Philes' Forum by Vic Lucariello

Last month, in the first-ever Philes' Forum E-Mail Survey, I requested that you e-mail me your picks for the vehicles most likely driven by a Left Lane Bandit. Well, as I compose this, I have received only one response, from Dave Gannon. I will wait another month before publishing the results.

Now that the driver school/club race season is over [at least in this part of th e country], I am sure you are all catching up on the maintenance on your Bimmer[ s]. A flush of the cooling system and inspection/replacement of the coolant hos es is a job anyone can perform, even on todays high-tech cars. Here are some ti ps I wrote down after doing a 325e:

Do the job on a cold engine. You will need access to the underside of the car, so raise the front and place it securely on jack stands. Ross wants me to remin d you to be sure and have your eye protection on. Remove the block and radiat or drain plugs and catch all of the old coolant that you can for proper disposa l.

Inspect the hoses for swelling, cracking and abrasion. BMW seems to use good q uality hoses that last 5-10 years. If you replace the hoses, be sure to do them all, even the heater hoses [arrgh!!] and the small, 8 mm ID hoses that are used to warm the throttle body. Some Roundel advertisers provide hose kits for spec ific models. Before ordering, be sure that you are getting a complete kit. If you are unsure what hoses need replacing, bring your car to a monthy meeting and have someone show you.

On most BMWs the heater supply hose is connected to the rear of the cylinder hea d. On 6-cyl., 3-Series cars, this hose can be a real bear to replace. Since on these cars the hose connects to a flange which bolts to the head, removing the flange from the head [3, 6mm screws with 10mm hex heads] will facilitate hose re placement.

Instead of using brute force to remove a stubborn hose, slit the it longitudin ally to release its grip. Some of the connections on the radiator and heater ar e not particularly rugged. Ask me how I know this! While all the hoses are off is a good time to give the engine, heater, and radia tor a good flushing with the garden hose. You will find that a 6 mm, ? in. drive socket [preferably universal joint type] will work much better on the hose clamps than will a screw driver. The downside of using a socket is that you may tend to overtighten the clamps. My solution is to use is to use a 1/4 in. driver handle instead of a ratchet. The driver ha ndle looks like a screw driver with a 1/4 in. drive instead of the normal busine ss end.

If you reuse the clamps, a drop of WD40 or other light oil on the worm drive wi ll make them operate like new.

Before installing the new hoses, use a piece of 'Scotch-Brite' or similar scouri ng pad to clean the engine and radiator connections which will receive the new h oses.

Replace the sealing ring on the block drain plug.

Refill the system with a mixture of 40 % coolant / 60% distilled water. System capacity should be in your owner's manual. I like to add a bottle of Red Line' s 'Water Wetter', but I have been unable to verify that it makes the motor run c ooler. I would be interested to know what results anyone else has had with thi s stuff.

Ensure that the bleeder valve on the [6-cyl] engine water outlet is open when yo u refill the system. Also, place the heater temperature control knob to the max imum heat position. The system will not accept its full capacity until you star t the engine, so put in as much coolant mix as you can, then start the engine an d keep topping it off as it warms up and coolant begins to circulate to the radi ator. Close the bleeder valve after you start the engine and when only coolant is escaping.

After the engine is at operating temp. and you are getting warm air from the he ater, top off the coolant, replace the radiator cap with a new one and check fo r leaks. Take a test drive, then check for leaks one more time. After the eng ine cools, top off the coolant one last time. Any questions? Shoot me an e-mail.

Several months ago I teased you with a promise that I would publish Warren Brown 's report on changing the infamous profile gasket on his M42-engined 318is. The report is very detailed and will take up at least a whole column, so watch thi s space for a guest columnist!

Anyone wishing to contribute to Philes' Forum should contact me via the info on the masthead. I'm interested in tech tips, repair/maintenance questions and/or tips, dealer horror stories, product evaluations, etc. Please call before 8 PM , and if you leave a message, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR WORK PHONE NUMBER. Also, plea se be patient, I try to return every phone call, but it sometimes takes awhile. The best way to contact me is via e-mail.

Copyright 1997 - V. M. Lucariello, PE