I had done a twenty minutes drive,
parked outside the garage, turned it off,
Restarted 5 minutes later and it sat idling while I checked around the engine bay.
The whole length of the radiator was cracked both sides along the top ridge.

I suggest you refit the shroud and a good viscous fan then. And check the filler cap it should have let the pressure in the system that caused that out long before the rad popped. It should blow off at 15 psi and totally release at 22 psi to avoid system damage. The rads do blow, but there is always a reason for it. Mine blew sat in traffic at lights waiting to join heavy slow traffic flow, after a lowish speed drive in traffic, viscous fan had failed. Sat stationary in traffic after a drive is when it is most needed.
 
Thanks Tony, I had replaced the cap last year with febi bilstein, so it wasn't a cheap unknown part...I'll bear that in mind about the fan. The electric fan has been on there for over a year now with no other issues but I think you may be right:)
 
Thanks Tony, I had replaced the cap last year with febi bilstein, so it wasn't a cheap unknown part...I'll bear that in mind about the fan. The electric fan has been on there for over a year now with no other issues but I think you may be right:)

BMW did a recall on the cap in the late nineties because it was causing all manner of problems. Bet your bottom dollar there are still a lot of duffers still out there. I have the cooling system static test rig that i can test cap release pressures with.
 
@Grrrrrr .
Well ... I was just thinking of changing it to lucky??
Lucky I wasn't...
Lucky I was...
Lucky I ......can't think of anything else
 
BMW did a recall on the cap in the late nineties because it was causing all manner of problems. Bet your bottom dollar there are still a lot of duffers still out there. I have the cooling system static test rig that i can test cap release pressures with.
Good point, but your house is a long way to go from ours:p...
 
I hope the head gasket hadn't failed at that point...
The first rad lasted 8 yes and the second lasted just five and the last one did just five as well.... Aluminium or nissens? thinking-face_1f914.png
 
I hope the head gasket hadn't failed at that point...
The first rad lasted 8 yes and the second lasted just five and the last one did just five as well.... Aluminium or nissens? View attachment 169280

Had Nissens on mine for years. Ideally I stay away from plastic where possible. Someone on here had one made up bespoke for not a lot of money. Cannot remember who now or where they got it from. Maybe @brianp38dse can remember? Mind you, seeing as you're in France you'd need someone there most likely.
 
Had Nissens on mine for years. Ideally I stay away from plastic where possible. Someone on here had one made up bespoke for not a lot of money. Cannot remember who now or where they got it from. Maybe @brianp38dse can remember? Mind you, seeing as you're in France you'd need someone there most likely.
Cheers @Grrrrrr , is the nissens an all Ali' unit or plastic capped?
 
Turin? Wash paint off?

Damn it.. 2nd degree burn to my forearm and seven days off work...
The fan and shroud have been replaced with a large diameter electric fan and dedicated shroud. .
Should have immersed it in cold water and stayed there for hours, burned skin off back of my hand with blowtorch once, held it in water for over 5 hours then cold water soaked towel all night, took all the heat away and no pain, kept it covered and it healed in couple of weeks and no scar
 

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