Tips, Hints, For Transmission Cooler installations

Author: Davidwat

Many of you add aftermarket coolers to your cars and this is always a good idea. Here are some hints.

1-Allways mount the cooler in a place that has good air flow and if mounting in front of the radiator always make sure the fin's in the cooler are parallel with the fin's in the radiator to avoid restricting air flow to the radiator. If you must place the cooler in and area with little air flow a FAN is a must.

2-When Installing coolers make sure lines are clear of anything that can rub them and always use line that’s approved for transmission/hydraulic fluid. Fuel line will not work and will break down in transmission fluid.

3-By passing the radiator is the way I prefer a cooler be set up. Generally the transmission will run cooler this way and additionally this may take some of the load off the radiators job of cooling the engine.

4-When hooking up multiple coolers several things should be noted. The cooler itself is a restriction of flow and this restriction while not a problem for the cooling or lube to the trans can cause excessive pressure inside the converter. This can force the converter against the flex plate more so than normal and cause wear to the engine thrust bearing. A stopped up or severely restricted cooler or cooler lines can do the same. So when installing more than one cooler its advised to put them in parallel with each other, This means one line from the trans is split with a Y and one line run to each cooler then out of each and into a Y back to a single line running to the trans. This will assure adequate cooling while reducing the wear to the engine thrust bearing. Always use line that’s at least as large as the inlets in the cooler, Avoid extreme twist or turns in them particularly with rubber lines.

5-Type and brands of coolers; I really have no preference here as far as brand. From my experience and expensive brand name or a generic unit appear to do the same job. I have found the stacked plate (Flat tube) Types when measured inlet to outlet temp drop tend to be more efficient in the same dimensional sizes with a greater temperature drop. I did a test once with two coolers in parallel one round tube and one flat with a laser thermometer to determine this.

6-This is not specifically about a cooler but about cooling. Always be sure that the metal lines coming from the transmission under car do not contact the headers or exhaust. I once had a car where the transmission temps would sky rocket when the car was being run hard and couldn’t understand why. I after some looking around found that the cooler lines in and out were pinned against the headers. This would super heat the fluid when the headers got hot. Moved them away and the problem was solved, So always keep trans cooler lines factory or otherwise as far away from the exhaust as possible.

7-Trans temps- This question gets ask a lot. What’s TOO HOT? Well ideally you want you average temp to stay under 190 degrees however I would not get to concerned till the temps get at and or over 230 degrees. Heat can damage a trans but with the exception of extreme heat 250 or higher this damage is a long term killer by breaking down fluid and causing rubber seals to harden and break.

8-Never use your cooler lines to remove fluid from your transmission by starting the engine or in and attempt to flush by catching fluid in a pan while adding fluid to the dipstick. When this is done no lube is being sent to the planets and bushings and they can go dry and melt down very quickly destroying or significantly shortening the life of your transmission.

9-It is advisable to fully and properly flush a cooler especially when a converter failure is involved. Where a transmission internal failure is unlikely to put debris in the cooler since all fluid coming from transmission must travel through the trans filter. The fluid coming from the Pump or converter does not and any debris from these will certainly end up in the cooler. Its always a good idea to power flush a cooler or replace after a failure but is particularly important in the case of this type failure. Anything that’s in your cooler or lines will end up in your Valve Body, Bushings and Planets. A cooler cannot be properly cleaned simply by blowing air through it. A can of cooler flush which most transmission shops and or transmission parts suppliers should have followed by a blow out with air is the correct way to do it.

10-When installing rubber cooler lines to metal lines it’s a good idea to put a small flair at the end of the metal line. Not too big because you will tear the line on the inside during install. Then place a clamp just ahead of the flair. Also roughening up the outer surface of the metal line with very coarse sand paper in area where clamp will ride will help assure a good seal and reduce the possibility of blow off. Never over tighten clamps to the point of the rubber oozing through or being cut this will cause a failure too.

11-Temp sending units- The best place for these is in the pan since that will give the best average temperature which is what’s important, using the pressure port is ok however you will show temps 10 to 20 degrees higher average than you would in the pan. I do not suggest placing temp senders in either the inlet or outlet from the cooler as they will increase cooler restriction and increase the odds of a leak.

BMW Common Problems and BMW Online Resource

The BMW's general technical issue list below was taken from www.windigoauto.com, one of BMW online resource on the web.

Low/Empty Fuel

Allowing your BMW to run out of fuel will probably result in failure of the pump. The fuel pump is in the fuel tank, and the electric motor is cooled by contact with the fuel. Running the pump without fuel in the tank frequently damages the pump, requiring replacement immediately, or in the near future.

Damage From Overheating

BMWs have aluminum heads, which are susceptible to damage from overheating. If the temperature gauge rises rapidly, or the temperature warning illuminates, pull over as soon as safety allows, and have the vehicle towed to your repair shop. Driving a little further, to avoid being inconvenienced, can easily add $2,000 to your repair bill (for a 6 cylinder)!

Brake Wear

Does it seem like your brakes don't last as long as they should?

Talking on a cell phone while driving is one cause of premature brake replacement. On the freeway, watch the vehicles ahead for brake lights repeatedly and without apparent reason, or sometimes continuously on. When you see one, you'll also probably find the driver talking on the phone!

Fog Lights Easily Broken

The low placement of the fog lights frequently results in breakage from flying debris. Several companies sell precut clear thick self-adhesive plastic to cover the lens, protecting it from damage.

Earlier Engines (M10, M20, M30) Have More Service Needs

The early 4 and 6 cylinder engines require a valve adjustment at each inspection service. The 1984 – 1991 325s, 1982 – 1986 528s and 1989 –1990 525s have a timing belt which must be replaced every 4 years or 60,000 miles. Ignoring belt replacement may result in a repair bill which exceeds the market value of these vehicles.

“///M” in the Model stands for Money

The “M” models are high performance and relatively low volume. The impact of this is that engineering costs are spread over fewer units and parts availability is more limited. The early “M” engines (S14, S88, S38) were hand built and very complex. A basic rebuild on a 4 cylinder S14 engine (M3 1988-1991) will run in the $7,500-$8,500 range. The big 6 cylinder motors are proportionally more. These vehicles also have some combination of unique suspension, brake, transmission, driveline, body and interior parts. They are very rewarding to drive, but are probably not a good choice if you’re on a budget.

Cooling System Failures

Several of the components in BMW cooling systems are made wholly or partially of plastic. Over time, the plastic becomes brittle and fails due to vibration, system pressure, or a combination of these. The most notable components are the radiator and coolant tank.

Also, many of the 6 cylinder engines (91-99) came with a plastic thermostat housing that is prone to failure & should be replaced with an aluminum component.

Light Bulbs & Failure etection Circuitry

BMWs have circuitry which monitors current flow through the light bulbs to tell you if a bulb has failed. The newer vehicles seem sensitive to the electrical resistance of the bulbs, sometimes giving erroneous failure warnings when non-German bulbs are installed.

Other BMW useful online resources:

www.bimmerforums.com - this is one of the most comprehensive BMW enthusiast sites on the web. With close the 50,000 members, the forums here are a veritable encyclopedia of BMW knowledge with sections dedicated to the company's many models, past and present. Membership is free.

www.dtmpower.net - DTMPower calls itself "the future of BMW tuning." As such, it caters to BMW owners interested in modifying their cars, of which there are apparently many: more than 50,000 members call this site home. Like BimmerForums, this site's discussion area is split up into sections for each BMW model, plus sections dedicated to other car-related talk. Membership is free.

www.hotbimmer.net - With just over 10,000 members, HotBimmer.net features a polished layout and gives more attention to general BMW news and updates than some other BMW sites. Despite a smaller member base, there's still a lot of good information here. Membership is free.

www.mwerks.com - The membership statistics for Mwerks.com are deceiving, listing more than 200,000 members. This site is run by Vortex Media Group, which also manages VWVortex.com, a huge Volkswagen enthusiast community. Mwerks.com is actually one of the lesser-populated sites in the Vortex empire, but a free membership here also gets you access to The Car Lounge, a very active general automotive interest community that's full of knowledgeable members.

bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e39 - this rather cumbersome URL takes you to RoadFly.org's E39 discussion forum, one of many run by this site. The layout is simple, and the forums use an antiquated style of displaying member's posts and threads, but there's lots of information here. Membership is free

Check my other post for BMW E39 and BMW E46

BMW Series 5 E39

BMW series 5 E39 is still worth to buy, this type represent a comfortable and luxurious car from the BMW product line. In the market the BMW E39 is face to face with Mercedes E series, Audi A6 or Lexus.



Lets start with history (from Wiki)

The BMW E39 automobile platform was the basis for BMW 5 Series between 1995 to 2004. It was the successor of the BMW E34 in 1995, and was phased-out by the E60 platform in 2004. Sales to Germany and the United Kingdom began in 1995, and by 1996 sales to the remaining entities of Europe and the rest of the world had commenced. A mid-life update appeared in 2001, featuring minute detail changes. At launch, the base model was the 520i, which developed 112 kilowatts (150 hp) in the pre-update models, and 126 kilowatts (170 hp) in later models. An M5 variant was introduced in 1998, with a 5.0 litre S62 V8 engine. All models but the M5 were available as either a sedan or a touring wagon.

Introduced in Europe in 1995, the complete vehicle redesign draws heavily from the E38 7 Series in body construction and electronic technology. The mid-level BMW sedan showed evolutionary styling changes rather than a dramatic redesign. Initially offered only as a sedan, the wheelbase grew by 68 millimetres (2.7 in) and overall length by 55 millimetres (2.2 in) over the E34. The new 5 Series came in two forms; the 528i and 540i. The 528i is equipped with the 2.8 litre M52 in-line six carried over from the 1996 E36 328i and the 540i equipped with the 4.4 litre M62 V8. Both engines were upgraded over the prior 5 Series generation. The 2.8 litre dual overhead camshaft six-cylinder engine made 141 kilowatts (190 hp), versus 210 kilowatts (282 hp) for the 4.4 litre dual overhead camshaft, all-aluminum V8. A ZF five-speed manual transmission without overdrive was standard on the 528i, with an optional A4S 310 R four-speed automatic. The 540i, in contrast, could have either a Getrag six-speed manual or a new five-speed A5S 560Z automatic transmission with adaptive transmission control. Standard equipment on both models included dual front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, power steering, and air conditioning.[2][3]

Body

The E39 all-steel body acts as a safety cage for occupant protection. The structural rigidity of the monocoque was increased using computer-aided engineering. This allows key points to be reinforced, to increase rigidity, without significantly adding to the weight. The overall increase is 10 kilograms (20 lb), which is offset by the aluminium suspension. Laser welding techniques ensure rigid bonding throughout. Another area of focus in the design of the body was in structural dynamics. The body was designed so that the frequencies for torsional twisting and bending are in separate ranges and above natural frequency. These frequencies are out of the range of engine and driveline vibrations; thus they will not amplify them.

The aerodynamically designed body and features of the E39 gave the 528i and 540i, 0.28 and 0.31 drag coefficients respectively. Torsional rigidity was also increased over the E34, by 40%. The chassis was so stiff that the rigidity was unchanged for the E60 model. This added stiffness allows the suspension to work with more accuracy. It also allows total engineering of ride quality through the suspension; rather than in combination with body flex.

Steering and suspension

With the E39, two steering types and double pivot, MacPherson strut suspensions systems are used. For the 520i–530i models, BMW, for the first time in a 5 series, utilised rack and pinion steering. This not only offers weight reductions over the recirculating ball type used on the V8s, but also provides quick steering response through its variable ratio. This system steers from the front of the axle.

Six-cylinder models also receive an aluminium front subframe. The struts use aluminium "Tension Link" that comes from a forward position back to the front of the wheel and an aluminium horizontal link to locate them. Aluminium is used for the: steering knuckles, outer strut tube, and the spring pads; saving 21 kilograms (46 lb).

With the 540i, BMW retained the front steering and suspension from the previous E34 540i with the design based on the E38 7 Series. The physical size, dimensions, and weight of the V8 540i required that the steering be the older recirculating ball type. This system steers from the back side of the axle. The front subframe is steel. To compensate for the heavier front end, BMW used extra aluminium in components including the steering box, steering knuckles, outer strut tube, and the spring pads. The struts are located by an aluminium "Thrust Link" that comes from the rear to meet the back of the wheel and an aluminium horizontal link.

The E39 employs similar design to the E38 7 Series for the rear suspension, regardless of the model specified. This "four-link integral rear suspension" or "Z-link" axle was first introduced on the BMW Z1. With this, Chapman struts are utilised. Through precise toe angle changes, stable yet responsive handling without unwanted toe change effects under load is achieved

Engine specifications

Various engine sizes and configurations have been available. The North American market saw the 525i, 528i, 530i, 540i and M5. The European range was however, more diverse, with BMW offering the 520i, 523i, 528i, 530i, 535i, 540i, 525tds, 520d, 525d, 530d and M5.

From 1997–2000, the E39 model range in North America consisted of the 528i, 540i, and M5. In 2001, the 528i was discontinued and replaced by the 525i and 530i. The 520i, 523i, 525i and 528i were powered by a 110 kilowatt (150 hp) engine in earlier versions, a 126 kilowatt (170 hp) and 141 kilowatt (190 hp) engines respectively. These were all versions of the gasoline M52 inline-six engine. The 530i was powered by a 167 kilowatt (225 hp) inline-six shared with the E46 330i. The 540i was initially powered by the 210 kilowatt (282 hp) 4.4 litre M62B44 V8 which was derived from the earlier E34 5 Series' M60, but included upgraded cylinder block material, electronics, and more displacement. In September of 1998, the 540i received the further upgraded M62TUB44, which was also seen in the E38 (7 Series) and in the BMW E53 (X5). This engine supported a VANOS variable valve timing system, and had electronic throttle control.

Common Problems

The following list that I quote from www.windigoauto.com, its quite long, however very useful to use as pre inspection list before you buy the second hand BMW E39

Cooling System
Water pumps and thermostats are common failure points, with occasional radiator issues. The electronically controlled thermostats are prone to failure and set the “Service Engine Soon” warning. They can short out internally and melt a section of the engine wiring harness on the V8 cars.

Computer Readout
The display in the instrument cluster is prone to drop pixels, making it difficult or impossible to read. This requires replacement of the instrument cluster, which must be coded to the car.

Plastic Trim Around Seat Cushions
The plastic trim around the seat base is fragile and easily broken, but is fairly inexpensive. If you ignore this for awhile, it may cause the connector to disconnect from the seat switch or break the switch assembly, adding significantly to the cost of repair.

Front Thrust Arm Bushings
The rubber bushings, which isolate unwanted vibration during braking, age much like the rear shock mounts. They start to develop small tears and cracks, then progress to completely broken out of their mounting. The normal symptom is vibration in the steering wheel under light breaking. Ignoring this will result in uneven tire wear. Larger than stock tires / wheels amplify the symptoms.

V8 Power Steering Hoses
The power steering hoses on the V8s will leak. The low pressure hose can be repaired, carefully cutting the crimped on clamps and replacing the flexible hose section. The high pressure hose requires replacement and is a fairly expensive part which is in very tight quarters.

V8 Valve Cover Oil Leaks
The V8 valve covers leak around the inner and outer gaskets. The outer gasket leak leaves a visible on trail of oil on the head. An inner gasket leak isn’t visible until the covers are removed from the engine, exposing a lake of oil in one or more spark plug wells. If enough oil accumulates in the plug well, it sometimes shorts the plug, causing misfires.

V8 Vacuum Plate
There is a plate on the rear of the intake manifold that provides crankcase ventilation. The internal diaphragm fails, requiring replacement. This involves removal of the intake manifold. The symptoms are rough idle, sometimes a whistling noise, and a “Check Engine” light.

6 Cylinder PCV Valve
The vacuum valve on these cars has a higher failure rate than the one on the previous 3 Series. Its failure causes rough idling and sets the Service Engine Soon light.

Brake Light Bulb Sockets
The contact tabs on the sockets corrode or bend. These can frequently be cleaned up. Also, when the center bulb fails, the dash display shows it as one of the corner lights. The socket for the third light sometimes melts.

Window Regulators
A few failures of these has been reported.

Cup Holders
Fragile and easily broken with large cups.

Lower Front Wheel Well Liners
Plastic liner in forward part of wheel well which is easily broken by contact with curb or concrete parking stops, but is fairly inexpensive. The passenger's side liner shields the secondary air pump from water and road debris. If it is missing water can get into the pump, damaging the bearings and requiring replacement.

Cam Position Sensor(s)
The position sensor(s) for the camshafts will go open, either intermittently or completely. If it fails completely, the engine won’t run. If intermittent, it will die, then restart, run for a while, and repeat the cycle. It usually sets the “Service Engine Soon” warning.

Thermostat
The thermostat on these engines is electronically controlled and experiences a moderate failure rate. If it sticks open, the engine doesn’t fully get to operating temperature. If it sticks shut, the temperature rises rapidly and the vehicle needs to be stopped as soon as safely possible, then towed in for repair. It may also be a temporary failure, but should be replaced as soon as possible. These problems set the “Service Engine Soon” warning.

ABS - ASC/DSC Controllers
The electronic brain for the braking and stability control systems has a fairly high failure rate. It is an expensive part and requires coding to the vehicle.

On-line resources

Check my other posting regarding useful BMW online resource