Auxillary Fan won't run

[pogiboy9]

Hey guys i finally put my cylinder head back in, after bending the valves on the other one. Got this one resurfaced and steam cleaned. Now i'm still havng my over heating problem on idle so, i replaced the radiator so that cut back the heating. Now i'm still having a heating on idle problem. The water pump is leaking slightly, so have to replace the gasket i believe. But i've had the problem with the auxilary fan not turning on still. Any USUALs for this problem?

THanks guys

[Bryson]

yes, the -resistor-? (I'm still fucked up, but I know the thing that I'm talking about) it's on the bottom right of the aux fan shroud looking at the front of the car. It's ridiculously common, but can be a slight bitch to get to..

[hotghias]

IIRC, that electric pusher fan (auxilliary fan) is not designed to turn on till the temps are really high (3/4 of the way up the guage), or it turns on when you turn your AC on. your car should not need that fan in order to idle correctly- the engine-driven fan behind the radiator is supposed to take care of it in most conditions. unless you've removed that fan for performance or something, i think you should look into replacing the fan clutch.

[pogiboy9]

fan clutch is fine, and yes i know its not needed unless temp is 3/4. but it still hasn't kicked in when i run it and it goes 3/4.

[PeaveyBassist]

My aux fan never kicks in at all so I wired a switch up next to the ashtray so I can turn it off and to low speed. Shouldnt the fan kick in around 1/2 way on low speed just to keep the engine at that temperature? I use the switch because I dont trust it to come on when it should. Maybe try a new sensor. On my 87 325 its on the driver's side top of the radiator. New sensors are about $20 on Ebay.

Will

[finch]

my fan has same prob. never comes on.. and the resistor(?) is a bitch to get to..

dumb question, but i really have no idea. is the normal fan, is that driven by the crank? is it suposed to get faster as engine speed picks up..?
cos i dont think that mine does.. :?

how much water/coolant does the engine hold..? and does the water pump pump water at the same rate at all times or does that also depend on engine speed or temp..?

sorry, dont mean to highjack.... ;)

[pogiboy9]

i believe around 11qts

[e30 dude]

the aux fan has a relay located under the dash, where the glove box is. check that also.

[a3ternus]

the aux fan has a relay located under the dash, where the glove box is. check that also.

Where exactly is that relay?!? Need more info!
N.

[jlevie]

The way I read the ETM, the aux fan is only going to run if the A/C is selected and the radiator temp the thermoswitch rating (91C for low & 99C for high speed). With the A/C off, overheating at idle will be caused by one or a combination of; bad fan clutch, bad thermostat, or head gasket leak. Overheating at speed will be caused by one or a combination of; bad thermostat or head gasket leak.

[Julien]

quick advice, if your fan is not kicking on at 91 deg celcius (noon mark on the dash)... there is a quick fix. Invert the two leads that go to the thermocouple on your radiator (the two green ones) which will make your fan come on at high speed at 91deg celcius instead of 99 deg celcius (3/4 temp). Worked like a charm in my 325is.

Julien