Engine Temp Lower Now - Normal??

[admranger]

Hmmmm, I agree w/M5James on the thermostat test at home (watch out for those fan blades!).

I recall that there was a way to get the OBC to go into test mode and read out actual temps (in deg C, of course) so you could see what is going on. I know you can do it on my 2002 M3, not sure about the X5. Was it on the tips/tricks thread?

You don't want your engine running below optimum temp all the time. Not fuel efficient is one reason.

If you turn the heater on, how long does it take to get warm air out of it?

My gut tells me thermostat not closing all the way or the fan clutch is locked up (or both).

[lemans4.8]

how long should it take to get a v8 X5 to warm up in the winter? It takes about 8 miles or so to get it up to temp....

OP: Sorry for thread jacking

[m5james]

Originally Posted by admranger

Hmmmm, I agree w/M5James on the thermostat test at home (watch out for those fan blades!).

I recall that there was a way to get the OBC to go into test mode and read out actual temps (in deg C, of course) so you could see what is going on. I know you can do it on my 2002 M3, not sure about the X5. Was it on the tips/tricks thread?

You don't want your engine running below optimum temp all the time. Not fuel efficient is one reason.

If you turn the heater on, how long does it take to get warm air out of it?

My gut tells me thermostat not closing all the way or the fan clutch is locked up (or both).

You add up the last 5 numbers of your VIN, then w/ the key in the ignition on position 2, you hold the pin on the right side of the cluster until you see Test No 1, 2, etc and it goes up to 21 I think. Anyways, go to like test 7 and I believe that is the coolant one....better yet...Here is all the info

This will show the technique, and has a breakdown of what each screen does. www.e38.org is a great resourse even for us X5 owners since a lot is compatible about maintenance techniques, bleeding the cooling system on the V8 and other V8 specific items.

The fan clutch would be obvious if it was seized because it would have a lot of resistance and wouldn't spin freely at all. It's supposed to have a slight amount, but not enough that it'll slip under the belt from someone trying to turn it. But you also don't want to it spin so freely like when turning a ceiling fan off and it slowly comes to a stop...that just means that clutch has lost all it's waxy fluids inside. The fan clutch works using a waxy substance that causes it to flow less at low speeds, hence why it sounds like an airplace when you take off in the morning. After it warms up, the substance becomes more fluid, so it flows slower at low speeds to keep the fan moving, but that heats up and flows better at high speeds to free up the fan instead of being a drain on the engine....hopefully I made sense

[MosH]

Well I received the car back on Friday after a drawn out coversation with the shop owner. He agreed to change the thermostat again to "keep me happy". When I called to check on it Friday afternoon he admitted I was correct and the thermostat he supposedly replaced the first time was defective and a clip was broken causing it to stay open. I now have a new thermostat, the car warms up to the mid point on the gauge in minutes rather then never and my fuel consumption has returned to normal. Hopefully this is it for a while now! I haven't had a chance to truely enjoy this truck yet with all the issues!

3 months of ownership =
New alternator
New battery
New thermostat
Water leaks via vapor barriers on every door had to be re-sealed

Upgrades:
All weather mats
carbon fiber look color roundel
12" Sub and 600watt AMP (probably cause of alternator failure)
AUX input kit

2003 which now has 39K miles, had 37K when I purchased it from the original owner.

[m5james]

awesome, glad that worked out for you. Sorry to hear you've had so many problems w/ your X in it's short life. Sounds like you need to drive it more instead of letting it sit...BMW's like to be driven, and driven hard. This is her way of letting you know she needs more attention.

[MosH]

Yeah, I am hoping this is the issue. I plan to take her on many trips up north snow boarding this winter so she will get a workout the next few months!

Too little miles and letting it sit has its downside as well. I am debating on chaning the tranny fuil and the differentials as well due to sitting (codensation etc...)

[faz]

Good to hear.

[motordavid]

Good to read, Dawg!
Great tips, ideas & opins on The Board,
from fellow posters!
GL,mD

[m5james]

Originally Posted by MosH

Yeah, I am hoping this is the issue. I plan to take her on many trips up north snow boarding this winter so she will get a workout the next few months!

Too little miles and letting it sit has its downside as well. I am debating on chaning the tranny fuil and the differentials as well due to sitting (codensation etc...)

You can buy Valvoline MaxLife from Walmart, so it's cheap insurance for the transmission. Just make sure to follow the proper drain and fill level checking procedures from www.e38.org. Basically, the trans needs to be at a certain temp so you can check the fluid level before you close it up.