[leejoobin]

I got a 06' e90 325i currently at 110k miles. As I was driving it last night, the yellow coolant temp light came on followed immediately by red coolant temp light and it went into limp mode.... I would press the accel but it wouldn't do anything. So i pulled over to check under the bonnet and it seems like there were coolant overflowing from the reservoir (?!). I let it cool some and I pour a bit more coolant/water and started the car the light wasn't on any more so I drove for about another 5 minutes and same thing happened yellow warning light then red. So I just decided to get it towed and it's just sitting in my garage.

So is this the water pump or could it be anything else? And if it is the water pump, do I just replace the water pump or are there some related parts too that I have to replace??? (thermostat?? maybe??)

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Zoraster]

It is most likely the water pump and/or thermostat. Replace them together. The bad news is the parts are ~$500. The good news is that you can do this job yourself. There are some excellent guides on this forum.

[fdriller9]

If there was fluid leaking out it was probably boiling.....yes your pump is shot.

And +1 for changing both the pump AND the Tstat.

[ragingclue]

Lucky to have made it to the 110k on one pump.

You got limp mode? I didn't get that. Well, maybe I did when it was yellow but that was for only about five seconds, then it went straight to red, where I had absolutely zero power. Gas pedal went to the floor and no response from the engine...

[fdriller9]

Why are you guys flooring your engine when you get that light? Thank god our cars don't allow it.....otherwise, you'll need a new engine.

You'd be surprised how fast a coolant system will drop the temp of an engine....likewise, the temp goes up very fast when the coolant system isn't working.

[brocklanders]

fyi next time you are driving any car and that has a red temp light on stop the engine immediately. luckily you car is equipped with limp mode that shut it down or you may have caused more damage trying to drive it. these water pumps are much better then they used to be i had a 2000 528i and the water pump went out at 60k, you have a car with 110k dont be surprised if you are going to have to replace other mechanical parts in the near future. i have had 3 modern bmw's in the last ten years for me it is just as expensive to drive a used one as a brand new one.

[fdriller9]

Originally Posted by brocklanders

fyi next time you are driving any car and that has a red temp light on stop the engine immediately. luckily you car is equipped with limp mode that shut it down or you may have caused more damage trying to drive it. these water pumps are much better then they used to be i had a 2000 528i and the water pump went out at 60k, you have a car with 110k dont be surprised if you are going to have to replace other mechanical parts in the near future. i have had 3 modern bmw's in the last ten years for me it is just as expensive to drive a used one as a brand new one.

I'd much rather have a pump fail on the E39 than on my E90. The old pumps were belt driven and the common failure was the bearing inside. It made a squealing noise before it completely failed so that was the indicator to swap the pump out.

Since the E9xs use an electronic pump, they just straight out fail with no warning. And there is no secondary pump which I think BMW should have implemented.

It's so dangerous because you have little to no power when the pump fails. What if you're on the left lane of a 4 lane highway? If there is no shoulder on the left, you're screwed and everyone will hate you for blocking the fast lane.

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by *********

Why are you guys flooring your engine when you get that light? Thank god our cars don't allow it.....otherwise, you'll need a new engine.

You'd be surprised how fast a coolant system will drop the temp of an engine....likewise, the temp goes up very fast when the coolant system isn't working.

Flooring it?

I was trying to keep my speed up to get over on a busy freeway.... As it is, I almost got killed because of it. I had three lanes of traffic (full of Chicago drivers, meaning no one was going to just let me get over, it doesn't happen that easy) to get across starting at 75 MPH and my speed was dropping drastically while everyone else still wanted to continue at a speed no slower than that. Does it make sense now why zero power created a dicey situation? It was a bad time for there to be NO power at all. A little warning would have been nice. Or maybe just enough power to not have to immediately coast to a stop in traffic.

I know plenty about what happens if your engine isn't getting proper cooling. And from that knowledge, I also know there's no way I should have 5 seconds of warning before all power is cut altogether. It was pretty shitty IMO.

[fdriller9]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

Lucky to have made it to the 110k on one pump.

You got limp mode? I didn't get that. Well, maybe I did when it was yellow but that was for only about five seconds, then it went straight to red, where I had absolutely zero power. Gas pedal went to the floor and no response from the engine...

Originally Posted by ragingclue

Flooring it?

I was trying to keep my speed up to get over on a busy freeway.... As it is, I almost got killed because of it. I had three lanes of traffic (full of Chicago drivers, meaning no one was going to just let me get over, it doesn't happen that easy) to get across starting at 75 MPH and my speed was dropping drastically while everyone else still wanted to continue at a speed no slower than that. Does it make sense now why zero power created a dicey situation? It was a bad time for there to be NO power at all. A little warning would have been nice. Or maybe just enough power to not have to immediately coast to a stop in traffic.

I know plenty about what happens if your engine isn't getting proper cooling. And from that knowledge, I also know there's no way I should have 5 seconds of warning before all power is cut altogether. It was pretty shitty IMO.

Yea I edited my post the same time you quoted it. I added that scenario. I agree it's dangerous when the pump goes out. But you put your hazards on, put the car in neutral, and let the car coast to a slow, safe stop.

Stuff like this happens, you can't always get over to the right. That's why I said there should be a secondary pump to at least allow the engine to run at reduced power.

But you shouldn't be trying to push your engine to get over to the right when the cooling system is shot. The car was limiting you for a reason.

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by *********

But you shouldn't be trying to push your engine to get over to the right when the cooling system is shot.

Yes you should when the alternative is risk for serious injury or death, if not to yourself, then to many others on who aren't expecting someone to coast to a stop in the middle of the freeway.

I'd rather the engine be shot safely on the shoulder of the freeway than be stuck in traffic.

Five seconds of warning before complete shutdown is BS. The engine doesn't grenade in that period of time. Something went wrong between the original detection of the pump failure and the cutoff point. Whether that's a design flaw or a fail in the system, I do not know. However, I think normally people have more time than that. That's what it sounds like from what other people have said about their failures on here. I've had plenty of experience with coolant and water pump failures in a lot of cars, and what was staggering to me was the amount of time between the warning and it deciding that it needed to cut the car off right there and then.

And the only reason the pedal went to the floor is because I got no response when pushing it gently, so I had to see if there was any power left at all. I think that would have been a pretty normal part of the process for anyone in that situation. Also, the car wasn't just "limiting" me a little bit, it cut me off from power completely. I would have been fine with a minute amount of HP.

[Enjoiyourlife]

Originally Posted by leejoobin

I got a 06' e90 325i currently at 110k miles. As I was driving it last night, the yellow coolant temp light came on followed immediately by red coolant temp light and it went into limp mode.... I would press the accel but it wouldn't do anything. So i pulled over to check under the bonnet and it seems like there were coolant overflowing from the reservoir (?!). I let it cool some and I pour a bit more coolant/water and started the car the light wasn't on any more so I drove for about another 5 minutes and same thing happened yellow warning light then red. So I just decided to get it towed and it's just sitting in my garage.

So is this the water pump or could it be anything else? And if it is the water pump, do I just replace the water pump or are there some related parts too that I have to replace??? (thermostat?? maybe??)

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

pump for sure.. just had mine done. they recommend replacing the Tstat as well since it's integrated.

[zamboni]

I had 65K miles on mine and both repair costed me $1600.

$600 Tstat & $1K for the pump.

[fdriller9]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

Yes you should when the alternative is risk for serious injury or death, if not to yourself, then to many others on who aren't expecting someone to coast to a stop in the middle of the freeway.

I'd rather the engine be shot safely on the shoulder of the freeway than be stuck in traffic.

Five seconds of warning before complete shutdown is BS. The engine doesn't grenade in that period of time. Something went wrong between the original detection of the pump failure and the cutoff point. Whether that's a design flaw or a fail in the system, I do not know. However, I think normally people have more time than that. That's what it sounds like from what other people have said about their failures on here. I've had plenty of experience with coolant and water pump failures in a lot of cars, and what was staggering to me was the amount of time between the warning and it deciding that it needed to cut the car off right there and then.

And the only reason the pedal went to the floor is because I got no response when pushing it gently, so I had to see if there was any power left at all. I think that would have been a pretty normal part of the process for anyone in that situation. Also, the car wasn't just "limiting" me a little bit, it cut me off from power completely. I would have been fine with a minute amount of HP.

I don't want to argue. But I personally think that trying to move over 3 lanes with no engine power is more dangerous than putting your hazards on, putting the car in neutral, coasting to a safe, slow stop, and calling 911 (after stopping) to inform them of a disabled vehicle in the left lane.

Most of the failures have no warning. I've read on multiple accounts that people were angered by the fact that pump just failed resulting in no power and they were in dangerous situations from it.

I'm dreading the day this happens to me....I'm at 73k. *Crossing fingers*

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by *********

I don't want to argue. But I personally think that trying to move over 3 lanes with no engine power is more dangerous than putting your hazards on, putting the car in neutral, coasting to a safe, slow stop, and calling 911 (after stopping) to inform them of a disabled vehicle in the left lane.

Most of the failures have no warning. I've read on multiple accounts that people were angered by the fact that pump just failed resulting in no power and they were in dangerous situations from it.

I'm dreading the day this happens to me....I'm at 73k. *Crossing fingers*

I'm not arguing. I was just trying to convey my thought process that led me to believe that coasting to a stop in the freeway was not an option for me. Having seen some of the carnage in that area when someone stalls in traffic, I'll pass on that option every time unless it's the only possibility.

I was not in the left lane, I was in lane 4 of 5 with no shoulder on the left (literally less than a foot). And it's a terrible spot where you usually have drivers who end up in secondary and tertiary collisions when something like that happens. I'm just glad I was still in an area where there was a shoulder to the right, many freeways in Chicago have a lot of places where you don't have a shoulder on either side.

In any case, no option was a good option at that point. I guess that's what infuriated me. I had dealt with sudden limp mode and HPFP problems, which weren't a big deal. However, I believe there has to be a better option for how the car deals with a water pump failure. Immediate and total loss of power doesn't seem like a good idea to me, although I can see why it makes sense to an engineer whose job is to ensure that the engine stays intact.

SA said the pumps commonly start going out around 60k (although I'm going to use the word "commonly" very loosely as many have way more mileage than that and haven't had the problem). I think mine was at 54k or so. Given the relative low cost of a replacement, I'd highly recommend anyone over 60k get theirs replaced, but it's not inevitably going to fail and try to kill everyone out there. I'm not trying to plant panic or seeds of doom in the community about the water pump, but it's a pretty common failure, and when it fails it can be a very harrowing experience. I'd take all five of my HPFP failures all over again before I'd take just one more water pump failure.

[fdriller9]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

I'm not arguing. I was just trying to convey my thought process that led me to believe that coasting to a stop in the freeway was not an option for me. Having seen some of the carnage in that area when someone stalls in traffic, I'll pass on that option every time unless it's the only possibility.

I was not in the left lane, I was in lane 4 of 5 with no shoulder on the left (literally less than a foot). And it's a terrible spot where you usually have drivers who end up in secondary and tertiary collisions when something like that happens. I'm just glad I was still in an area where there was a shoulder to the right, many freeways in Chicago have a lot of places where you don't have a shoulder on either side.

In any case, no option was a good option at that point. I guess that's what infuriated me. I had dealt with sudden limp mode and HPFP problems, which weren't a big deal. However, I believe there has to be a better option for how the car deals with a water pump failure. Immediate and total loss of power doesn't seem like a good idea to me, although I can see why it makes sense to an engineer whose job is to ensure that the engine stays intact.

SA said the pumps commonly start going out around 60k (although I'm going to use the word "commonly" very loosely as many have way more mileage than that and haven't had the problem). I think mine was at 54k or so. Given the relative low cost of a replacement, I'd highly recommend anyone over 60k get theirs replaced, but it's not inevitably going to fail and try to kill everyone out there. I'm not trying to plant panic or seeds of doom in the community about the water pump, but it's a pretty common failure, and when it fails it can be a very harrowing experience. I'd take all five of my HPFP failures all over again before I'd take just one more water pump failure.

Ok, it's just hard to tell a person's tone of voice over a computer screen. I didn't mean to spark any argument either.

Apparently there are shadow faults that will store in the DME indicating a reduced flow rate.

But what good does that do for the average consumer? I scan my car every 2 weeks to check for codes and reset adaptations. But not everyone has access to a scan tool and even if they do, I don't think people scan their car on a regular basis like I do.

Bad move on BMW's behalf.

[bimmergixxer]

The first sign of pump failure is usually a loss of heat from your vents, followed by a yellow warning light and quickly followed by a red light and having the car go into limp mode. There is a 100% mark-up on these pumps so bargain with your sa or parts guy and installation is just an hour. You can do it yourself, but is a pain in the ass and the bolts are hard to reach when laying on the driveway. The pumps are electric and are prone to failure. Good luck!

[whoosh]

Originally Posted by *********

I'm dreading the day this happens to me....I'm at 73k. *Crossing fingers*

Why would you take the chance? If you suspect yours will let go at any time, possibly on a busy freeway, why wait and risk damage to the engine, car, and even your person?

Water pumps are maintenance items. If BMW doesn't recommend a specific service interval, then use the anecdotal evidence from the forums to make your own. I'd rather give up 10-20k miles by changing early than risk being stranded by a failure, or possibly overheating the engine and doing even more damage...

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by *********

Apparently there are shadow faults that will store in the DME indicating a reduced flow rate.

Hey, I didn't know that. That's some good info.

[fdriller9]

Originally Posted by whoosh

Why would you take the chance? If you suspect yours will let go at any time, possibly on a busy freeway, why wait and risk damage to the engine, car, and even your person?

Water pumps are maintenance items. If BMW doesn't recommend a specific service interval, then use the anecdotal evidence from the forums to make your own. I'd rather give up 10-20k miles by changing early than risk being stranded by a failure, or possibly overheating the engine and doing even more damage...

But you see there is no real time frame. I've read that people's pump go at 20K and 150K.

I'm just waiting for those shadow faults to pop up. Hopefully they do!

But $700 for parts is an expensive maintenance item!

Also, OP, you might also want to swap your oil filter housing gasket. That is known to chunk off into the coolant system and damage the impeller in the pump....this is problem with most BMW engines.

[whoosh]

BMW WPs have always been pricey. I recall my father spending $200 on a pump for his 2002tii back in the '80s.

I'm interested to see how the shadow codes work out. Unfortunately, to know if they really work, you'll have to detect the code and then let the pump fail. Kinda like HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey and the com antenna.

[GoRomeo]

Originally Posted by whoosh

Why would you take the chance? If you suspect yours will let go at any time, possibly on a busy freeway, why wait and risk damage to the engine, car, and even your person?

Water pumps are maintenance items. If BMW doesn't recommend a specific service interval, then use the anecdotal evidence from the forums to make your own. I'd rather give up 10-20k miles by changing early than risk being stranded by a failure, or possibly overheating the engine and doing even more damage...

I am at 83K on my 06 330i and I should start shopping around for a pump and thermosthat so I can be ready...

[elim11]

Just had that happen to me on Monday. Yellow coolant light and then red coolant light. No power. Pulled over and then had it towed to the dealer. It was indeed the water pump. Replaced that and the thermostat.

All good now.