Re: slightly hot e-30 (so far?)

["Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jake,

Make sure that the auxiliary fan (in front of the radiator) is turning on 
when you turn on your AC.  If it isn't, you need to fix the problem.  It 
could be a bad resistor.

The auxiliary fan will also turn on if the coolant temp gets above a certain 
temp (220?).  So, if you're stuck in stop-and-go traffic, WITHOUT the AC on, 
and the fan can't pull sufficient air through your radiator to cool the car, 
the auxiliary fan will turn on to help cool things down.

Also, check the condition of your fan clutch.  It should freewheel when the 
engine is cold, and get progressively firmer as hot air is drawn onto it 
(through the radiator).  If it's freewheeling at operating temp, it's not 
drawing sufficient air through the radiator, and you will overheat.

To test the fan clutch: The only test that I've read about (never tried) is:

1) Get the engine up to operating temp (15-20 minute drive)
2) Roll up a newspaper
3) While the engine idles, use the newspaper to try and stop the fan from 
spinning.  Don't just stuff it into the fan blades, but bring it towards the 
fan slowly, on the trailing side (blades rotating away from you).

If you can significantly slow the fan, or stop it all together, the fan 
clutch is bad and should be replaced.

These things don't seem to last very long, and they aren't cheap, but they 
really are essential for your car.

- -rb

>
>Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2001 17:33:28 EDT
>From: JHahn22@domain.elided
>Subject: slightly hot e-30 (so far?)
>
>Hello again everyone,
>Lately I've noticed that the temp needle on my 89 325i starts creeping 
>upwards whenever I leave it idling for very long with the A/C on.  A month 
>or so ago it was about 85 degrees out and I was stuck in bumper to bumper 
>traffic for about an hour or so.  I noticed towards the end that the needle 
>was well past the 3/4 mark on the guage and approaching red.  I shut down 
>the a/c and the temp dropped down fairly quickly.  I've noticed it getting 
>warm like this (not as much though) other times when it idles with the A/C 
>on. I'm wondering if this is normal.  It hasn't gotten hot enough to make 
>me think the engine was in any danger. . .yet.  But I live in central texas 
>and >it will be getting a LOT hotter this summer.  I just want to be ready 
>for it.
>  I remember hearing about a low and a high speed on the aux fan, and some 
>reason why the high might give up.  (H2O temp sensor in bottom right hand 
>corner of radiator perhaps?).  Somebody please refresh my memory, and let 
>me know if I'm being paranoid.
>Thanks in advance,
>Jake
>Bryan, TX
>89 325i ('s'ified)

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