06 330i overheating warning acting weird

[siccycle]

My 06 330i for the past 4 mornings after driving for 10min the overheating warning comes on. I pull over turn off then on after a min and drive the rest of the day w no issues what so ever. Has anyone had this happen to them?

[DrSammmy]

Just happened to me tonight as well....not too happy about this. Probably water pump and thermostat

[mryakan]

My advice is get it checked ASAP. Overheating issues on these cars are no joke and can lead to big $$$$ repairs if not taken care of early.

[siccycle]

Is there any way to see the actual temp of the car? Dosnt have a gauge like most cars

[DrSammmy]

I have same question. On the dash mine stays at 160 degrees. Not sure if this is a sensor error or not?

[Stratman335]

I'm assuming that you checked ur coolant fluid? Is it low and when u refill it gets lower again?
Maybe a pump needs to be replaced but don't stress buddy

[mryakan]

I have same question. On the dash mine stays at 160 degrees. Not sure if this is a sensor error or not?

That is the oil temp, completely different.

[Stuart Monson]

Too weird. My temp warning light came just yesterday as well. Check the resievor and coolant level is low. Must be a small leak somewhere but no obviuos signs. It's an 06 and never been flushed. What kind of coolant do you use?

[DrSammmy]

Thanks mryakan , does that temp ever change from160 , I never noticed a change. Thanks

[mryakan]

Thanks mryakan , does that temp ever change from160 , I never noticed a change. Thanks

It should, 160 is actually pretty low, but I believe possible esp. If equipped with oil cooler. Do not think there is a downside to cool oil temps (unlike coolant temps), but I could be wrong.
Also check if the car was modded, some people hacked the software to have that needle display some other info.

[rrpeinha]

Had this same problem, but b/c of mileage my car was out of warranty. Checked coolant (even though it was the temp. light not coolant level light) and coolant level was fine. My experience was exactly the same, with warning popping up shortly after starting - but after turning car off and restarting it wouldn't come back up. Eventually though, this no longer had an effect; after restarting the warning would come back. My problem was the electric thermostat, it gradually progressed to where it wouldn't open. Don't know if you're mechanically inclined or not, but I replaced mine myself in ~1.5 hr. The part was just over $100.00 from the dealer + ~$20 for new BMW coolant. If you do it yourself, there is a specific bleeding procedure you have to follow after refilling the cooling system or if not the water pump will fail.
(Looking back, I guess my problem could have also been attributed to the water pump, but that part is ~450.00 so I started with the cheapest solution) No problems since.

If you decide to replace it yourself let me know if you need factory instructions and the bleeding procedure.

[siccycle]

Yes i will be trying my self so any help would be appreciated

[NFerber]

How many miles are on your car, and how long do you plan on owning it? If you have a lot of miles an plan on keeping the car for another few years, might as well just replace thermostat and water pump at the same time. Because if you only replace one, it's only a matter of time before the other will fail.

It should, 160 is actually pretty low, but I believe possible esp. If equipped with oil cooler. Do not think there is a downside to cool oil temps (unlike coolant temps), but I could be wrong.
Also check if the car was modded, some people hacked the software to have that needle display some other info.

Oil cooler isn't functional until a certain temp is reached. Once it reaches that temp, it will start pumping oil through the cooler lines. So you should be seeing some movement in the oil temp gauge after the car is warmed up (5-10 min of driving).

[rrpeinha]

Siccycle, even though we have different motors, the part number for your thermostat is the same as it was for mine. Also, you can use the tests below to check the function of the Water Pump and Electric Radiator Fan, which if passed, would further suggest a faulty thermostat.

*Note about parts*
When I did this, I purchased the parts from the local dealer, but Rocky Mountain European (www.rmeuropean.com) carries New Genuine BMW parts and Original Equipment Parts for considerably less. I have since used them for a Mercedes I’m restoring and have been very satisfied. Orders over $65 ship free and they ship really quickly too.

Parts:

• Thermostat: P/N 11537549476 I paid $165.79 @ Dealer $80.34 for OE Part from RMEuropean
• 1 Gallon of BMW Antifreeze/Coolant: P/N 82141467704 I paid $26.76 @ Dealer $25.38 @ RMEuropean
• 1 Gallon of Distilled Water (more if you plan on flushing the system)

After you’ve replaced the thermostat and reassembled everything, you’re good to refill the coolant system. I flushed mine with distilled water before refilling, but that’s your choice. Use whatever mixing method you prefer and mix the new coolant with the 1-gallon of distilled water, yielding the 2 gallons of 50/50 ratio it will take to refill the cooling system. Then refill and bleed the system following the procedure below.

Like NFerber said, you may want to consider replacing the water pump at the same time. However, I’m in med school with not a lot of extra money so I opted to hold on forking out the $544.76 for the water pump (yours is a little cheaper) until I needed it. I replaced the thermostat @ 82,400 miles and have 103,000 miles now, and the original water pump is still fine. Because the water pump in our cars is electric rather than belt driven like in the e46, I don’t think there is a generalized mileage where replacement is recommended. But, it’s your money and your car so if you do decide to replace the water pump also, here’s the parts and info you’ll need.

• Water Pump: P/N 11517586925 ~$400.00-$500.00 depending on source
• Water Pump Bolt Kit: P/N 11510392553 ~$5-$10 depending on source

*Other Pointers*

1. The bolts holding on the thermostat and water pump are External Torx Bits, from memory I believe they are E12.
2. The instructions don’t mention this, but since you have to remove the under-car shield anyway, I found it easier to unbolt the sway bar and remove some of the hose connections from the bottom. I also think I pulled the thermostat out from the bottom too.
3. I think I remember reading somewhere of the person removing the fan/shroud and maybe even the radiator. This is NOT necessary, some of the hose connections may take some arm contorting, but everything (including the water pump if you choose) can be done without removing that stuff.

[NFerber]

Yeah, you don't have to replace the water pump now if it isn't the issue. But it's not if it's going to fail, it's when. On my '06 330 the water pump failed around 85k. If you do it now it will just save you the headache later of having it fail and be stranded on the side of the road in the future.

rrpeinha, good info. Thanks for taking the time to post that!

[siccycle]

Thanks for the great info. How can i tell if my fan and water pump are working properly?

[george3359]

Yes, i am having this problem in my 06 328i.... Stealership says no codes, can't fix.... its happened as recently as today.. I am taking pictures of the dash; mileage and warning light each time hoping they will agree to replace water pump and thermo.. (I have a CPO warranty)


Have you fixed yours???

[siccycle]

I haven't fixed mine hasn't did it anymore