E30 M3 overheating

["Alex Angelopoulos" <alexandros@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello BMW experts and enthusiasts,

I am writing to ask for your help on a few items my 1991 E30 M3 has.  First,
as the subject line states, my M3 is running a little warm.  or so the
engine temperature gauge on the right side of the dash says.  When the car
is in motion, the temperature gage is on the half mark, but as soon as the
start and stop traffic starts, it creeps up to the 3/4 mark, and sometimes
all the way to the red mark.  This was the case every time I drove the car
up until a week and a half ago when the temperature here started to drop.
Now it seems as if the engine is running a little cooler (it rarely passes
the half mark).

But there is something that still seems funny about the temperature gauge in
general....as soon as I start the car, and step on the gas a little, the
temperature gage jumps to the right just past the blue mark.  This happens
even when the car is dead cold (sitting over-night).  This seems a little
funny.

Now the reason I do this when I start the car is because there are 3 lights
on the dash that stay lit.  The lights are the break ware indicator, the ABS
indicator, and the battery indicator.  As soon as I rev the engine a little
(a few hundred rpm above idle) the lights go out.  But not before I do this.
This worries me as the ca has started doing this in the last month.

Also, I notice that there is a general electrical power drop in my car when
the rpm's are low.  For instance, the headlights seem to dim, and the fan
(when operating) will slow down when the engine s running at lower revs.  As
soon as I step on the gas/start accelerating, the fan will work faster, and
the headlights get brighter.  The OBC display seems to work a little funny
too.  Whenever I step on the breaks the OBC display dims a little, and when
I use the turn signals, the OBC display dims and brightens to the beat of
the turn signals.

Does anyone know what can be causing these symptoms?  Am I in for some major
repair bills with this stuff.  The car is generally very reliable and
trouble free.  All of the above mentioned items seem minor enough but I
would like to get them looked at before they develop into something major.
Thanks for any help you can provide.


Alex A.

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