Need new Aux Fan, ebay?

[Crono]

Okay, found two auctions on ebay with aux fans. One is for $150, the other for $250. The second auction quotes "This fan is manufactured in Germany. Beware of others that are selling these fans on ebay that are made in China!!!" so I assume it is worth the extra cash?

First Auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=33600&item=7987895587&sspagename=WDVW)

Second Auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=33600&item=7987552633&sspagename=WDVW)

And another thing I'm confused about is the difference in some of the E36's aux fan compression frames. One auction states, "For the E36, just make sure it comes with the frame as in the picture and not with a large frame (compression frame)." as the other one states "just make sure yours come with the compression frame (See 2nd pic.). Only a few BMW don't have this frame."

Am I stuck buying an aux fan assembly from the stealer? :/

[beatniks325]

can't u use your old fan assembly?

not sure what to think of those two fans in the auctions, but look about the same, which is kinda different from the stock aux fan (at least in my 93).

I replaced mine when i needed to with a 16" univeral electrical fan that i grabbed from checkers for like $65. modified the old fan shroud to fit the new fan and wired it up. works great!

[Crono]

I would think I could use my old fan assembly, but when I look my car up on oemparts.com (02/1992 E36 325is) they show a compression shroud, which the fan on the auction says to avoid.

Did they make the aux fan assembly differently for the first few months / year of E36 production?

[beatniks325]

To me those look more like the aux fan's that are on some of the 318's and z3's.

my 93 uses the shroud, that is the part i modified.

i should take my bumper off and snap some pics for a diy on it but been pretty busy.

i should add I removed the cage on the universal fan i dropped in there too.

[STEVE36]

Ebay? If you trust those auctions for an important part of your car's cooling system which is sketchy by design already, then sure. You just run the risk of overheating your engine, possibly blowing a head gasket etc.

Steve

[DavE36]

Do you need to replace the whole assembly, or just the motor? Mine just needed the motor replaced and I found the exact replacement from AutoZone for about $85.00. Good luck.

[Steve530]

Do you need to replace the whole assembly, or just the motor? Mine just needed the motor replaced and I found the exact replacement from AutoZone for about $85.00. Good luck.

Well, I'm suprised that AutoZone has the motor. I checked their website and they indeed list just the motor for $149. A lot more tha $85, but much, much less than the $300+ for the assembly..

How hard was it to replace the motor?

[DavE36]

Sorry for the delayed reply. The motor is easy to replace in the assembly if you remove the bumper and pull the fan assembly out in one piece. I did it the hard way because I didn't want to remove the bumper. it is possible to take the fan assembly apart in place and pull the parts out the bottom, but I wouldn't recommend it. I did this before I had a Bently manual, and I wasn't sure how to remove the bumper.

BTW, I checked my receipts and it was about $150.00 :embarrasm , but like you said it's still half the cost of the fan assembly.