m44 318i overheating

[CrusherCurtis]

Picked up an e36 318i thats over heating. The lower radiator hose stays cold while the upper one gets hot. Thermostat?

[dsm2002]

Could be. I had a yamaha RZ250 which did that sometimes and I'd reach down squeeze the radiator hose. It was enough to start the coolant flow and the temp gauge would return to normal. Try this.

Overheating niggles really says "if the the cooling system hasn't been renovated (or is unknown) then you should consider doing it".