Today I’m replacing the Thermostat on my 2000 BMW 540i. It has been taking the car forever to reach operating temperature, sometimes exceeding 15 minutes before the needle in the temperature gauge reaches the center position. Even if the car had reached operating temperature, highway driving would cause the needle to drop towards the cold side of the gauge. I didn't have a check engine light, but the consistently cold temperatures was hinting at a failed thermostat that was stuck open. After performing this repair, it takes the engine between 5 - 6 minutes to reach operating temp and the needle stays centered throughout the drive.
This repair is for a 2000 BMW 540i, which is fitted with the 4.4L V8 M62 Engine. BMW used this engine across a couple of different vehicles, including the 1998-2003 540i (E39), 1999-2001 740i (E38), and the 1999-2003 X5 (E53). There are even some non-BMW vehicles with this engine including the 2000-2004 Morgan Aero 8, and 2002-2005 Range Rover (L322). It is CRITICAL to note that there are 2 different Thermostat variations to be aware of. If you have a 540 or 740 produced BEFORE September 1998, you’re going to need a different Thermostat than the vehicles produced AFTER September 1998.
I suggest shopping around for the best deal you can find on the Thermostat. My 540 was produced after September 1998 so I ordered a Mahle, 105 degree Celsius Thermostat from Amazon. I order a lot of parts from ECS Tuning so that's probably a good place to start your search for comparison. BMW's coolant does not come premixed so the distilled water is needed to dilute the mixture to a 50/50 ratio. Expect to pay ~$100 for the Thermostat, Coolant, and distilled water.
Overall, this is an easy repair that will only take an hour or so to complete. I will be documenting the cooling system bleeding process in a later video so keep an eye out for that. Please leave a comment if you have any questions, thanks for watching!
Parts:
1. (1) Thermostat w/ Gasket
- PN (BEFORE 09/1998): 11531437526 www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-b...
- PN (AFTER 09/1998): 11531436386 www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-b...
2. BMW Antifreeze www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-b...
3. Distilled Water
Tools:
1. 10mm Socket
2. 3/8" Drive Ratchet w/ Extensions
3. 10mm Wrench
4. Flat Head Screw Driver
5. Drain Pan
6. Mallet
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of Tire Kickers, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. Tire Kickers assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Tire Kickers recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Tire Kickers, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Tire Kickers.
21 фев 2020
