Re: <02> Reversed thermostat?

[Phil Marx <bmw@xxxxxxx>]

Ed Walters wrote:
>
>Is it possible to install the thermostat in an '02 backwards?
>
>I've already tested the temp sensor: 80 ohms in boiling water, a couple
>thousand ohms at room temp.  On short trips, the car runs fine.  On an 8
>mile trip this morning, the needle just got up to the middle of the temp
>gauge.  As soon as the car warms up, the temp gauge pegs into the red.
>Starting it after sitting for 2 hours will result in a temp gauge in the
>red in about 60 seconds.  I wonder if the last person in there screwed
>something up.


Not without great difficulty. Sounds like you have the typical '02 circuit
board ground problem. First, determine if the coolant is even warm, not
likely in 60 seconds after starting. If it's not boiling over, try smacking
the top of the instrument panel, hard, with your flat hand. Or honking the
horn, or engaging the cigar lighter. If you notice any fluctuation with
these, it's electrical. If it's boiling over, you may need a radiator or
other repairs. The electrical is common and simple to fix.

First, there should be a decent ground strap from you battery (-) post to
_both_ the engine and the body. Next, pull out the instrument cluster
(easy), after removing lower dash panels, two thumb-nuts at the back of the
speedo under the dash, and the speedo cable. Next locate the two brass
slotted, round nuts at the back of the combination instrument. Fabricate a
jumper wire to link the two studs to which these grounded nuts are attached
and then jump that connection bridge to a GOOD ground. You'll have sort of
a "Y" shaped connector with either eyelets or some type of crimp-on
connectors. I like to use a piggy-back spade connector at the cigar lighter
ground, leaving some extra wire to make getting the instruments in and out
easy. Hopefully this will complete your instrument ground circuit and cure
the hopping temp gauge.

You really should be on the '02 digest. This question pops up a couple
times a year.   http://users.ids.net/~ckent/2002email.html

And if you're not already a member: http://www.bmwcca.org

- -Phil Marx
 BMW CCA #6021

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