Cooling fan loud and going on and off

[adkNY]

2013 x5 e70 200k miles. Cooling fan going on and off around every 30 seconds or so. I have a Foxwell scanner and it shows the operating temperatures are low. An active test of the fan shows I could turn it on and off. Coolant level is good. Any ideas?

[whirlybirdisfree]

Originally Posted by adkNY

2013 x5 e70 200k miles. Cooling fan going on and off around every 30 seconds or so. I have a Foxwell scanner and it shows the operating temperatures are low. An active test of the fan shows I could turn it on and off. Coolant level is good. Any ideas?

I am not sure about the loudness part, but my 08 was doing the same with the fans and it ended up being the coolant temp sensor.
On the same note, my friend's fans started cycling constantly and it ended up being his electric water pump was failing.

[jbash87]

What engine?

[adkNY]

The scanner shows the engine coolant temperature at 170degF. Similar to the engine oil temperature. The fan first turned on when the coolant temperature reached 117° f. So I don't think it's the temperature sensor. Unless the control unit uses a different temp sensor? I don't think it's the water pump either because of the same reason. The temperatures are fine. The coolant pump did fail at 70,000 miles and was replaced. Could this be due to the A/C? I did have the air conditioner compressor replaced two summers ago. It was not working and it threw an a/c clutch code.

[adkNY]

N55 engine

[adkNY]

Looks like something in the ac. I just turned the climate controls to the lowest 60° and pressed air conditioner to Max and let it run for a few minutes. No more fan cycling! I'm going to guess its the pressure switch.

[whirlybirdisfree]

Could be. Have you checked the refrigerant level?

[adkNY]

I don't have tools for that but my local mechanic can do that. The AC worked great all summer. Hard to test air conditioning now with the colder temperatures in Northern New York.

[zjuyyhu]

It is telling you that the water pump is failing, sometimes it is running but sometimes it is not. Get a new water pump and thermostat as soon as possible before you are stuck in highway, which happened to me.

[whirlybirdisfree]

Yeah just talked to my buddy and he agrees with the above. Said the ac trick worked for awhile but then pump went out.

Check water pump operation using the bleeding procedure and see if stream is low or intermittent pulsing.

On my N52 the job wasnt so bad but dont know about N55

[adkNY]

You guys are correct. It just lit up some water pump codes and put the engine in limp mode.

Water pump was replaced at 70,000 miles ($1400) at a dealer. I did get $1,000 back from BMW from a class action suit. And now it's failed again. Not a DIY for me. One Indie quoted me $2,000 or $1100 if I supply my own parts. Seems pricey for 3 to 4 hours of labor. Also these guys aren't available for a month. I think some expert BMW mechanics in my area have been detained and deported.

FOXWELL Fault Codes

3792/not present
Engine cooling system
Coolant pump speed outside of tolerance

377A/not present
Engine

[whirlybirdisfree]

Not sure on the N55 but on my N52 they were quoting me 2800 at the local shop. I ordered the pump and thermostat and did it myself. Took 2-3 hours and some patience but if you dont have a heated space I wouldnt attempt in this cold lol

[zjuyyhu]

Originally Posted by adkNY

You guys are correct. It just lit up some water pump codes and put the engine in limp mode.

Water pump was replaced at 70,000 miles ($1400) at a dealer. I did get $1,000 back from BMW from a class action suit. And now it's failed again. Not a DIY for me. One Indie quoted me $2,000 or $1100 if I supply my own parts. Seems pricey for 3 to 4 hours of labor. Also these guys aren't available for a month. I think some expert BMW mechanics in my area have been detained and deported.

FOXWELL Fault Codes

3792/not present
Engine cooling system
Coolant pump speed outside of tolerance

377A/not present
Engine

Depends where you live, the cost should be between $800-$1200. You don’t need to find expert BMW mechanics to do this job. Just ask any mechanics who knows how to do it. Good luck!

[adkNY]

Fixed. Found a good local Indy. $1590 including BMW water pump and thermostat. Back in the saddle!