Auxiliarry fan
 

OK guys here is a strange one for you.

While in Ukraine, I did some maintenance work on the X5. The mechanics at the shop were great and the prices were great, so I took advantage of them and fix several things that needed to be fixed.

However, the electrician, next door, which the shop used for all things electrical, was a crook. He tried to get money out of things that weren't necessary, both from me and my son (he also has an X5).

Now, during one of my visits to the shop, he run a diagnostic on the car, and he told me that my aux fan is NOT working. That was strange because I've checked the car for errors a few days ago, and there was nothing in the memory (well, nothing that I didn't know, like the glow plug in cylinder 5 that needs to be replaced, but living in Greece, I do not think that it is necessary). Also, a couple of weeks ago, the car has been checked by BMW Bulgaria and the fan was not mentioned. So :

1. the fan went south between the previous time the car was checked and when he checked it.
2. The electrician was pulling my leg, with a temp error which never appeared before.
3. During the work that the mechanics did on my front suspension, they have disconnected something that controls the fan.
4. The fan is indeed not working (to be honest, I've never seen it working, but I am not sure when the bloody fan is supposed to work. Temps were not high enough to warranty its engagement). Temperature gauge never went above normal.

So I guess what I need to know is how can I check and make sure that the fan indeed is not OK. What other things I need to check before deciding that the fan is bad?

Also, what module should I check for errors, to see the exact error the electrician saw?

On U.S.A. trucks the aux fan comes on when the AC is on. A non working aux fan will not allow the AC to cool down the car in traffic and may not allow the AC to work at all. Drive the truck and turn on the ac is the ac working, have the truck idle with the ac on and note if the fan ever comes on or if the temperature for the ac starts to rise.

If you have software such as BMW 1.4 or carsoft 6.5 or inpa you can just run a scan. The scan will tell you if you have a bad aux. fan.

Will do, I have INPA, GT1, SSS, NCSExpert everything. I wish I knew how to use GT1, but I'll figure it out.

ΟΚ, here are the error codes I got by scannning the car with INPA:

0x41F1; Elektroluefter
Error code: 41 F1 32

0x4B22 Elektroluefter
Error code: 4B 22 24

I also checkd the thick wires for voltage, with the air condition in full power and it does have 13.6V or something similar. So I guess electricity is flowing to the fan. Before I decide that the fan is bad, anyone has any idea where is the thin wire coming from, to check that out? Just in case it has been ripped off, during the maintenance work I had on the car.

turn your airconditioner on

DME 100Hz

The thin wire is coming from the engine computer. It sends a pulse signal to turn on the fan and control the speed of the fan. The faster the pulse, the faster the fan speed.

WRONG !

Well, share your knowledge with us! Inquiring minds want to know. ;)

FYI: The DME is called the engine computer.

BMW Technology Guide : Digital Motor Electronics (DME)