Expanding on before - i got an engine overheating warning come up whilst i was on the M25 the other day. Great. The car has never left me stranded before as every problem i had with it previously i could continue but just in limp mode.
However, coolant and overheating issues mean a "oh **** stop right now".
So i called BMW to pick me up (I was in the M25 roadworks). They were really great actually. They called the Highways Agency for me to alert them and asked for them to turn the CCTV cameras on me to keep an eye out. However...
After 20mins BMW called me back to say that they had spoken to the HA and they had been informed that because i was in roadworks, only HA were allowed to come out and pick me up. Great. So i waited 30 minutes for the HA to pick me up, to take me 3 miles down the road to a HA centre. BMW told me that once i knew where i was going to be dropped off, to call them back to let them know. They said that once i did that, they could be up to 90 minutes to come out. I was in for a long day (i had only just stepped off a plane from holiday!).
So the HA man turned up, got my car loaded on his flatbed (with my bumper millimetres from being ripped off), then got taken to their compound to wait for BMW to come out.
BMW Emergency Service kept calling me back and updating me and i dealt with a really good person ("Laura") who really pulled the stops out for me. However, i was told they wanted to come out and have a look at the car first to see if they could get me going again (i was 99% sure they wouldn't unless they planned on bringing a brand new water pump, a mechanic and a mobile workshop to me), but they insisted. I asked Laura what would happen if (when) they couldn't repair it at the roadside, and she said since no BMW garages would be open as it was 1600 on a Saturday, it could be put in storage for Monday or, she could have it recovered to my house (some 80 miles away). I don't think she was meant to authorise this, but she was a really really nice customer service rep and did this for me anyway.
Anyway, a guy turned up (not affiliated with BMW in any way - just a recovery agent) and he came to the conclusion that the belt may have snapped on my water pump. Until i told him that it has an electric water pump. He disagreed and said "look, it's right there!" whilst pointing towards a power steering pump. I was angry at this point.
He then decided that there was no fault with the car because he started it up again and said "oh, nothings coming up" but i pointed out that the car had cooled down and as soon as it got going again it may come back."
At this point BMW called, and it was a different rep who said that they couldn't take me home. I told her that Laura had said that this was possible, so she put me on hold and agreed to do it. She then said she thought i might want to try and drive it home but "IT IS TOTALLY YOUR DECISION". It felt massievly like she was trying to push me into driving it and if the engine melted down BMW could just say "Well, she said it was your decision". I said no, i want a lift home (which took 2 hours). So, that's the end of it.
I've scanned the codes today and driven it again. I have found that it overheats after about 15 miles, but all you need to do is restart the engine and it cools down and everything starts working again? It's weird. I have been keeping a very very close eye on the temp gauge in the secret OBD menu and you can see the temps sitting at between 90-95c perfectly for 10-15 miles (even when putting your foot to the floor), but then it completely randomly starts rapidly climbing and stops blowing hot air and when it reaches 125c it gives you the red warning. But turn the car off for 10 seconds and back on again and the hot air comes out again, the temps rapidly fall back to normal and stay there.
My strong guess is the water pump is playing up so i will have to call up BMW and get it booked in tomorrow. I just hope they don't give me the run about.
Here's my day yesterday in pictures;
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
