fan is constsantly on?

Need technical Q/A then you're in the right place

Moderator: martauto

liam012
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1424
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:00 pm

Post Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:22 am

just wondering if anyone knows why my fan is always on from the second i start the car the cooling fan is going? what tell it to go? temp sensor? i seem to be getting normal temp reading on the guage oin the car?

m20 motronic
JOSEMI
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1106
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Eastbourne

Post Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:23 am

It happens to mine as well, I always thought that this is normal, I wouldn't worry too much as long as the cooling system is ok

Jose
Dan318-is
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 8006
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey/London

Post Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:24 am

Is the m20 not running a viscous fan people!?
E30BeemerLad
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 16806
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Norfolk

Post Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:28 am

yes indeed, the car has a viscous fan so it will always be turning when you have the engine running and the bonnet up. The viscous will keep going until there is sufficient air flow through the radiator so that the fan is not needed to draw air through, usually at around 40mph+, so it will always be running when you stick your nut under the bonnet.
Simon
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 14939
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: South Wales

Post Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:14 pm

If the fan is noticeably loud when driving then you're likely to have a faulty viscous. With the engine switched off, and cold, check to see if you can turn the viscous by hand, if it's difficult to turn by hand then it's faulty, if you can turn it, then it's fine, but it should get difficult to turn when the engine is warm.

Because the fan is engine driven, it's constantly turning, and when the fluid heats up, it expands and locks the fan to enable it to turn at engine speed, instead of turning freely.

If you have an electric fan with A/C though then it's totally different, it should only be switched on when needed, which is about the halfway mark on the temp guage.
Image
User avatar
Brianmoooore
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 49360
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm

Post Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:20 pm

When the engine does not need fan cooling the viscous fan will just be freewheeling and drawing very little engine power.
When you are moving the forward motion of the car will be turning the fan, and it will consume even less power.
If you leave your car stationary with the engine running at about 1500 RPM, enentually you will hear the fan roar for a while as the viscous coupling locks up. (Or your temp gauge will go into the red if the coupling is dud.)
liam012
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1424
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:00 pm

Post Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:35 pm

thanks for the explanations thats great.
no need to panic so.....
Gouki
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2262
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 11:00 pm

Post Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:42 pm

thats what i like about these engines, the fact that BMW had sense to always keep the engines cool, mines does the same and it stays pretty cool!
Image
dobbie82
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 4125
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Dolgellau, Wales (NOT A TRADER,broken a car,got lots of bits)

Post Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:49 pm

I panicked when I was giving the touring a checkover before someone came to view it, I went to see the other half in work to tell him the fan wont switch off and what should I do.. he just looked at me daft!

well, i've not tinkered with an m20 before! :oops: