Working Fan needed?

Rico30driving · Post by **Rico30driving** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:06 pm

Hello, maybe someone can help me with my Z4?....
I took it to a BMW specialist in Shepperton with a leaking coolant bottle.
Getting ready to go collect it and the mechanic phones to say the bottle is leaking due to the fan not working so it builds pressure up hence bursting the bottle.
He says there's power going to the fan but it doesn't work.
Then he says all his suppliers don't have fans.
Stuck up Sh1t creek without a fan we are now!

Any suggestions on where we can source a fan please?
My location is between Heathrow and Staines in Ashford Middlesex.
Cheers all!....

enuff_zed · Post by **enuff_zed** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:15 pm

That sounds a very odd diagnosis? If the fan didn't work to the extent that pressure burst the expansion tank then your temperature gauge would be on its second lap of the dial! I would also expect the pressure required to burst plastic to have already overcome the seals in the pipe fittings first.
However, if there's definitely power to the fan then you need to check the thin green wire that goes into the plug between the two thick power wires. These commonly corrode and break off down in the plug where it is not obvious. You need to confirm that first before you spend more money on another fan.

samZ4M · Post by **samZ4M** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:17 pm

There have been a few fan issues recently... Maybe they've tried troubleshooting but I'd ask if they've done anything to test it, it's fairly easy to put 12v across the fan to see if it kicks in. Or inspected the connectors, my own Z had corroded connectors, I purchased a fan, went to fit it and noticed they were corroded. So I replaced the pins and what do you know, my fan worked fine!

What model do you have, at least someone can help find a fan or at least a part number

Edit: Beaten to it

Rico30driving · Post by **Rico30driving** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:21 pm

Thanks Sam, that's a good point there. I will forward this onto him and hopefully it will be that.
It's certainly not straight forward owning these is it?
Your reply is greatly appreciated. Cheers

Rico30driving · Post by **Rico30driving** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:29 pm

Sorry, yes I should have added, it's a 2008 [57] reg 2.5 se
Roadster.

TriggerFish · Post by **TriggerFish** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:37 pm

If the fan is dead, it's worth noting that the much more commonly found E9* fans can fit (probably not all of them, so make sure you don't just buy the first E9* fan you see!), if you swap the plug from the E85 one.

viewtopic.php?t=151137

Edit - there's a Global Parts listing in that thread too - they're just outside Heathrow, so you could collect from them if you're desperate and can't wait for postage. I've collected from them before, and it was a painless experience.

Rico30driving · Post by **Rico30driving** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:42 pm

Cheers for the replies.
Apparently the fan's dead as the power to it is there

enuff_zed · Post by **enuff_zed** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:44 pm

Rico30driving wrote: Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:42 pm Cheers for the replies.
Apparently the fan's dead as the power to it is there

Just in case you missed my point.................
The power supply may well be there, but if the thin green trigger wire is broken nothing will tell the fan to run.

samZ4M · Post by **samZ4M** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:47 pm

I dunno, they are fairly basic cars compared to more modern stuff! Mine has been fairly trouble free over my ownership.

It looks like this is your fan setup...

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=17_1662

Rico30driving · Post by **Rico30driving** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 5:13 pm

samZ4M wrote: Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:47 pm I dunno, they are fairly basic cars compared to more modern stuff! Mine has been fairly trouble free over my ownership.

It looks like this is your fan setup...

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=17_1662

Rico30driving · Post by **Rico30driving** » Tue Jun 17, 2025 5:13 pm

enuff_zed wrote: Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:44 pm
Rico30driving wrote: Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:42 pm Cheers for the replies.
Apparently the fan's dead as the power to it is there
Just in case you missed my point.................
The power supply may well be there, but if the thin green trigger wire is broken nothing will tell the fan to run.

darich · Post by **darich** » Wed Jun 18, 2025 12:18 pm

I have a spare fan taken from my 2007 E86. I removed it because the bearing was noisy but it worked perfectly. You're welcome to it for free if you're in Central Scotland anytime soon. It would keep you going for a while if the noisy bearing bothered you. I didn't bother me but I sourced a replacement and it's a super easy change so I went for it.

Umfaan · Post by **Umfaan** » Wed Jun 18, 2025 12:28 pm

I have a decent clean and working Fan from a 2008 car .I can post.

Rico30driving · Post by **Rico30driving** » Wed Jun 18, 2025 12:49 pm

darich wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 12:18 pm I have a spare fan taken from my 2007 E86. I removed it because the bearing was noisy but it worked perfectly. You're welcome to it for free if you're in Central Scotland anytime soon. It would keep you going for a while if the noisy bearing bothered you. I didn't bother me but I sourced a replacement and it's a super easy change so I went for it.

Thanks loads for that but I'm way down in Southwest London. The mechanic is getting back to me today sometime to say for certain if it does need a fan.
Best regards

darich · Post by **darich** » Wed Jun 18, 2025 1:12 pm

Rico30driving wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 12:49 pm Thanks loads for that but I'm way down in Southwest London. The mechanic is getting back to me today sometime to say for certain if it does need a fan.
Best regards

Yeah..I clocked your location....the offer is there if you're struggling

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