2005 x3 2.5- coolant resivoir tank burst

[anderstud34]

Hi There,

I was wondering if anyone knewof this happening or had any advice for me.
I just bought a used 2005 X3 about 2 months ago, and 3 days ago was stopped at a red light. My engine started to smoke a little and by the time i started to pull away it was smoking alot and my temp guage started to rise. I pulled into a parking lot before the guage hit the red and shut the car down. I had it towed to a mechanic nearby and from what he has found is the coolant resivoir tank blew up. hes going to replace it but does anyone know why it would have blown?

on a side note...my a/c doesnt blow that cold of air. no compared to my wifes 2004 bmw 320i.

any thoughts?

thanks

[danielsatur]

What caused the overheated condition?
1) Shortage of coolant, because of a bad coolant reservoir tank, or other leaks.
2) Bad radiator fans, or clutch fan..
3) Plugged catalytic converter.

[anderstud34]

The coolant tank was full but after it cracked/blew I dumped all fluid on the road behind me as I moved forward. I dont know about the other things though. My mechanic has replaced the tank and I am about to go pick the car up. I will ask him about the fan and converter.

I dont know anything about cars, but could the fan or converter have done this if they were bad or plugged?

[danielsatur]

Yes- Any of the 3 could of caused the problem.
Tests:
Coolant pressure test
Electric fan test
A back pressure test can be done on your catalytic converter.

[anderstud34]

Hi Daniel,

Just got back from the mechanics and he said the fans work so no problems there and he didnt notice anything wrong with the catalytic converter.

He said he has seen the resivoire tanks crack in the past just based on them heating and cooling so often over time.

I guess I will keep an eye on it over the next few days and fingers crossed that there isnt an underlying issue.

thanks for your assistance.

[danielsatur]

Any muffler shop can do a back pressure test for free!

Keep a good eye on your temp gauge, so you don't damage your engine.

[anderstud34]

ok will do. Ill zip into a mufflerman shop this week and have them do the test.

thanks again for your help!!!