540i electric fan

[upbeatgfx]

Hello,

I was looking to install an electric fan to my 540. The mechanical fan is annoying and loud to say the least. I've read threads of people saying an electric can overheat the engine or cause A/C problems (Not sure if they are uneducated.)

I was looking to install a 16" spal electric fan (straight blade) (1298 cfm)
https://www.amazon.com/Spal-30100400...ds=spal+16%22\

I will modify some brackets to put on the OEM shroud.

With adding this electric fan I would like to add a auto turn-on switch and an override switch so I know the fan is 100% on.

Is it true it can damage/ mess with the system or will I be fine?

[JimLev]

Overheat the engine??? They must have done it wrong.
A number of us have put electric fans in and have been using them for 5-10 years.
I have mine inside the OE shroud with the OD of the fan sealed to the ID of the shroud. This pulls ALL of the air they the radiator.
Get a curved blade fan, they are suppose to be quieter than a straight blade fan.

[TJ98E39]

I've been using electric with no issues, only thing I did which most don't agree is mine in fused straight to the battery, only reason why its 105 out here. I just want to keep it cool.

[Iforgetalot]

What I did.
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...elete-test-fit

[Mannyf540]

I’m glad you reminded me of this!!
Very nicely done.

[geargrinder]

There's loads of electric fan writeups at this point (as Iforgetalot demonstrated...)

I think its silly to run the fan all the time when it isn't doing anything at roadspeed anyway. Even if its 105C all the time, a thermostat should still work fine because it will indeed just run the fan all the time under those conditions. So really, you should have some kind of switch/controller. The basic choice is simple electromechanical relay type controllers that generally have 1, 2 or maybe 3 speeds, or, a PWM controller thats smarter and uses a continuous control over the fan, at the expense of being more expense natchurlly.

I'm not wild about the flat shroud approach, I suspect the clever cake-pan style installs using the tapered factory shroud use the whole radiator much better (off the top of my head, see philly's old writeup , but also search on cake pan fan etc.)

[JimLev]

GG, wasn't it our buddy C.Wise that started with the cake pans for the fan mounted in the shroud?

[Mannyf540]

Negative.... well I remember FM Zip was the first to do the Big Daddio cake pan.
But you have to christen it, by making chocolate cookies for the boys at BFC.