E90Post
 


 
BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Mechanical Maintenance: Break-in / Oil & Fluids / Servicing / Warranty > Help! Dealership oil change, then runaway fan



Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      12-12-2014, 10:39 AM   #1
RitterGT
New Member
1
Rep
23
Posts

Drives: Looking
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MD

iTrader: (0)

Help! Dealership oil change, then runaway fan

Im at the dealership as I type this (bmw of silver spring). Came in for an oil change. 2.5 hrs later, they're done. I start to drive off and notice the blower fan is running full blast. Sounds like the car is trying to take off.

Dealer is now claiming that the oil change couldn't affect the cooling system and its not on them.

1- I know most likely issue is the water pump... Is this a case of just ridiculous timing? The water pump happens to fail exactly today after dropping it off, before picking it up?

2- if it is the water pump, what's the time look like to diy this? Also, would it be safe to get it home ~30-40 miles.

3- any recourse on getting them to cover this? Escalated to the service manager who agreed to do the diagnostic for free but said that he "can't blame this on his techs, since he can't put them at the scene of the crime"


Any other thoughts?? I knew I should have done the oil change myself... Got suckered by a coupon.
Appreciate 0
      12-12-2014, 01:30 PM   #2
Spectre
Second Lieutenant
Spectre's Avatar
37
Rep
207
Posts

Drives: E92 335i mt
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: SoCal

iTrader: (4)

Garage List
2009 BMW M3  [10.00]
i'd turn around and say engine is sounding weird. play dumb with them. atleast youll get them to look it over...
__________________
Alpine White 09 E92 M3
///

Appreciate 0
      12-12-2014, 01:59 PM   #3
ashmostro
Brigadier General
United_States
1247
Rep
4,088
Posts

Drives: 2020 M4cs | 2022 M550i
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Falls Church, VA

iTrader: (27)

If the oil filter housing gasket is leaking or was some how disturbed to the point of leaking it can leak into the water pump and cause it to fail.

Are you getting codes for water pump failure though?
Appreciate 0
      12-12-2014, 05:25 PM   #4
DJtoad
Captain
United_States
58
Rep
665
Posts

Drives: 2010 535i M Sport
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ellicott City, MD

iTrader: (2)

The service department at BMW of Silver Spring (formerly known as Tischer and the home of www.getbmwparts.com) is very good. I think this was simply a case of unfortunate timing. The chances of an oil change affecting anything in the cooling system are extremely slim.
__________________
2010 535i M Sport - Platinum Gray/Dakota Black/Anthracite Bamboo
2016 Jaguar F-Type S AWD - Polar White/Cirrus
Appreciate 0
      12-12-2014, 05:34 PM   #5
DJtoad
Captain
United_States
58
Rep
665
Posts

Drives: 2010 535i M Sport
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ellicott City, MD

iTrader: (2)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ashmostro View Post
If the oil filter housing gasket is leaking or was some how disturbed to the point of leaking it can leak into the water pump and cause it to fail.
How would the oil get into an externally mounted and completely sealed water pump? Even the electrical connector is designed to resist fluids since it's exposed to the elements.
__________________
2010 535i M Sport - Platinum Gray/Dakota Black/Anthracite Bamboo
2016 Jaguar F-Type S AWD - Polar White/Cirrus
Appreciate 0
      12-12-2014, 07:30 PM   #6
iDriveanXi
Second Lieutenant
12
Rep
231
Posts

Drives: 2007 328xi
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: NJ

iTrader: (0)

Because there is coolant passages within the oil filter housing. When the gasket fails they can absolutely intermix
Appreciate 0
      12-13-2014, 02:47 PM   #7
DJtoad
Captain
United_States
58
Rep
665
Posts

Drives: 2010 535i M Sport
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Ellicott City, MD

iTrader: (2)

While that could cause a host of problems, water pump failure isn't one of them.
__________________
2010 535i M Sport - Platinum Gray/Dakota Black/Anthracite Bamboo
2016 Jaguar F-Type S AWD - Polar White/Cirrus
Appreciate 0
      12-13-2014, 03:18 PM   #8
Efthreeoh
General
United_States
16946
Rep
18,578
Posts

Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Virginia

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ashmostro View Post
If the oil filter housing gasket is leaking or was some how disturbed to the point of leaking it can leak into the water pump and cause it to fail.

Are you getting codes for water pump failure though?
The water pump fails because the control electronics overheat, not because of coolant (and in your theory oil/coolant) contamination.
Appreciate 0
      12-13-2014, 03:29 PM   #9
Efthreeoh
General
United_States
16946
Rep
18,578
Posts

Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Virginia

iTrader: (0)

OP, a simple scan of the ECU by the dealer will indicate when the pump failed (if the pump is the culprit). In many instances, the pump starts to fail over time and codes are stored in the ECU that indicate the mileage the failure occurred. Usually, the 2E81 "slow speed" code shows up a the pump ages and starts to fail.

BWM of Silver Spring is a fair dealership, I've had work done there when I lived in the DC area. An oil service would not have the tech anywhere near to cooling system. Techs make money by servicing vehicles as efficiently as possible, they are not going to take time to sabotage your car in the hopes you'll bring it back to fix it. Their time is much more valuable (to them) so they get on with the next car on their schedule. Dealership mechanics get rated for repair returns and repair corrections, they do not need to break your car to fix it. BMW of Silver Spring is a busy dealership, the techs have plenty of rich suburban Marylanders to earn a living from.
Appreciate 0
      12-14-2014, 05:34 AM   #10
ashmostro
Brigadier General
United_States
1247
Rep
4,088
Posts

Drives: 2020 M4cs | 2022 M550i
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Falls Church, VA

iTrader: (27)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh View Post
The water pump fails because the control electronics overheat, not because of coolant (and in your theory oil/coolant) contamination.
Interesting... A local well regarded dealer cited the coolant contamination mechanism as the root cause of a water pump failure recently on a colleague's e92

Tell me more please
Appreciate 0
      12-14-2014, 08:26 AM   #11
Efthreeoh
General
United_States
16946
Rep
18,578
Posts

Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Virginia

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ashmostro View Post
Interesting... A local well regarded dealer cited the coolant contamination mechanism as the root cause of a water pump failure recently on a colleague's e92

Tell me more please
If memory serves about 10 or more members here have opened up their old pumps. None found that the pump failed due to coolant contamination. They did find that the control electronics failed, as I did. When I scanned my car with my BT scan tool upon replacing the pump (you are suuposed to clear the failure codes first). On my car code 2E82 read: "Electrical Cooling Pump: Switch Off" 149,521 miles - water pump temperature electronics 77 deg C (170 F).
Appreciate 0
      12-14-2014, 10:32 AM   #12
atinybug
First Lieutenant
United_States
78
Rep
375
Posts

Drives: 07 e92 335i 6mt
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Atlanta

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ashmostro View Post
Interesting... A local well regarded dealer cited the coolant contamination mechanism as the root cause of a water pump failure recently on a colleague's e92

Tell me more please
I think that dealer should be less "well regarded"

And OP:
It's most likely just bad timing.
DIY on a water pump/thermostat is probably 3 hours if you know what you're doing. It took me 6 as I've never done it before and I had to keep coming back to the forums to look at the pictures to make sure I was doing the right thing.
If you wanted to drive it home, that would really depend on if the water pump soft failed or completely failed. If it soft failed, that means it still sometimes works, and you might get lucky and able to get it home. If it's completely toast, your coolant temp will shoot up to unsafe levels in about 5 minutes of having the engine on.
Appreciate 0
      12-15-2014, 03:32 AM   #13
ashmostro
Brigadier General
United_States
1247
Rep
4,088
Posts

Drives: 2020 M4cs | 2022 M550i
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Falls Church, VA

iTrader: (27)

Another data point from this site:

"I wonder how many people (like me) got the call from the service department to tell them that all three needed to be done (at a cost of over $1500). Maybe because the three problems are related? Little hardened bits of rubber from the OFH gasket circulate throughout the cooling system and eventually foul the water pump and thermostat."

e90 - N54 Oil Filter Housing gasket replacement (2007 335i automatic)
Appreciate 0
Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
fan, stealership, water pump

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:42 PM.




e90post
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST