Is an electric fan worth the money?

[BlackSapphire]

Cool thread started guys, read pretty much the whole thing. This is defiantly happening after spring gets here. Some things to think about.
The 540 does have an aux electric fan as well for aux cooling and A/C? ( not sure someone may have to correct me ) so my thought is that there is a back up system there for you to work with. Depending on DIY skill the relay with the Temp sensor sounds like a really good and pretty failsafe way to go about it. Mounting the Temp sensor seems to be key. Well as thrilos5 said

Seeing as we are running plastic anyways, doesn't seem too bad. Well what if we go Metal housing ( that is available after market for the 540 right? ) It would be worth the money to have that tapped.
To my knowledge a temp sensor is a small on/off switch, when temp is reached per sensor ratings, the circuit is closed completing the circuit. Where do you complete it to? A relay, which is just a bigger switch. But it's a switch to a switch, turning on your fan.

A small MS Paint rendition of what you can do, to my knowledge this is what needs to be done. Please help if anything you see is wrong.

I guess it depends on what kind of temp sensor you get. The one that comes with Zionsville wouldn't work as drawn. It is on the ground leg of the relay. The sensor gets a constant ground and then has two output wires - one for each pre-set temp setting. When the coolant reaches a pre-set temp, the sensor will ground the circuit which allows the relay to trip. At that point, the relay supplies 12v to the fan itself. This would be the same concept if it were a single-speed as well - just one less wire from the sensor and one less relay in the circuit.

[jerkstore]

anyone else make any progress with this? I think I might go this route. I live about 15 minutes away from zionsville maybe should go and ask if they would sell the wiring kit.

[Camarok]

I guess it depends on what kind of temp sensor you get. The one that comes with Zionsville wouldn't work as drawn. It is on the ground leg of the relay. The sensor gets a constant ground and then has two output wires - one for each pre-set temp setting. When the coolant reaches a pre-set temp, the sensor will ground the circuit which allows the relay to trip. At that point, the relay supplies 12v to the fan itself. This would be the same concept if it were a single-speed as well - just one less wire from the sensor and one less relay in the circuit.

Ah yes true true, guess it's a matter how how you do everything I guess... well obviously Some times it's nice just to see something in picture form. I would like to go two stage with a nice Spal..... hmmm should get on that soon... 83k on the clock....

[xisco44]

i did this mod on my car and i live in a 35c degree country

im using a 14 inch fan that cost me 25 bucks from a nissan sentra or something like that.
is running direct with a relay so its always on.
why i put it this way?
cuz its temporary i need to get a bigger fan just in case

i have drive the car on heavy traffic and checking the temperature with my obc the higher it gets is to 100c and im talking heavy traffic.
spirited driving 95c
the needle is always death center don't move at all. NEVER

im not using watter wetter or a cooler thermostat.

so if you are using a spal fan of 16 inch YOU should not have any overheating issues

[macbookproaudio]

are the electric fans any quieter?

[xisco44]

my fan is always on and i cant hear
the only thing i do as for paranoia is every time im going to turn the car on i put it in on (on) first without starting to make sure is working.
then i crank the engine when the engine is running i never listen to it

[Paintballistic]

anyone else make any progress with this? I think I might go this route. I live about 15 minutes away from zionsville maybe should go and ask if they would sell the wiring kit.

do et!

[jerkstore]

do et!

So they are not open on saturdays and I don't think that I will be able to make it over there until Tuesday. I will try to remember to do this on Tuesday

[jerkstore]

So I went to Zionsville Autosport today and talked to a guy there. They said they would be willing to sell the their wiring kit by itself, but there is an issue.

The Zionsville custom cooling kit include a temperature sensor that checks the temperature of the coolant. This sensor screws into the custom radiator. He said that the fan control switch cannot communicate with the BMW's digital signal b/c it uses and anolog signal.

He said that if i can figure out a wat to screw the coolant sensor into a radiator hose that would be my best bet. I don't think I would want to put a sensor in my coolant hose. I would be afriad that would weaken the hose and it might fail. Same with the radiator.

Anyone have any ideas on where the sensor could be mounted?

[Michael Star]

I have one of those adjustable units you pick up from Autozone stuck in my radiator. I monitored the temp of the engine (via the High OBC) and I have it kick on once it hits 113c.

[Jason5driver]

Im in Union about 10-15min from you, anytime you want to check out the set up let me know


yes I used a relay and a BMW temp switch from an e36 M3 threaded into the thermostat housing, it looks like it came from the factory that way

Where did you get the E36 M3 temp switch???
Dealer?

There is also the PWM.
It's a temp sensor:
http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2001...n_controller/1

http://www.carshopinc.com/advanced_s...2e57e7&x=0&y=0

[thrilos5]

I got it from a salvage car

[jerkstore]

I have one of those adjustable units you pick up from Autozone stuck in my radiator. I monitored the temp of the engine (via the High OBC) and I have it kick on once it hits 113c.

Can you provide some insight of how and where you installed the sensor? Pictures would be great

[Jason5driver]

I got it from a salvage car

Thanks for the reply!

Do you have any pictures of the E36 temp switch on your thermostat?

How does it screw in?

Which is better?;
1. the PWM temp sensor
http://www.carshopinc.com/advanced_s...2e57e7&x=0&y=0
2. or the E36 M3 temp sensor???

Thank you!
Jason

I found this link for fitting the Electric fan to the radiator:
http://www.the-fan-man.com/shop/fan-accessories-c-23.html

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=12335107#post12335107&highlight=S pal+electric+fan

"Here's some pics of the steel bars riveted in using 1/8" rivets on my Spal 16" Curved Blade Puller fan:"

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...l/DSC03459.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...l/DSC03443.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...l/DSC03448.jpg

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/1700/img1139jx4.jpg


http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/6648/img1381gn9.jpg

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/9693/fan1lg9.jpg

[Michael Star]

Can you provide some insight of how and where you installed the sensor? Pictures would be great

The kit comes with a metal probe about 3" long with wires sticking out the back. It was small enough to actually stick through the rad (fins) so I mounted it to the top row (heat rises? figured it would be the best), then let my car sit and idle till I saw it hit 113c on the dash.

[jerkstore]

The kit comes with a metal probe about 3" long with wires sticking out the back. It was small enough to actually stick through the rad (fins) so I mounted it to the top row (heat rises? figured it would be the best), then let my car sit and idle till I saw it hit 113c on the dash.

So the sensor does not actually screw into the radiator somewhere ( no holes made). It is just a sensor that pulls a temperature off the aluminum? how long have you been using this system? does it seem to work pretty well?

[BlackSapphire]

Have a metal shop that works with aluminum take a female coupler and tig weld a bung into it for the zionsville temp sensor.... screw something similar to this [see pic] on both ends of it. Cut tubing, insert, enjoy. Not saying this would be easy but it's a thought.

[Michael Star]

So the sensor does not actually screw into the radiator somewhere ( no holes made). It is just a sensor that pulls a temperature off the aluminum? how long have you been using this system? does it seem to work pretty well?

Ya, it is just a long metal probe. I stuck it in when I was still in Florida, and in stop and go, oh-my-god-it's-95-degrees-with-100%-humidity, weather without a single problem.

[jerkstore]

Have a metal shop that works with aluminum take a female coupler and tig weld a bung into it for the zionsville temp sensor.... screw something similar to this [see pic] on both ends of it. Cut tubing, insert, enjoy. Not saying this would be easy but it's a thought.

I am not making any holes in my cooling hoses. That is just asking for a coolant leak/ hose failure. Thanks for the idea though.

Ya, it is just a long metal probe. I stuck it in when I was still in Florida, and in stop and go, oh-my-god-it's-95-degrees-with-100%-humidity, weather without a single problem.

Did you make a custom fan shroud or did you just mount the fan to the radiator? I am hesitant to not make a custom shroud out of aluminum. It's winter now, not worried about it, but I think i would want it is the summer.

Do you happen to have a part # for what you bought from autozone?

Was it something like this?

http://www.jegs.com/i/Derale/259/16759/10002/-1#

[Michael Star]

I just used the stock one. Didn't cut it at all. I just watched the temp a lot to see if it ever went hot in stopped traffic, and it never did. Now I live in Tennessee, so I am a lot less worried about it.

[BlackSapphire]

I am not making any holes in my cooling hoses. That is just asking for a coolant leak/ hose failure. Thanks for the idea though.

Here's another idea for you then:

How about you stick with the stock setup and just maintain it?

[Jason5driver]

Here's another idea for you then:

How about you stick with the stock setup and just maintain it?

LOL!

Dough!

[jerkstore]

Here's another idea for you then:

How about you stick with the stock setup and just maintain it?

Yeah thats why i am doing research on this. I am debating whether or not to do this. I could spend $150 on a new clutch and fan or I could spend $200 and some time and never have to worry about my fan exploding. Don't be a debbie downer.

[5mall5nail5]

Anyone done this WITHOUT using the incredibly expensive Zionville kit?

Should be no reason to need the Zionville kit. If you just replace the clutched fan w/ an electric fan of about equal CFM you should be good. Some guys will swap thermostats and such but I really don't think it'd be necessary. Get a SPAL fan (www.the-fan-man.com) that moves around, oh say 1400 - 1600 CFM if I had to guess, and have it wired always on with the ignition (use a relay w/ a diode) and you should be good to go. Should cost about $120 from that site.

[Michael Star]

I like to err on the side of caution and picked up a fan that moves 2000cfm.