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Thread: *DIY Aux Fan

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    3,309
    My Cars
    17 330i Touring M-sport

    *DIY Aux Fan

    First - here's the correct part# for the fan:


    There is a little tool that looks like a flathead screwdriver bent at a 90-degree angle that will let you release the clips holding the indicator-light fixture in. I do not have said tool. This is how I get them out. I've never broken one this way - your mileage may vary.

    Pop out the indicators like so... Careful - just pop out this side and slide them forward. Force them, and you'll break off the tabs:


    Unplug light and put aside. Push the wires inside the bumper cover. Rinse and repeat for the other side


    Using your thumb, give the trim a little push towards the front of the car


    It should slide forward like this:


    Now gently pull this out from the bumper


    Go around front and wriggle the trim forward. It will eventually release its grip and come free. You'll be left with this. (Do all the proceeding steps on the other side.)


    Some would unplug the fogs, I choose to simply remove the lamp as the connectors can get stuck. (Yes, my valance needs paint...so does yours..)


    On the driver's side of the valance, there is a little panel. On the upper left side of the panel, there is a little button. My finger is pointing at the button. Push it:


    It'll pop open and look like this:


    There's your temperature sensor for the dash. Wriggle it out to the rear of the car and leave it hanging


    Now buzz-off the 4 bolts holding on the bumper


    On the sides of the bumper, you'll notice little round things that look like this:


    They're locks that hold the bumper-sliders on and assist with alignment. Put a large flathead screwdriver in there and turn counter-clockwise, while pushing in. They'll turn about 45-degrees and stop. Remove them.


    Now pull out slightly to un-hook the wheel-well plastic from the bumper cover and slide the cover forward an inch or so. Do the same for the other side.


    Your bumper should now be free. Just slide it off and put it aside.


    Note: these are the sliders. They're almost always broken when the car has a minor bump, or some doofus mangles them putting the bumper cover on. They're cheap - like $12. Replace them if they're broken.


    Now to remove the grille.

    Looking in through the nostrils, you'll see some tabs hooking the center section to a support bar. My focus sucks, but you can see the black plastic tabs my finger is pointing to:


    Reach in from the underside and push up on the tabs to un-hook them. The bottom of the grill will pop-free when both tabs have been undone.


    There are 2 more tabs on the top. Lift up on the tabs and slide the center forward.


    The wings of the grille are a little tricky... There are other ways, but this is mine. Yes, they can be un-clipped from inside the engine bay, but it's a bitch and only suggested if you don't already have the bumper cover off.

    On the underside, push in on the 2 tabs and gently wiggle the wings free. There is a top-hook that's a bear to access, but they can be removed without releasing them if you are gentle. Careful - you don't want to bend this part and it does bend easily. Once this step has been completed on both sides, the grille is free to be removed.


    Here is where the top-hook resides. You can see now how much of a pain it is to access from inside... Note the clip that we've just released:


    Here is a close-up of the retaining clip. This is another commonly broken part and is about $8. If the sides of your grille are not fastened, here is the culprit. Easy and cheap fix.


    Detail of how the clips sit in the grille-wings. If it isn't snug, remove the clip and feel free to gently squeeze the metal of the grille together a tad.


    Viola!


    And the parts pile:


    The connector is on the bottom of the fan. Disconnect it.


    Get an 8mm wrench and get to work removing the 3 nuts that hold the fan in-place. Remove the nuts completely - you'll thank me for this later. Trust me. The nuts are at 3,7, and 11 o'clock.


    The nut at 11:00 was put there as a joke by the same drunken Bavarian engineers that designed the wiring harnesses for the touring hatch. You can get to it from the front, but it turns in 1/16th of a turn increments. There's a better way. You can see the problems with space in this pic (again, it's out of focus, but you can see the grommet and nut back there...):
    Last edited by shogun; 03-23-2019 at 07:27 AM.


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    3,309
    My Cars
    17 330i Touring M-sport
    Open the hood, unclip the radiator, and push it towards the engine.


    Undo these two bolts (10mm) and don't lose them. There is one that goes here, and one that's about 20" towards the driver's side:


    Gently move the A/C coils back towards the engine. Now get an 1/4-drive 8mm socket and an extension and get to work on that nut:


    It takes some grunting since the bushings have probably damn near welded themselves to the mounts, but eventually the fan will pop-free. Remove the fan and have a beer.

    Grab your replacement and wrestle it into position. It won't simply slide in - no, no - the drunken engineers have made sure of that - but if you're patient - you'll win. Once the fan is in-place, install the nuts, and put it all back together. Before you re-install the bumper and grille - follow the Bentley's instructions on hotwiring the fan as a test to make sure it works.

    If it does, put everything else back on and have another beer. The grille literally snaps into place. The bumper cover is a little more tricky.

    Make sure the sliders are on the bumper cover, and not stuck to the receivers on the car. If they are on the car, just pop them off and put them in the proper place in the cover. Put the cover into position, and slide it in just until the edge of the bumper meets the grille. In other words, don't squish your fingers. Now go under the car and fish the indicator plugs through the holes in the bumper cover. If you don't do this, you'll regret it. I promise.

    Slide the cover back until it meets the wheelwell. On each side, gently pull out on the cover while sliding it back and the wheel-well plastic will pop into place. Now go around front and push the cover firmly against the shocks and hand-tighten the nuts. Look at where the edge of the bumper cover meets the fender and make sure they're in about the same area on either side. Take your slider-locks and once you're satisfied with the alignment, lock them down. ("Lock" is really the wrong word as they don't do much other than 'suggest' to the bumper that it should remain in this position...)

    Torque down the front 4 nuts. Install trim. Install lights. Drink beer.

    You're done.
    Last edited by TouringDan; 06-23-2009 at 12:17 AM.


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