Please can expert in the house advise if it is ok to remove the thermostat in my BMW 318i.Colleagues are suggesting that I remove it because they claim it will cause over heating.But right now the car hasnt started overheating although i observe that the meter gets to mid point always, even thogh it doesnt go beyond that level.

Ivvie, Siena and co, ur advise is needed asap.

thanks

Remove as fast as now. That thing damaged a car of mine.

well it depend on the year of the car.the car i bought from germany golf 4 2006 has never do any over heating and i used it only when am in country.

If it doesnt overheat, you might leave it, but for a clime like nigeria, i will advice you to remove it. What i will advice you to pay attention to in any bmw is the cambelt and the water pump, though you did not mention if your model was e34 or e45. Cheers!

Remove wetin!Oyinbo wey make know the reason why he put am there; leave it in there. As you know people(dealers) get their cars from auctions without checking. I older cars thermostat fail closed, but newer ones fail open. If your car was made for US market they'll use ~195F thermostat(i.e when your engine temp gets to 195 it opens to let coolant cool your engine).You said your gage is at middle point ~200F which is perfect if I assume right.If your coolant is dirty brown(rust) green, time to flush.If its brick red, you'll have to check the ph and density. If its too acidic it will cause rust silt then-> leaks; should be ~ <50>70 % v/v ethylene glycol.All those who have high temp have other isssues thay don't know, usually a bad water pump or blockage of system by rusts(looks like fine clay)

Your car is tuned to run optimal at ~185-205 if you remove the thermostat your EGT Exhaust Gas Temp will be low telling you O2 sensor your car is not warm so it will burn rich(fuel).

If there is no leak in your hoses and the reservoir is btw Max- Min level no problemo.

tnx for the advice.more expert opinon is still needed.the car is actually a 1994 model 318i.

Sien, Ivvie where are u guys now

PLEASE what ever you do, dont ever touch your thermostat, i have used the 323i, and the 525i, both 2002 models at different periods and i can authoritativelty tell you that if there is no hose leakage or faulty extractor fan your bmw will never overheat, the temperature gauge is normally supposed to stay at the middle, that is normal. if you try removing the thermostat then what Sultan said will surely happen. let him who have hear listen.

viperman:

Remove as fast as now. That thing damaged a car of mine.

@Viperman That shouldn’t be coming from you. “A dealer”;

@poster The day you allow anybody convince you to take it off, that’s the beginning of the end of your vehicle. Don’t have much time to go into details right now. Will do that later. Am out.

The car is probably suffering now after 2 years of abuse on naija road.I'm sure the owner has learnt a lot, and paid for a lot more in the last 2 years.

If he is still here let us know how things are after 2 years of nairaland.

My brother, don't remove it just yet. I used same car with same model and year for the pass two years now with the thermostat not removed. i only noticed that the temperature pin is always at the middle which is no problem at all. The only times i ran into overheating problem was when i had a bad water pump, linking hoses, and damaged fan belt. Beside this problems the car is just too perfect with the thermostat intact. Cheers!

Guy just listen to Sultaan. He has said it all.

Hi all, Im based in Abuja and can offer a few hint as to where and how BMW parts can be accessed here in Abuja, I own a 540i e39, and yes! I can recommend it for anyone interested in driving a high powered vehicle any day. Maintenance and spare parts could be a little high, but its worth all the dime anyway. Im about to buy the same model in a couple of days and shall have my former one on offer, not on direct sale but to get the parts butchered. So, if you are in need of BMW E39, 540i parts, just holla. adams2eve2002@yahoo.com.
Reason for changing the car---Got a very good one for 1.3m, owned by a Rev Father, thats to tell you its been in good hands. All accesories intact, intact and fine interior, all buttons functioning, TV, Navigation system, ETC. Mine also functions but have lost the polish, but good engine (V8), INTACT GEAR BOX, etc.