I have a 2002 BMW Dakar with 7500 miles on the odometer. It's been very lovingly cared for, but on a ride in October I was standing for a very long time and when I sat down, I thought I caught a glimpse of my engine temperature light going OFF. About five miles further down the road, I noticed the throttle felt a bit weak and just barely heard a faint knock. I immediately pulled off the road where my riding buddy noticed the coolant hose had blown off it's mount just above the water pump. We tried to fill the radiator, but it wouldn't accept any water, and running the engine would cause the coolant hose to immediately blow off again. I can only guess the water pump failed overheating the engine and causing the head gasket to fail. I'm asking you guys if that sounds plausible, and what you think such a repair might cost to remedy. I'm out of the country for a while and have to rely on my wife to help facilitate this repair. Thanks in advance.
If it was me I'd do the simple service first: 1. Replace the water pump 2. Check radiator cap (they do go bad) 3. Blockages in lines? Flush the system 4. Check thermostat 5. Check for oil in coolant (or other way around) Don't assume head gasket right away. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Thank you for that. The rider behind me said he was seeing some small amounts of smoke just before I came to a stop. Does that add anything to the puzzle?
I should say, small amounts of exhaust smoke. There wasn't any funky smells of oil or coolant, though when I came to a stop.
Maybe, again I wouldn't jump to any conclusion based on that. Do the simple stuff. And btw, you only saw the temp light on quickly? Either did not overheat long or check sensor on right side of engine.
I definitely saw the light go off, but because I was standing for 3-4 minutes, I don't know how long it was on. No more than that. I still don't know why we were unable to get any additional water in the radiator.
Well, the plot thickens. The coolant levels are at 95% of max in the overflow reservoir and look perfectly normal in color. After idling the engine for just 3-4 minutes and looking at the oil through the window, it doesn't appear milky, but it does have a slight foam to it. Barely perceptible, but it does look aerated. I also noticed a tiny bit of oil on the under side the engine BUT virtually noting dripped on my skid plate outside of a couple random drops here or there. When it idles, it sounds perfectly normal with no ticking or other odd noises and the exhaust appears clean and doesn't smell foul. I'm still assuming the water pump needs to be replaced, and the slightly aerated oil makes me still think head gasket, ya?
Could a failure at the water pump invite coolant into the oil? Again, I don't necessarily see coolant in the oil, but definitely some very slight aerating of the oil.
There is always a small amount of aerating of the oil when it is first started, not an item to be concerned with, do the checks others have suggested before assuming the water pump is faulty, facts are better than supposition
Oil sounds fine. You know how to check it properly, right? Ie idle for one min, etc. I don't even think the pump is bad at this point. Bad hose clamp so far. But I'd still check what I said earlier.
Well, my wife said it started fine today, had even more foaming of the oil, but was showing a serious amount of smoke in the exhaust. Does that tell of anything?
