Quick (Belated) Intro

[Rockit]

I see you're taking on a lot..good for you.

I'm familiar with the V8's but not much with the 6cyl. My friend has one and has done extensive work on it. You may have just a leaking valve cover gasket on the rear corner...check that first. From what I know the rear mains seals aren't issues unless someone abused the car.

The headlight lens all you need is any metal polish...any hardware store sells it. You can even use tooth paste.

The front ends wear real bad on these at 75-k I mean all the suspension arms/trust arms and ball joints. The tie rods are usually ok unless damaged like yours.

Usually speaking the 02 sensors are fine and it's a clogged or bad Cat converter. You may get lucky if you take the 02 out and try and clean them with break clean-not carb cleaner. It also may clear up with fresh fuel. Absolutely put in a gas additive of your choice and run a full tank through.

The water pumps go bad on those regularly so keep a close eye on that. Yes the coolant tanks go as well. If your A/C is not cold or your heat is warm the electric valve that controls coolant flow from the expansion tank goes bad all the time. Located on the left fender-heater control valve. I believe yours has a auxiliary pump built in and just makes it cost more. Bav Auto sells OEM or German after market

This guy does a great job on pixel repair and he does it in one day turnaround. He will email you pictures when he is done. I had the instrument cluster done, all bulbs changed, radio pixels and chrome rings around the gauges done for $300 including overnight shipping. Best Pixel Repair for BMW, Audi, Saab, Lexus, Range Rover - Best Pixel Repair

Good luck....looks like you will have a great car when your done.

[BimmerM3inGA]

I pulled the codes for the CEL, this is what I get:

19 DME: Activation, Oxygen-Sensor Heater Before Cat., Bank 1
Open Circuit P1134

37 DME: Activation, Oxygen-Sensor Heater Before Cat., Bank 2
Open Circuit P1151

So, it looks like I need a couple of O2 sensors, right? I looked at the wiring and didn't see any problems. Is there anything else I should be suspicious of?

[Ricky Bobby]

those are the codes from DIS? Is there a test plan when you pulled them?

Its possible the o2's could be bad, but hard to tell for sure. DEFINITELY need to run some really good fresh 93 octane and a bottle or 2 of Techron fuel system cleaner through the tank though to clean it up in there!

[BimmerM3inGA]

Yes, the codes are from DIS. I'm new to DIS (been using another product for a long time, but finally got fed up with it). Can you elaborate what the test plan does?

I'll run a couple of tanks of 93 octane with Techron through it as soon as it's driveable.

The tie rods ought to be here tomorrow, along with the new sway bar links. I also have a new set of tires waiting to go on once the suspension is sorted and I get an alignment.

[Ricky Bobby]

Well for example when you scan a module and pull the faults, when you click on one of the faults sometimes there is a button at the bottom called "test plan".

When I had problems with my EHC 2-axle air suspension, I would pull the codes, and when I clicked the fault, it lit up a button at the bottom called "run test plan", which basically ran through different scenarios and tests so it could conclude what the fault was from.

For example I had "EHC 74 accumulator filling requested, pressure remained constant" so I ran test plan, it asked me if the LED was lit on the switch, then proceeded to test the compressor by running it and checking the change in pressure, and there was a threshold of pressure which it did not meet, so the test plan determined that since it did not pass the pressure increase test that the compressor was faulty.

Something along those lines, however there might not be test plans for all faults.

[BimmerM3inGA]

Ah, so it's almost like a troubleshooting wizard. Very cool! I didn't notice that, but wasn't looking for it. I'll run the test again and see if that option is available.

Thanks for the tip!

[BimmerM3inGA]

I spent the weekend working on my X5 project and it was definitely 1 step forward, two steps back!

First, the good news. I installed the new tie rods and sway bar links and was able to drive the car for the first time since buying it almost 3 weeks ago. It behaved very well - no vibration or shimmy. Good handling, and good tracking in spite of my quickie DIY alignment. It doesn't pull to either side really drives nicely. The transmission seemed to shift well, too.

But it was a quick drive and I stayed close to home. I never know what to expect the first time I drive a project car and don't want to go any farther than I think my wife will be willing to come get me if needed. It was about a 10 minute drive and as I pulled into my neighborhood, the engine temp started to rise. I was within sight of my house when it nearly reached the red, so I shut it down and coasted to a stop. After about 10 minutes it had cooled down enough to go the last 500 feet to my driveway. Hmmmm, now it's a little clearer why it may have been abandoned!

So now what? I started to look a little closer and found some interesting and, quite frankly, contradictory things. Upon closer inspection, it's obvious the head has been off and refreshed. It's very clean - much cleaner than the rest of the engine. There are also copper colored flakes in the coolant. That tells me that somebody tried to stop a head gasket leak with that stuff you pour into the radiator. But was that before or after the head was redone? There is also some evidence of water in the oil. You would think that whoever had the head off would have changed the oil afterwards, but maybe they didn't? Did these things lead to the head gasket being replaced and the person (or shop) who did the work didn't bother to change the oil and flush the coolant when the job was done? Or, was the job botched and now needs to be redone? Maybe they reused the head bolts, or there are stripped holes in the block so they can't be torqued properly. Who knows!

I decided to do a compression test to see if that would tell me anything. I got the engine up to temperature, but then it took me almost 20 minutes to find the frikkin DME relay. Plus the 15 minutes it took to get the coils and plugs out. So it had some time to cool before I tested. I say this because the numbers are higher than I would have expected. This is what I got when I tested it:

1 - 186
2 - 179
3 - 186
4 - 184
5 - 186
6 - 187

I don't have an E53 Bentley manual, but I do have a set for the E39. And it has info for the M54 engine since it was also available in the E39. According to the manual and TIS, the compression should be 142-156 on a hot engine. So my numbers seems high. But maybe because it had time to cool down? The main thing, though, is how consistent they are. Although #2 does seem a tad low. Which is the opposite of what I would expect from a bad head gasket. So if the head gasket is okay, what's going on?

I have replaced a HG before and am up to job. I just don't want to. The last time I did it, I bought all the special tools for the S52 in my E36 M3. But of course, different special tools are needed for the M54. Does anybody know of a source to borrow or rent the two VANOS alignment tools I'll need if I decide to pull the head to have a look-see?

After thinking about while mowing the grass (I do my best thinking on the lawnmower), this is my next step - unless somebody has a better idea:

Drain the coolant (it's mostly water, anyway), swap out the water pump, thermostat, expansion tank, upper/lower radiator hoses, refill with BMW coolant, go for a drive and see what happens. If it runs hot again, I'll know there's definitely something wrong. Maybe I'll do another compression test once it's fully up to temperate (now that I know where the relay is).

The only thing is that I'm not sure what to do next if it does run hot. By that point I'll have cooling system parts that are known to be good. And the compression test doesn't shout that the head-to-block seal is a problem. So then what?

[J.Belknap]

Variation between cylinders doesn't warrant yanking the head, imho. I would do a leakdown to see if air is in any way coming out of the coolant cap / oil cap. I would completely drain the coolant at the radiator and block. New coolant, an oil change, and call it good.

[JCL]

But I would do the thermostat at the same time.

Compression numbers look fine to me, but you are only testing one of the potential leak paths in a cylinder head gasket that way.

[Gregory891]

As others have written, this variation in compression from cylinder to cylinder is normal. There is a specification, the rule of thumb I recall from when I played with 2002's and Bavaria's, is that no cylinder should be less than 20% than the highest one. You are FAR from this.

Leakdown test would also be a good test as well.

Before you take things apart, put a cooling system pressure tester on it. This will allow you to pressurize the system at say one bar (14 PSI) and see that it holds pressure on the gauge without the engine running. You can calmly look and see if there are any leaks. Aside the head gasket, these leaks would not be the origin of your overheating, but it's part of a normal, comprehensive cooling system check.

As for things to change, you have a good & logical list: full drain of coolant (at block and remove radiator), new thermostat, new water pump & inspect radiator for internal blockage / heat transfer problems. Water hoses are protective insurance for the future.

I would also suggest you check that the cooling fan's viscous clutch is working properly. Even a perfect cooling system won't work as it is designed if you don't have air flow.