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      08-05-2014, 05:45 AM   #23
VictorH
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Does anyone have the torque value for the thermostat cover cap bolts?
Thanks
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      03-05-2015, 02:20 AM   #24
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I know this is a rather old thread but it came up during a search for my error code. I don't have any problems (that I know of) with the car but I finally pulled the DME codes tonight since I finally have a tool to do so and have a 2B59 code there.
Any way to know when this code was tripped? Could it just be related to a faulty sensor? The car still runs at the right temp, it does take about a 10 minute drive to get up to temp and measure oil. I always figured this was normal. Maybe that's a sign of a bad thermostat? Thoughts please.
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      03-05-2015, 07:47 AM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TX View Post
I know this is a rather old thread but it came up during a search for my error code. I don't have any problems (that I know of) with the car but I finally pulled the DME codes tonight since I finally have a tool to do so and have a 2B59 code there.
Any way to know when this code was tripped? Could it just be related to a faulty sensor? The car still runs at the right temp, it does take about a 10 minute drive to get up to temp and measure oil. I always figured this was normal. Maybe that's a sign of a bad thermostat? Thoughts please.
Thanks.
Mine takes about that long to measure oil as well, so nothing out of the ordinary in that regards.
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      03-05-2015, 09:04 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TX View Post
I know this is a rather old thread but it came up during a search for my error code. I don't have any problems (that I know of) with the car but I finally pulled the DME codes tonight since I finally have a tool to do so and have a 2B59 code there.
Any way to know when this code was tripped? Could it just be related to a faulty sensor? The car still runs at the right temp, it does take about a 10 minute drive to get up to temp and measure oil. I always figured this was normal. Maybe that's a sign of a bad thermostat? Thoughts please.
Thanks.
I also have the same code. MY car seems to take way too long to warm up right now. I scheduled a visit to the dealer, hopefully they'll figure it out along with a few other things on my list.
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      03-05-2015, 01:48 PM   #27
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Great Diy I also found this YouTube video on the process
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      03-23-2015, 01:03 PM   #28
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I followed this and now my car keeps saying low coolant it doesn't overheat or run hot please help
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      03-23-2015, 01:51 PM   #29
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I'm going to assume you added coolant back in after you did this.

Maybe a sensor didn't get connected all the way when you reassembled everything?
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      03-23-2015, 06:00 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by admranger View Post
I'm going to assume you added coolant back in after you did this.

Maybe a sensor didn't get connected all the way when you reassembled everything?
Yea its filled all the way. Im guessing its a sensor. I was thinking that it was air trapped somehow but I tired to release it but it didn't stop the light from coming on.
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      05-15-2015, 12:20 PM   #31
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I just did this job the other weekend, thanks to the OP for posting this up. Ordered mine from Amazon Prime to the tune of roughly $20.

Wanted to add a few notes from my install I hope can help others.

I did not drain the cooling system. I used a Harbor Freight transfer pump($6.99, pictured below) to suck as much fluid as I could from the expansion tank. I learned this trick from doing t-stats on my e39 M5 and thought it would work here as well. The goal being to lower the fluid level below the t-stat housing and thus not having to drain the entire system and not have coolant drain all over the place. I used the adapters so that I could use the small black hose, and snaked that down into the very bottom of the tank and into the lowest hose. I got roughly a gallon of coolant out, and when I removed the top radiator hose from the thermostat housing, only about a 1/2 cup spilled out. The rest of the hoses came off and nothing but minor drips and dribbles came out. This method also makes filling up the cooling system a snap too. I only had to add an additional half cup or so that I lost in addition to pouring the gallon back that I had sucked out. Bleeding it was also very easy. Did the procedure documented here, and so far so good after a week of daily driving.

If or when I do this again, I would remove the metal spring clips from the hose connectors and put them aside while doing the repair. I lost a small one into the engine/belly pan from the small expansion tank connecting hose and had to make a new one from a paperclip! Both the large hose clips and small hose clips come off easily, cheap insurance against losing them or having to remove the belly pan to find them.

Regarding the metal tubes going to the back of the engine, these were a real PITA on the e39 M5, they would cut the o-rings very easily when reassembling, and you didn't know you had a coolant leak until you got it back together and ran the car. These seem easier to work with on this car, I had no issues. Nonetheless, I still used a very light coating of dish soap on the o-rings to ensure they slide in nice and smooth without any cutting.

Prior to the repair, my coolant temps were 140-170, mostly on the lower end of that range. Now with the new t-stat installed, it is right around 185 in normal daily driving. I am using a WIFI OBDII adapter and the Drivecommand app to keep tabs on the temps.

Let's hope this thermostat lasts longer than the original one at only 30,000 miles...
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      11-10-2015, 11:03 PM   #32
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got a p0128, just did my thermostat.

the above idea for the transfer pump works excellent. i barely dripped anything; i could probably have done this job in my street clothes.

one lesson i learned while doing mine: be sure to lube up the o-rings and/or align the thermostat body very carefully; i cut two o-rings during installation and discovered it only after letting the car warm up and finding a very noticeable leak. got to R&R the intake manifold a second time. that said, having done it twice now, i find R&R of the intake manifold very easy. all hose clamps can be accessed with an ~6' socket extension. the hardest part of the entire job is cleaning off the old gasket material from the housing and block.
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      11-23-2015, 08:01 PM   #33
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I asked for a quote for replacing the water pump & thermostat from my shop. The water pump was 3.5 hours & the thermostat was 6.5 hours. I was told combining them made no difference labor wise.

I was leaning on doing this myself and will now, but was curious of what the shop would do it for.

I'm pretty puzzled of why the thermostat would be more labor than the Water pump, much less double. I mean you have to take off the thermostat housing to get to the water pump right?

Anyone else think this is wacked?
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      11-24-2015, 10:33 AM   #34
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6.5 hours for the thermostat? Does that include lunch break and a movie? Don't remember how long it took me to replace it, but less than that and that was the first thing I've ever wrenched on a car (not counting wheel swaps).
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      01-18-2016, 03:18 PM   #35
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Thanks for this write-up!

Help me out here, can someone tell me why the OP had to mess with the fuel rail?
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      02-14-2016, 09:07 AM   #36
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My thermostat recently died. threw a code, and did not warm up in time. Had it replaced. Bought all the parts, and took it to a shop for the labor. Days later, a coolant leak got worse. Had to dealer it, and they ended up replacing the thermostat housing O-rings. So be sure to replace these when doing the job, and save you self a fortune. Only 2 track days for me this year. Gotta let the wallet recover.
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      02-17-2016, 01:28 PM   #37
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Or learn to work on your car.
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      02-18-2016, 10:05 PM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
Or learn to work on your car.
Useless comment, in a useful thread.
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      02-19-2016, 08:41 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Killerfish2012 View Post
Useless comment, in a useful thread.
You were complaining about not having enough money to maintain your car and go racing. If you learned to work on it yourself, you could afford to do both.
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      02-19-2016, 08:20 PM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
You were complaining about not having enough money to maintain your car and go racing. If you learned to work on it yourself, you could afford to do both.
I do know how to work on my car. Just not enough to do detailed stuff, like unnecessary in-frame rod bearing changes in my garage.

I didn't ask for your advise, at all. Instead, I added to the body of knowledge for the DIY. Choosing to race my car is my buisness. What's your excuse for owning a sports car, but never ever been to a track? What's the point of owning the used garage queen?
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      02-19-2016, 09:30 PM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Killerfish2012 View Post
I do know how to work on my car. Just not enough to do detailed stuff, like unnecessary in-frame rod bearing changes in my garage.

I didn't ask for your advise, at all. Instead, I added to the body of knowledge for the DIY. Choosing to race my car is my buisness. What's your excuse for owning a sports car, but never ever been to a track? What's the point of owning the used garage queen?
Try to stay on topic so you can keep the thread relevant. This is not a rod bearing thread. Obviously racing stresses the cooling system. If you cannot afford to maintain it and do not have the skills to work on your car yourself, you should probably choose a hobby other than racing.

My car is modded, driven year round including winter in New England and I have taken it to the track and the drag strip. I also do all my own maintenance. Changing a thermostat is no big deal to me and would not affect how I use my car in any way.
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      02-19-2016, 09:56 PM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
Try to stay on topic so you can keep the thread relevant. This is not a rod bearing thread.
You derailed the living daylights out of the thread by calling attention to yourself. Some refer to this as trolling.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
Obviously racing stresses the cooling system.
What in God's name does racing have to do with a wax based thermostat that quit after 7 years, and 125K miles? It was well beyond it's normal life span. Obviously, you know nothing about how a car's cooling system works, if you think that racing is inversely related to thermostat lifespan. Honestly, I'd shudder to know what you think about the aging of rod bearings.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
If you cannot afford to maintain it and do not have the skills to work on your car yourself, you should probably choose a hobby other than racing
You know NOTHING about my finances guy. It's you who bought a used Luxury sports car that you can't afford, thus you do all the work on the car. I've read your recent advise to the potential buyer about the M3 affordability, and laughed. Seriously, end your personal recession, and please contribute to the economy, and have your vehicle properly serviced by techs, who know the proper procedure for diagnosing rod bearing issues. You'll never guess, that it does not involve ripping into your car, to do a swap.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
My car is modded, driven year round including winter in New England and I have taken it to the track and the drag strip. I also do all my own maintenance. Changing a thermostat is no big deal to me and would not affect how I use my car in any way.
Prove that you've driven your car at the track. You don't have any posts in the track section. Your car is supercharged, and lives in the garage. You bought your car before me. If you're daily driven, you should be at or above 100K by now, but you're barely above 50K. Liar
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      02-20-2016, 09:28 AM   #43
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You seem to have a lot to be defensive about.
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      04-11-2016, 02:45 AM   #44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Killerfish2012 View Post
You derailed the living daylights out of the thread by calling attention to yourself. Some refer to this as trolling.

What in God's name does racing have to do with a wax based thermostat that quit after 7 years, and 125K miles? It was well beyond it's normal life span. Obviously, you know nothing about how a car's cooling system works, if you think that racing is inversely related to thermostat lifespan. Honestly, I'd shudder to know what you think about the aging of rod bearings.



You know NOTHING about my finances guy. It's you who bought a used Luxury sports car that you can't afford, thus you do all the work on the car. I've read your recent advise to the potential buyer about the M3 affordability, and laughed. Seriously, end your personal recession, and please contribute to the economy, and have your vehicle properly serviced by techs, who know the proper procedure for diagnosing rod bearing issues. You'll never guess, that it does not involve ripping into your car, to do a swap.



Prove that you've driven your car at the track. You don't have any posts in the track section. Your car is supercharged, and lives in the garage. You bought your car before me. If you're daily driven, you should be at or above 100K by now, but you're barely above 50K. Liar
I agree with pbonsalb. No need to get so defensive with him for providing you with a logical alternative to paying the dealership to do something that you could easily learn to do yourself. Hard to justify paying someone to do something when you could do it with a Youtube video and a well written DIY like this. Why not make an investment in yourself instead? You'd definitely gain a better appreciation for your vehicle and probably experience a level of job satisfaction that is highly addictive.

Also if you're worried about screwing something up by yourself, even with the indispensable tool of the internet at your fingertips, you can always start a forum asking for help from more experienced members to assist in your maintenance endeavor. Scheduling a day to have a little DIY party/cookout.

As you seem to be a bit confused as to what a trolling comment is I have created a few examples for you below.

He's got more rep points than you, which means he obviously knows what he's talking about.

Do you have the dealership change out your wheels/tires before you head out to the track too?

Is the reason you are so defensive because you're insecure about not being able to do one of the quintessential masculine tasks of working on your own car?

I wish you the best of luck Killerfish2012 and hope that one day you will see the wisdom of our words.

Thanks OP for an amazing DIY! I will be using this next weekend to save ~$856 in labor costs by doing this with my own two hands. Which if it takes 6hrs to do as a worst case scenario I will be saving ~$143/hr
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