# replaced cooling system on e36 and it's still overheating? what gives? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [June 4, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757 "2009-06-04T12:10:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/1 "2009-06-04T12:10:07Z")
I replaced most of the cooling system on my e36 m3 (radiator,waterpump,thermostat,hoses etc) becuase the car was overheating. I figured it was a stuck thermostat. Today I got everything back together and I wanted to flush all the old coolant out so I poured in water and filled up the expansion tank to the top and let the car run until it was warm. I unscrewed the radiator drain plug and nothing came out? WTF? So i put the plug back in I let the car idle for a bit longer and it started to over heat. UGH. Anyone know what could be the problem? ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/2 "2009-06-04T12:10:49Z")
you have not bled the system correctly. fluids are not circulating. ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/3 "2009-06-04T12:16:47Z")
> [@theblue](#): > > you have not bled the system correctly. fluids are not circulating. I figured that…but I’ve followed the steps via bimmer DIY. what am I doing wrong ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/4 "2009-06-04T12:17:55Z")
did you jack the front way up in the air and run the motor while bleeding? (or park on a steep slope) ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/5 "2009-06-04T12:18:29Z")
> [@theblue](#): > > did you jack the front way up in the air and run the motor while bleeding? the car is on a slight hill, but I’ll jack up the front and then run the motor. ---
**Author:** ![Toda\_Party](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/toda_party/32/7354_2.png) [@Toda\_Party](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Toda_Party)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/6 "2009-06-04T12:19:57Z")
i thought u just start the car w/ the rad cap off and the air will bubble out as the tstat opens ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/7 "2009-06-04T12:20:04Z")
you should be able to see and hear it sucking the fluid in. when I got my E36 and the radiator blew up on day one we did this on a lift and it was still a pain until if finally started to suck fluid in. ---
**Author:** ![Paulo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/paulo/32/7328_2.png) [@Paulo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Paulo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/8 "2009-06-04T12:24:18Z")
Weird. Mine bled fine with just the cap off. :gotme: ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/9 "2009-06-04T12:30:21Z")
> [@Toda Party](#): > > i thought u just start the car w/ the rad cap off and the air will bubble out as the tstat opens +1 Cool it down fill the overflow tank up open up the radiator cap, DO NOT DO THIS WHILE THE ENGINE IS WARM fill it up via the radiator cap opening start the car continue to fill as the car warms up(bubbles will come up) In the end, you will see the flowing inside the engine. I have also seen my civic do this while bleeding. Car overheats during bleeding. Then I shut it down, and it sucked a TON of water out of the overflow/reservoir tank ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/10 "2009-06-04T12:45:34Z")
There is no Rad cap. Just an expansion tank where you would fill it with water. It’s working now…i didn’t know you could run the motor with the cap off. :picard: ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/11 "2009-06-04T12:48:37Z")
nice one! don’t worry we all miss the obvious things once and a while. ---
**Author:** ![Paulo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/paulo/32/7328_2.png) [@Paulo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Paulo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:52pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/12 "2009-06-04T12:52:53Z")
Haha. Very nice, Tyler. ---
**Author:** ![SoloIIscoob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@SoloIIscoob](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SoloIIscoob)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/13 "2009-06-04T12:59:32Z")
fill the entire expansion tank up. run car at 2k rpms until coolant drops. refill to top and do it again until the coolant doesnt drop any longer. simple. ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/14 "2009-06-04T13:05:05Z")
idk, this is my first time ever changing coolant in a car… I’m a dumbass i’ll admit it ---
**Author:** ![Jim1234664](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jim1234664/32/7438_2.png) [@Jim1234664](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jim1234664)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/15 "2009-06-04T13:25:18Z")
lol, if this was jeg his intestines would be falling out of his asshole ---
**Author:** ![SoloIIscoob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@SoloIIscoob](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SoloIIscoob)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/replaced-cooling-system-on-e36-and-its-still-overheating-what-gives/68757/16 "2009-06-04T13:34:14Z")
> [@Jim1234664](#): > > lol, if this was jeg his intestines would be falling out of his asshole lol wtf? generally odd statement right there