously" prompt prior to the fan failing completely. I'm guessing the "smoke" he saw was literally smoke from the failed fan. I'm so used to folks calling steam smoke that I assumed it was blowing coolant.

As far as burping an old car, I'd have to disagree with you regarding opening flow to the heater core and revving the motor a bit. That will actually help with bleeding an old motor so long as the thermostat is open. There's no other way to do it other than loosening the upper radiator hose at the stat housing since nothing "old school" that I've ever worked on had a bleed screw...

[Reznick]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

It sounds like the fan failed based on his update. In that scenario, the temps likely rose slowly leading to the "drive cautiously" prompt prior to the fan failing completely. I'm guessing the "smoke" he saw was literally smoke from the failed fan. I'm so used to folks calling steam smoke that I assumed it was blowing coolant.

As far as burping an old car, I'd have to disagree with you regarding opening flow to the heater core and revving the motor a bit. That will actually help with bleeding an old motor so long as the thermostat is open. There's no other way to do it other than loosening the upper radiator hose at the stat housing since nothing "old school" that I've ever worked on had a bleed screw...

You're right, but you missed my point.I've worked on an awful lot of cars.New & old.By trade I'm a mechanic. My only point was if you have air caught in the system it happened while you were refilling the car and you should have cleared it before you went out on the streets.Once your light comes on, your car is already hot.Shut it off and let it cool down before you mess around with it.Your right that running the car will help "clear" the system, but in a new car from the factory, an air pocket won't be your problem.I was always taught,and do it to this day, with an old cars or a large diesels to use the empty screw on the bottom of the radiator.loosening it up will help pull the air through.It's always worked for me, but I have had a few times I sat revving a car when it obviously had an air bubble caught in itand it will work...but not while it's at 300 degrees