A/C Aux Fan difficult to replace?

[Best4x4xFAR]

I've searched and searched, but I must be using the wrong key words. I'm sure others have replaced the auxiliary fan on an E53. Is it difficult? Are the parts expensive? Are there any DIY's posted for this? Our A/C works fine when we are moving, but goes warm at idle. Dealer wants $1,200 to replace the fan Seems a bit ridiculous to me, no? Thanks..

[upallnight]

Look up bumper removal since the bumper needs to be removed. The fan is removed from the bottom of the X. Just two bolts secure the fan to the radiator support.

Perhaps there's a youtube video on either the fan removal or the bumpr removal.

[upallnight]

Youtube video to remove the front bumper cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rZ31Ia7Lqo

[David.X5]

There is a DIY - I had to do this myself already - http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ditioning.html

You will have to completely remove the front bumper cover (I asked a friend to come over and help to avoid scratching it, but it wasn't such a hard job, the parking distance sensors are the only PITA part of that) and then you can wiggle and jiggle the old shroud and fan out and the new one in.


FCP Euro sells the Behr fan for around $340. If you are a repeat customer, they have coupon codes to knock another $10 off that price. The Behr is OEM for many of the cooling parts, can't say for sure who made the original fan. I have had no problems with mine yet.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by David.X5

There is a DIY - I had to do this myself already - http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ditioning.html

You will have to completely remove the front bumper cover (I asked a friend to come over and help to avoid scratching it, but it wasn't such a hard job, the parking distance sensors are the only PITA part of that) and then you can wiggle and jiggle the old shroud and fan out and the new one in.


FCP Euro sells the Behr fan for around $340. If you are a repeat customer, they have coupon codes to knock another $10 off that price. The Behr is OEM for many of the cooling parts, can't say for sure who made the original fan. I have had no problems with mine yet.

Siemens

[Best4x4xFAR]

Thanks Everyone!

[Best4x4xFAR]

Well, installed the new fan this weekend. A/C is nice and cold at a stand still once again. Wasn't too bad, worst part was getting the old one out, seemed to be stuck in the upper clips.

Or maybe I should say the worst part of it was that it was taken to a dealer, cause half the front bumper bolts were loose, there was a new little ding in the front fender, and a recently replaced CV boot now has an awfully clean looking slice in it (with nearly no spray yet around the wheel, so it is fresh)..

I hate to be accusatory, but it sure seems like some retaliation for not paying them $1,200 to replace the fan

[upallnight]

Even if there wasn't a code for a bad aux fan, they could have used BMW diagnostic software to command the fan to turn on and off without having to remove the bumper.

Considering an OEM Aux fan is between 500 - 600 bucks and it's a 4 hours job to replace the fan, 1200 is probably a so so price from the dealer to perform this work.

[Best4x4xFAR]

Originally Posted by upallnight

Even if there wasn't a code for a bad aux fan, they could have used BMW diagnostic software to command the fan to turn on and off without having to remove the bumper.

Considering an OEM Aux fan is between 500 - 600 bucks and it's a 4 hours job to replace the fan, 1200 is probably a so so price from the dealer to perform this work.

I get it. I was sure there was a procedure for testing the fan, but wasn’t privy to what it was. Eventually I talked to the shop foreman, and he said they had a procedure to test the fan input using an oscilloscope, since it was a PWM signal. I was concerned because somewhere along the line the service advisor said the fan was working ‘intermittently’ and I wanted to make sure it was not some controller issue (like the AUC sensor or other). They may not have had to remove the bumper to do this, but I suspect they may have already, figuring I was just going to okay them changing the fan, but when I didn’t, they threw it back together, poorly at best..

Point is, they didn’t test the fan when asked (repeatedly). Told me instead the fan was fine. Jerked me around for two weeks, performed unnecessary services to the car, even after I indicated (again repeatedly) that I did not believe that to be the issue, and did not agree with the symptoms they were telling me they were seeing (warm middle vents, cool outer).

It seems to me the techs either have NO ABILITY to troubleshoot an issue, or are too damn lazy to try. They simply follow some generic procedure for A/C not cold. Don’t even bother to listen to the details that it is cold underway, warm at a stop (dead giveaway, especially give how common this issue seems to be).

As for the price, maybe, but it took me about 4 hours to replace the fan, if it takes a BMW tech that long to do it, that doesn’t seem like a very experienced tech to me. I’m sure there is plenty of mark-up in the part as well. AND NOTHING, I REPEAT NOTHING WARRANTS DAMAGING A CUSTOMER’S CAR INTENTIONALLY BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T GET THE WORK.

No, I can’t prove it, or I would be making them pay for the repair, but I can assure you I will NEVER take my vehicle back there, between the total incompetence of the diagnosis process, and now this..

Rant Off..

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by Best4x4xFAR

As for the price, maybe, but it took me about 4 hours to replace the fan, if it takes a BMW tech that long to do it, that doesn’t seem like a very experienced tech to me. I’m sure there is plenty of mark-up in the part as well.

Just because he's a tech doesn't mean he work any faster than you. It will take the tech the same amount of time to replace a tire as the average guy. He may be able to shave some time off, but the dealership will still charge you the book time allocated for the job.