impee's DIY Radiator Fan Change


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DIY Radiator Fan Change

DIY Radiator Fan Change for BMW 318i e46

How to a Change Radiator Fan yourself!

Prices:

Professional labour costs for Radiator Fan Change - £55 (private) or £155 (BMW) - per hour X 1 hours

DIY costs for Radiator Fan Change - £138

Difficulty Level: Easy / Medium

Approximate time for this project: 1.5 hours

ITEMS	INFORMATION	OUTLET	QUANTITY	PRICE*
Radiator Fan	Non Original	http://www.gsfcarparts.com	1	£138
Radiator Fan	Original BMW	BMW	1	£280
Flat Head Screwdriver	A thin head one		1
Phillips Screwdriver			1
Torx 20 Screwdriver			1
Pliers			1
Car Jack			1
Jack Stands / Axle Stands		http://www.halfords.com	2	£138

*some prices & figures are approximate

1)	Assemble your kit :)
	Below is the total kit I used. As you can see, there aren't many tools required for this job at all. The choice of which Radiator fan to buy is upto you, either the £138 one or the £280, they both are more or less the same. NOTE: After speaking to some one in the US, I was told that his radiator fan could be pulled out by only carrying out till Step 11, hence if you have a non UK model car, please check if the fan can be removed this way, without taking the car apart as in Step 12 onwards.

2)	Remove the engine cover
	Remove the engine cover.

3)	Location of Screw, Clips & Cable sockets
	Below are the screws and clips that will need to be opened and removed. Also two cables sockets.

4)	Back view of the fan
	The scew and 1 of the 2 clips.

5)	Removing the Screw
	Use a Torx 20 screw driver and remove the screw.

6)	Clips removal
	Remove the 2 clips. You can loosen the clip by prying it out with a flat head screwdriver.

7)	Clip removal
	The clips can also be removed using this method (if you find its stuck), by holding the base back with the pliers and then using the screw driver to pry it out.

8)	Clip
	This is a photo of the middle thin part of the clip pulled out.

9)	A clip removed
	This is an actual clip, removed.

10)	Clip removal
	Another method to remove a clip.

11)	Remove the power sockets, hoses & clips
	Remove the 2 power sockets. Also remove or undo any other clips and hoses on both sides of the Radiator fan.

11)

Remove the power sockets, hoses & clips

Remove the 2 power sockets.

Also remove or undo any other clips and hoses on both sides of the Radiator fan.

12)	The lower hoses and clips
	This is a view from the top.

13)	Get the car up on Axle / Jack stands
	Once you have completed the above steps, proceed with lifting the car on Jack Stands. Just a photo to demonstrate how I got the car on the stands.

13)

Get the car up on Axle / Jack stands

Once you have completed the above steps, proceed with lifting the car on Jack Stands.

Just a photo to demonstrate how I got the car on the stands.

14)	How it looks
	Having the car on Axle / Jack stands is required, as you need to get underneath the car and have enough clearance from the ground to be able to open a few clips and take the hoses of the clips.

15)	Engine splash sheild
	Next remove the engine splash shield. This is the splash shield from underneath the car. This is to show where and how many screws and clips are located. The clips are the top 3 and the remaining are the screws.

15)

Engine splash sheild

Next remove the engine splash shield.

This is the splash shield from underneath the car. This is to show where and how many screws and clips are located.
The clips are the top 3 and the remaining are the screws.

16)	Splash sheild being removed
	Splash sheild in the process of being removed, using the flat head screwdriver for the front clips and the philips head screwdriver for the remaining screws.

17)	Shield clip removal
	The front 3 clips are a little odd. You need to first pull out the tin middle part all the way out, then you can pull the rest of the clip out.

18)	Lower Hoses & Clips to remove
	This is a photo taken whilst underneath the car. Remove the 2 clips on the left and right as done in the other steps before. Also take the 3 hoses out of the other round bigger clips.

18)

Lower Hoses & Clips to remove

This is a photo taken whilst underneath the car.

Remove the 2 clips on the left and right as done in the other steps before.

Also take the 3 hoses out of the other round bigger clips.

19)	Radiator Fan removed
	A view with the Radiator fan completely removed.

20)	Items to swap from old fan to new fan
	Remove the below highlighted items from the old fan and attach them to the new fan. These items are very simple to remove: - 3 round pipe clips - Electrical box

20)

Items to swap from old fan to new fan

Remove the below highlighted items from the old fan and attach them to the new fan.

These items are very simple to remove:
- 3 round pipe clips
- Electrical box

21) Re-assembly

Once the above 4 items have been swapped, slide in the new fan back over the radiator and work in reverse order following all the above steps.

Ensure you put back all the clips, hose clips, pipes, power sockets, screw, splash shield etc.

Finally, to check if the fan actually works, start the engine and you should see the fan blades rotate and also feel the strong wind being blown.

21)	Re-assembly
	Once the above 4 items have been swapped, slide in the new fan back over the radiator and work in reverse order following all the above steps. Ensure you put back all the clips, hose clips, pipes, power sockets, screw, splash shield etc. Finally, to check if the fan actually works, start the engine and you should see the fan blades rotate and also feel the strong wind being blown.

DIY Radiator Fan Change by - imran hamid www.impee.co.uk

Any questions - imran@impee.co.uk