RE: Thermostat

["Fadeev, Alex" <Alex.Fadeev@xxxxxxx>]

> My check engine is still on and I am taking the car to the
> shop this week but I just wanted to add something I noticed
> that could be the cause of my problem. 

To avoid unnecessary guessing, why not read the DME fault codes:
http://cbsgi2.bu.edu/bmw/FAQ.7  (chapter 7.1.8)

> When I drive in the city my car heats up to normal temperature
> (1/2 way of the gauge) but once I drove on the freeway, the 
> temperature goes down and the gauge is in the blue.

Sounds like your thermostat is stuck open all the time. 
In city traffic, the thermostat would be full open anyway to accommodate
higher engine temperatures. Thus your temp gauge is at 12 o'clock. On the
freeway, the engine does not heat up nearly as much. But the thermostat is
stuck open (all the coolant is channeled through the radiator) and the
coolant temperature is below normal.

> If this is the case, that means that the car has been running
> at lower than normal temperatures for a long time. It this
> something that could of caused some damage to the engine? [...]
> is this thermostat problem? if it is do you think this could of
> caused any problems because the engine was running at low temp?

My guess would be that your engine is fine (temp gauge is picking up
coolant, not oil, temperature). 
Perhaps someone more knowledgeable on the subject could will clarify.

alex f

> thanks for your help
> Hassan 325i 93 minnesota

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