puller fan not working and Heat.... - BMW Forum

98e36bostonchic · 01-16-2006, 10:03 AM

the Fan ( the electrical fan you can see through the mouth of the front bukmper) doesn't turn on, even if I turn on the ac it still doesn't turn on, is it burned? I might have to have my bf chekc to see if there is juice going into it becofre I replace it.

BUt... is this the reason my car's heat doesnt blow warm unless I'm moving? and if I'm in the highway it blows cold (it;s winter here in boston).

Please help!

Delmarco · 01-16-2006, 01:09 PM

I think the fan only runs when the car is moving andnot when the car is parked or idled. (it may be the opposite). At any rate, The fan is the A/C fan and not the heat fan. If the fan was broken then you A/C will not work.)

I just read a trouble shoot on this at Bavauto. For no heat; If you say your heating is coming out the vents cool. Then review this troubleshoot check list.

1. Check Coolant to see that it's the Blue-Green BMW coolant and coolant is filled. Other coolants can cause corrosive damage over time.

2. Check Cabin Mircofilter...if it need replacement ($16 for filter at dealer), it can be clogged and blocking warm air from getting in.

3. Also make sure that your engine is warmed up before you get heat. BMWs do tend to blow hot and A/C air optimally when the car is in motion and not when the car is parked.

4. Since you drive a 1998 E36...your cabin temp control is electrical and on those cars there is a common failure in the dashboard control units.

5. Other problems can be clogged or damaged heater core ($$$ to fix and a rare problem), You may need new fan belts (obvious to spot), your relevant fuses/relays concerning cabin temperature may need to be replaced (common), or your ECU/DME units are malfunctioning (very rare), You may also need a new thermostat.

Torque · 01-16-2006, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delmarco

I think the fan only runs when the car is moving andnot when the car is parked or idled. (it may be the opposite). At any rate, The fan is the A/C fan and not the heat fan. If the fan was broken then you A/C will not work.)

I just read a trouble shoot on this at Bavauto. For no heat; If you say your heating is coming out the vents cool. Then review this troubleshoot check list.

1. Check Coolant to see that it's the Blue-Green BMW coolant and coolant is filled. Other coolants can cause corrosive damage over time.

2. Check Cabin Mircofilter...if it need replacement ($16 for filter at dealer), it can be clogged and blocking warm air from getting in.

3. Also make sure that your engine is warmed up before you get heat. BMWs do tend to blow hot and A/C air optimally when the car is in motion and not when the car is parked.

4. Since you drive a 1998 E36...your cabin temp control is electrical and on those cars there is a common failure in the dashboard control units.

5. Other problems can be clogged or damaged heater core ($$$ to fix and a rare problem), You may need new fan belts (obvious to spot), your relevant fuses/relays concerning cabin temperature may need to be replaced (common), or your ECU/DME units are malfunctioning (very rare), You may also need a new thermostat.

No, no and no! She's talking about the electrical fan ... thermostat has nothing to do with it, nor do the fan belts.

Check the fuses, and if that checks out try running it off of the battery to see that it works ...

As for the heat issue; check your heater valve.

Cruzin 323is · 01-16-2006, 01:39 PM

even if torque doesnt agree with the thermostat issue...

does your thermostat in the car read in the middle? or is it in the blue?

Delmarco · 01-16-2006, 01:46 PM

Torque...I was giving simple quick DIY tips to this person. I'm an intermediate and I'm not gonna presume that everyone who calls their A/C fan "a pulley fan" knows how to check their heater core/valves.

I just gave some basic tips that I read in the late BAVAUTO magazine concerning heating/coolant problems in E36 BMWs.

I still reccomend that a mechanic check all the under the surface tech stuff if the person doesn't feel secure in ripping into their engine bay...during the frosty NE winter months.

93 325i · 01-16-2006, 02:18 PM

Could be a bad fan clutch or there is air trapped in the cooling system somewhere.. The aux fan you are talking about has nothing to do with getting heat or not. It serves as a back up fan for those really hot days and when you have A/C engaged. If this fan seems not to be working then I would check out the fuse under the hood.. but again wont attribute to the heat problem. I recently did a whole cooling system over haul with fan delete and the heat is alot hotter now. It may be time to replace some cooling parts, but I think a coolant flush and new fan clutch will solve that problem, as long as your dash temp gauge is reading normal.. if the temp gauge is always in the blue or near to it then the thermostat is stuck open and needs to be replaced..

Torque · 01-16-2006, 02:32 PM

Not to sound like a ass, but what are you talking about? This is about a electrical fan in front of the radiator. It doesn't have a fan clutch, it has a small electrical motor.

Delmarco · 01-16-2006, 03:50 PM

yeah but the fan is not causing his heat to blow cold.

I bet his fan is working. that fan does not spin all the time. It either spins when the A/C is on, when the car is driving. When parked the fan does not always spin...so looking inside the nose panel grills you may or maynot see the fan spinning...

If he has heating problems...what is wrong about checking the radiator fluids, passages and cabin vents? Thos are easy to check and once he confirms they are working then he can mosey onwards to pulling elctrical motors out of his dash panel and engine....

Delmarco · 01-16-2006, 04:19 PM

shit...its a she...
sorry Boston chic!

tomctx · 01-16-2006, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98e36bostonchic

the Fan ( the electrical fan you can see through the mouth of the front bukmper) doesn't turn on, even if I turn on the ac it still doesn't turn on, is it burned? I might have to have my bf chekc to see if there is juice going into it becofre I replace it.

BUt... is this the reason my car's heat doesnt blow warm unless I'm moving? and if I'm in the highway it blows cold (it;s winter here in boston).

Please help!

Okay, the fan you see under the grille is the auxiliary cooling fan. It comes on if the coolant temp gets to a certain point. Mostly in the summer months, traffic, etc. It also come on if you turn on the A/C. If it is not working with the A/C on, could be a fuse, the temp sensor in the radiator, the fan itself, or it just could be it doesn't work in the winter.

As far as heat is concerned, first make sure the cooling system is full and bled correctly. This solves most problems. And it sounds pretty much like your problem. If the cooling system is full, check heater valves, then the controls. Could also be a stuck open thermostat. Good luck.

98e36bostonchic · 01-16-2006, 09:30 PM

Ok guys thanks,
More info: when I say "puller fan" I do mean the fan that is switched on when the ac is blasting on hot summer days, that hasn’t been working period, it is whole other problem I wanted to have opinions on, so thanks. It is just too cold outside to hot wire the fan to the battery to check if it is burned or not, since I do believe there is juice going the connector when i turn the ac on. In the summer this auxiliary fan doesn’t work hence the car temp gauge goes almost to the read, luckily I did blast the heat to allow some of it to dissipate out of the system.

Moving on.. average tem here has been between 30 degrees and 45 degrees....the engine temp stays on the blue (cold zone) even after the has is sitting on idle for over 20 minutes, I get in rev it a little for about 2 minutes the heat blows warm, I drive normal at about 20 mph and the heat gets warmer, once I hit the highway the gauge drops back to the blue zone and the heat blows luke warm.

I also believe it might be the thermostat. Ok, what do you guys think still?

Delmarco · 01-16-2006, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Moving on.. average tem here has been between 30 degrees and 45 degrees....the engine temp stays on the blue (cold zone) even after the has is sitting on idle for over 20 minutes, I get in rev it a little for about 2 minutes the heat blows warm, I drive normal at about 20 mph and the heat gets warmer, once I hit the highway the gauge drops back to the blue zone and the heat blows luke warm.

that sound like thermostat to me...simple because the needle is not registering that the engine is warm at all. In terms of the hot air...on really cold days I've seen my needle hit the middle after 10 minutes of idle, the air does not blow warm UNTIL I drive off..then usually the air stays hot...but when I get on the highways and hit 60-70 mph on a 0 - 30 degree day my needle will dip to the cold side and the air is not hot but on the warm side (its not cold air, just warm air)...
It sounds like this is happening to your car, but more extreme. So it can be a
1. Coolant/heater core problem (physical blockage or malfunction).

2. Or back to thermostat problem / or your unit on your dash that controls the temp may be malfunctioning. (these would go under electrical problems)

I was trying to tell the others who responded that you were asking two entirely different question...one being heat...and the other about the A/C belt or pulley fan as you call it. No one listens to the dizzle!
:lol:

good luck bostonchic!

drz · 01-17-2006, 01:03 AM

I have not attentively read all of the thread but:

- In addition to what these gentlemen have suggested, make sure to check if the auxiliary fan switch is working. It is a small, anout $30 part that determinnes if the aux fan is turned on and at what speed. But you don't need to worry about this at the time.

- If the temperature drops that much while you are driving on the highway, then it sounds like it is a thermostat issue. The if your thermostat is stuck open, then the cold air flowing aginst your radiator will keep your engine very cool, hence not allowing for good heater performance.

Furious · 01-17-2006, 02:49 AM

i didnt read the replies i kinda skimmed them all

1. the front fan is known as the auxilury fan, there could be a few reasons why its not working but the main one is probably gonna be that the fan itself is seized up, very common issue with these and as a matter of fact is the reason mine dosent work....

2. in relation to the hot air issue, normaly our cars dont produce as much hot air as we would when the car is moving only because the engine produces more heat than we would at idle... however in this case i think your thermostat needs to be changed, sounds like its stuck open , which is much better than stuck closed which will overheat the engine completely.

Delmarco · 01-17-2006, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Furious

i didnt read the replies i kinda skimmed them all

1. the front fan is known as the auxilury fan, there could be a few reasons why its not working but the main one is probably gonna be that the fan itself is seized up, very common issue with these and as a matter of fact is the reason mine dosent work....
.

Would some WD40 fix the siezed auxilary fan?

Those fans are alot of money to replace...($250+ just for the fan alone)