Low Speed Fan Resistor - we need solution
#1
Low Speed Fan Resistor - we need solution
Hey folks - someone must be able to figure out a cost-effective DIY repair for the prone-to-fail low speed fan resistor. Mine has now failed, but I sure don't want to spend $200+ just for parts, assuming I can complete the replacement myself, since I'm sure that eventually someone is going to determine that its a $5.00 part that is the source of this grief. The next person to have their unit replaced PLEASE save the old one; I'll pay to have it shipped to me and I'll see what I can do.
Update 2/5/16: Any excellent summary of the solutions to which this thread has led over the years appears starting at post 1283 on page 52; I'll try to figure out how to embed the link.
Update 2/5/16: Any excellent summary of the solutions to which this thread has led over the years appears starting at post 1283 on page 52; I'll try to figure out how to embed the link.
Last edited by JAB 67; 02-05-2016 at 10:31 PM. Reason: update
#5
#7
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#8
It's your car.
#9
Right now my every week or so my fan stays on and I found that tapping the relay makes it stop. What are the symptoms of a burnt resister pack. Highs stay on when AC is on but the fans shut down when you turn off the car?
The relay is still available separately but requires the fan assembly to be removed to get at it. And I don't want to do the work to replace the relay only to find that the resister pack is bad too.
Rich (Still reeling from a $1400 A/C compressor replacement)
The relay is still available separately but requires the fan assembly to be removed to get at it. And I don't want to do the work to replace the relay only to find that the resister pack is bad too.
Rich (Still reeling from a $1400 A/C compressor replacement)
#10
there is no low speed to the fan when the resistor is blown.My car was used when i bough it and i never heard the fan run ever. On a cruise i noticed every one's fan was running except mine.thats when I found out there was two speeds.low speed is just the fan running through the resistor.high speed fan does run after turning the key off only when very hot.
#11
there is no low speed to the fan when the resistor is blown.My car was used when i bough it and i never heard the fan run ever. On a cruise i noticed every one's fan was running except mine.thats when I found out there was two speeds.low speed is just the fan running through the resistor. high speed fan does run after turning the key off only when very hot.
Mine is an '06 MCSc and I can differentiate the sound of low and high speed. However, even in high speed, the fan shuts down when the engine is turned Off... regardless of AC On or Off. So is there another variable for the fan to stay on (temporarily) after the engine is Off?
#15
Question, if the resistor itself is what breaks why not replace that? Is it installed in such a way that it is impossible to remove? If it is something like a surface mount resistor it is definitely possible to replace it with some very careful soldering.
#17
Aaron at MINI of Pensacola tested a used fan I bought from a guy on NAM for me. Low speed was burned out. He replaced a relay in the fan and low-speed started working. He said it would die again someday because if the original burned out, something's wrong in the 1st place (maybe fan is drawing too much current, who knows), but it'll work for a while anyway and a relay is MUCH cheaper than the whole unit.
Still need to learn more about that "always on" thing. Def. don't want that happening. On a side note, I don't think mine's (02 Cooper) EVER stayed on after the engine was shut off.
Still need to learn more about that "always on" thing. Def. don't want that happening. On a side note, I don't think mine's (02 Cooper) EVER stayed on after the engine was shut off.
#18
#20
The resistor is built in, and hard wired to the fan motor. It is a cheap ceramic cylinder with a thin copper coil around . Exposed to the elements and vibrations it is no wonder that it fail so often. My replacement is OEM and failed again within 4 month. The fan has been running high speed only since then. No problem except the noise! I still have the first one and I'm looking into a solid state fix for this garb....e! I've got pics of this somewhere, Muummm? Every time this subject come to the surface I go . It has been years and BMW is cashing in! . BTW the part that brakes cannot be worth more than $.75!!!!
#21
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The resistor is built in, and hard wired to the fan motor. It is a cheap ceramic cylinder with a thin copper coil around . Exposed to the elements and vibrations it is no wonder that it fail so often. My replacement is OEM and failed again within 4 month. The fan has been running high speed only since then. No problem except the noise! I still have the first one and I'm looking into a solid state fix for this garb....e! I've got pics of this somewhere, Muummm? Every time this subject come to the surface I go . It has been years and BMW is cashing in! . BTW the part that brakes cannot be worth more than $.75!!!!
-Chase
#25
If someone can find that thread, it will be helpful not to go over the same stuff here and perhaps with new insights, we can fix this with some off the shelf part.
Rich