N52 Cooling Fan

S

Scooba_Steve

Elite
 NW London & Somerset
So...

A few times over the past couple of months I've noticed the cooling fan come on at varying points.

One morning, starting from cold, OAT near freezing the fan comes on immediately.
Other times it's been after a few minutes. Doesn't happen consistently and also hasn't done it for at least 2 weeks.

I know the consensus is that the pump is about to fail but it has thrown zero codes. Not gone above normal temp either.

So, any other ideas?
 
Scooba_Steve said:
So...

A few times over the past couple of months I've noticed the cooling fan come on at varying points.

One morning, starting from cold, OAT near freezing the fan comes on immediately.
Other times it's been after a few minutes. Doesn't happen consistently and also hasn't done it for at least 2 weeks.

I know the consensus is that the pump is about to fail but it has thrown zero codes. Not gone above normal temp either.

So, any other ideas?
Click to expand...

That’s exactly what mine did, normal temp on gauge & no codes-pump is about to commit hari kari and melt your engine :(
Rob
 
Scooba_Steve said:
I was expecting at least an implausible pump speed code.
Click to expand...

Sorry Steve, my si did have that code but didn’t trigger a warning light.
How many miles has your car done? They seem to fail anywhere north of 70k miles :(
Rob
 
100k+ so to be expected, was just trying to rule out anything else, though preventative replacement by this point isn't unreasonable. I have zero errors stored though.
 
The water pump is the more common culprit but there is an engine temperature sensor on the front of the block which do seem to fail occasionally on the BMW 330...(item 10). Under £6 from Ebay so got to be worth a punt... http://r.ebay.com/F7O06o

engine termp sensor.png
 
ph001 said:
The water pump is the more common culprit but there is an engine temperature sensor on the front of the block which do seem to fail occasionally on the BMW 330...(item 10). Under £6 from Ebay so got to be worth a punt... http://r.ebay.com/F7O06o

engine termp sensor.png
Click to expand...

If that was faulty wouldn’t the temperature gauge give strange readings though, or does that get its input from elsewhere?
Rob
 
I'm not sure where the coolant temp is measured from, will have to sew if there is a tech guide. Certainly worth a punt, thanks.
 
Hard to say Rob - there is loads of conflicting info about that sensor all over the web. It gets worse as many people say that the sensor on the bottom radiator hose is the one that controls the radiator fan (part code 13621433077), but I think that is just a switch rather than an analogue sensor - in which case it could just be unplugged to rule it out one way or another. I do agree that an imminently failing water pump is the most likely culprit though.

engine coolant switch.png
 
I've not had the water pump issue yet but at 44K I think I'm almost into the failure window judging by the comments on here and the poll of failures which was complied last year (was it Marlon who did that?). Going to do mine on a nice warm day in summer :)

If I remember correctly at 100K+ you've probably done well. I'd be thinking about setting time aside to change it in controlled conditions rather than have it throw codes and over heat at the side of the road.

If it is a sensor and your draining the system to change it then why not go the whole hog statistically that pump isn't going to last a lot longer. Sh1t news I know :thumbsdown: but I guess your expecting that!
 
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