I don't recall if the diesel is set up like the 3.0i, but i used to take the mechanical fan out in winter. Even on the m 54 it would take very long to heat up.

For now, get cardboard in front of the radiator leaving maybe 10% open to help deal with random warm winter day.

I help my car warm up by putting the transmission in sport mode. I think in E 53, might be only manual shift but i used to do that in my 2001 just keep the revs 500 higher than usual by keeping in a lower gear.

My car will not reach operating temp in a 20 min. drive when it's below freezing out with ⅓ covered radiator.

I have to turn off the heat for the first half of the drive and i can reach 80-90° in 15 min. or so.

On E 53, if you get above about 70°, the needle will lie to you and snap to noon and say you're at operating temp. The fake gauge on the dash is really a three position idiot light.

Cold, possibly at temp, way over heated.

It's not as gauge in the sense of sweeping through temps. It fakes it by sweeping a little when cold bit it snaps to noon way before it's at operating temp.

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2011 E70 • N55 (me)
2012 E70 • N63 (wife)