Help Please - my 2003 Mini's radiator fan is working overtime. When I stop, the fan just goes and goes and goes for several minutes! Is this a known issue? Is this something that needs to be replaced? Also, I bought a new battery for my car last year and my battery light is having issues. Could this be caused by the radiator fan running for so long when I shut down my engine?

Thanks for your help!

 

edit - I see this is your first post (almost)

this car is designed to have the fan run for a wee bit after shut down under normal circumstances. There is a sensor that checks the engine temp and if it is "high" the electric fan will stay on after the car is shut off to cool the engine. The fan staying on for a minute or two is normal. However if the fan stays on longer than this or you KNEW this and still see unusual fan activity, read on . . . .


look into the many many threads about fan controller problems.

What I'll guess is happening is your fan is only running on high.

B4 your fan often ran after shut down and this is normal. But your fan ran on low.

Now your fan controller is failing and the fan is defaulting to HIGH so you hear it.

When the controller craps out entirely the fan will run on high and not shut off until the battery drains.

search and read many threads - especially about how to repair this problem without going to the dealer for a complete fan assembly change out.





Or your coolant is just low . . . which can also cause curious fan behavior .... check this first and hope for the best.

 

Probably just need a new radiator cooling fan assembly....the low speed .3 ohm resistor is blown.....get it fixed without delay.

Part No. 8 here:


To 3/03' - 17101475577.

After 3/03 - 17117541092.

 

I'm confused about the op saying the "battery light is having issues" part...
The fan may run for a bit after shutting the car off if it is hot...it should not run excessively!!!
The battery light should only come on when the car detects the alternator has failed (not exactly, but it usually indicates a failed alternator when lit).
It sounds like you are not much of a "car person" when it comes to car repair...nothing to be ashamed of. The fan and or fan controler may or maynot be operating properly....IMO you should seek the assistance of a competent Mini centric shop, and explain you concerns...they may need to look at the car....unless you are experanced, do not try to trouble shoot and fix an issue using just online help...you need a good dose of prior knowledge and skills to be successful and not waste $$$ or time!!

 

Just to expand a bit... the electric radiator fan has two speeds. The low speed uses a 0.3 ohm resistor, and due to poor design, the resistor fails. It is a rather odd resistor that costs around $20. A complete new fan assembly (part #8), can be had for only $80. So, unless you really like to spend a lot of time tinkering, it is probably best to simply replace the entire assembly.

When the low speed fails, your radiator does not get proper cooling. So, it starts to over heat! When that's detected, the high speed will be used as an emergency backup.

Part of what you might be experiencing is that when low speed is used, the fan is so quiet you might not have never noticed it still running. In sharp contrast, when high speed is used, it is quite loud and very noticeable.

Again, this is a common problem with 02-05 MINI's.

 

there is a thread in here about adding a resistor to replace the failed one. I did it to my 05 mini, fixed the problem perfectly. no need to replace a perfectly good working fan, just do a $15 resistor.

 

Check the coolant level. If it's low look around the thermostat housing for leaks. Mine did this a few times when I had a leak. I replaced the thermostat and gasket and it hasn't done it ever since.