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Thread: The Ultimate FDM (Fan Delete Mod) Thread

  1. #1
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    The Ultimate FDM (Fan Delete Mod) Thread

    Well, we got a lot of threads on this same thing and still a new one shows up every week or so So I guess we needed something like this.

    Everyone feel free to add links to the other FDM threads and to post any relevant info. Everyone can help. Also if someone makes a new thread on the FDM, you can just post a link to this thread and ask me to close the new thread

    PS: If this doesn't turn out to be a good idea, I'll just unpark it and lock it


    Quote Originally Posted by ClintonM3 View Post
    the Audi A4 is a tweaked, cosmetically enhanced, cross platform, put-together overnight VW.
    Quote Originally Posted by joeuser528e View Post
    Staggard setups are for cars that you park at show meets. They go well with 5 screens and 3 12"s.

  2. #2
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    a never ending project
    Greatest Thread ever.

    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...fan+delete+mod

    Thank you Daved for cutting down the new thread count in half.

  3. #3
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    good job on the sticky now i do believe you haha

    EDIT:
    ok here is the link to the fan delete thread i made, #1111 of 100000000000
    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ght=fan+delete

    as for my experience with the fan delete mod...

    as soon as i did the fan delete my temp gauge was straight up (it was dropping in temp because my t-stat was sticking before) i got the kit from understeer.com for about $80 i think. i tried to find the parts myself but after calculating everything (switch ~$40, t-stat ~$20, water wetter ~$15-20, rings, gaskets, etc.. $5-10) i decided it was easiest to just order from them, get everything right away and be done with it.

    at first, i put only one bottle of water wetter, and it worked fine. i added the other like 2 weeks ago just for the hell of it.

    my temp gauge did start getting hotter but i think it's because i didn't bleed the system right. the night it started getting hotter, i bled the system by having my g/f keep the revs at 2500-3000 for a couple mins, while coolant just kept spilling out. i was sure that way i would get all the air out. then i had her just rev it up to 2500-3000, let go, rev again let go, a few times just to make sure i see no air. i closed the bleed screw and topped off that night and the next day.

    ever since then, it's been fine.... but ever since then, and i think this is only in my head, the temp gauge seemed to lean a hair to the hot side. to prove to myself that it was where it should be, i put the fan back on, and drove the car with the fan on, and the "cooler" t-stat and fan switch for a few days. didn't notice a difference at all, except on like 15-20 min drives on the highway, naturally, the temp gauge went a hair or two to the cool side. i decided that i'm fine without the fan, so i took it off again. been without it for a week or so now, and everything's fine.

    i've been in 55-60 degree weather at most so i don't know how this will hold up in the summer when it's 75-95, but a few local guys have said they had no problems for 2-3 years over summer. although i believe them, i'm planning on getting the electric fan, and keeping the clutch driven one off, mainly because i'm scared it will blow up, but also for that extra 20 hp

    man that's a long post, i'll add more info if i see fit, but that's my life with the fan delete mod so far.

    oh and... i told Daved to post this but he didn't... whoever is trying to find an answer on these forums, or any other forums, to wether you should do this or no, just quit, because out of 1000 people that post, 500 will say do it, other 500 will say don't.

    ok i'm done, hope this helps

    good enough Daved?
    Last edited by Zaks; 01-24-2006 at 01:17 AM.
    -Ivan

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by lecchilo
    good job on the sticky now i do believe you haha


    Now help with some links and say what you wanted to say


    Quote Originally Posted by ClintonM3 View Post
    the Audi A4 is a tweaked, cosmetically enhanced, cross platform, put-together overnight VW.
    Quote Originally Posted by joeuser528e View Post
    Staggard setups are for cars that you park at show meets. They go well with 5 screens and 3 12"s.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daved


    Now help with some links and say what you wanted to say
    haha, yea i posted in that other thread i'll edit the link above with some info and links as soon as i can.
    EDIT.. just found it, i'll post up there in a couple mins
    -Ivan

  6. #6
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    FDM worked great for me, no problems, .96 WHP gain

  7. #7
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    ok Daved, fixed post #3
    -Ivan

  8. #8
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    Im still VERY VERY VERY reluctant to do this mod, esp living on south florida.
    "When tolerance becomes a one way street, it leads to cultural suicide."

  9. #9
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    I've had nothing but good experiences with the fan delete. That engine fan is a timebomb waiting to explode, like mine did last summer, taking the radiator out with it. When installing the new radiator doing the fan delete took no time at all, and since then I've logged around 12k problem free miles, many of which were sitting in stop-dead traffic on I-95 outside washington DC

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by 328ischef
    FDM worked great for me, no problems, .96 WHP gain
    Sounds worth it, 100dollars per 1hp

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by auto3251
    Sounds worth it, 100dollars per 1hp
    yea... $100-$200 for new radiator and hoses, save $100 for 1hp, and a couple hours of radiator replacement time.
    -Ivan

  12. #12
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    have done fan delete mod for a couple months now, no problems whatsoever. Didn't notice much gains but I feel safer that my fan doesnt explode.

  13. #13
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    I am a few days after FDM and no issues at all.
    My temp gauge runs about a needle width to the cold side of center.
    The weather has been low 70s here.

    Also, yea, I am the guy that kept the thermostat stock.
    I know, I know, not recomended, but I have theories on that mod...

    Current setup is:
    - No mech fan
    - 2 bottles of Water Wetter
    - 80% water
    - 20% BMW coolant
    - Lower temp electronic fan switch

    I plan on adding an aux fan on the back of the radiator for 'safety sake'
    \\\Whitepower
    Previous: '95 M3, '99 M3 Cab

  14. #14
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    try the theory that the stock water temp gauge doesn't show any changes from middle until the coolant temp has exceded 240F. so yes, that means you could be running 225, 230F constantly without the stock gauge moving.

    i have an aftermarket water temp gauge and i have had both temp t-stats in my car with the FDM. the car WILL run warmer if you don't put the lower temp t-stat in there with the FDM, regardless what the gauge is showing.

    this is why they call it a dumby gauge. it shows the coolant is warmed up well before it is actually warmed up too.

    the gauge on our E36's is at least partially responsible for the never ending saga of the FDM.
    Hold on let me get my laptop and read this on the toilet.
    --DrDub

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by beatniks325
    try the theory that the stock water temp gauge doesn't show any changes from middle until the coolant temp has exceded 240F. so yes, that means you could be running 225, 230F constantly without the stock gauge moving.

    i have an aftermarket water temp gauge and i have had both temp t-stats in my car with the FDM. the car WILL run warmer if you don't put the lower temp t-stat in there with the FDM, regardless what the gauge is showing.

    this is why they call it a dumby gauge. it shows the coolant is warmed up well before it is actually warmed up too.

    the gauge on our E36's is at least partially responsible for the never ending saga of the FDM.
    Makes sense, I would imagine the gauge is designed to sit on center through the entire range of acceptable operating temperature. (say 225 - 240?)
    My plans include an aux fan as well as gauges, don't trust dumby gauges and idiot lights much myself.

    So, educate me a bit here, once the thermostat is open isn't the engine temp up to whatever the cooling system can muster?

    In other words, once the thermostat opens for circulation, isn't it out of the equation?

    Following this line of thought, a lower thermostat would simply start the cooling process earlier and not have an effect on the final running temp of the car. I figure, from your post, that this is not true. Can you explain how this works?
    (is the cooling system effective enough that whatever temp the t-stat opens at is the temp the engine runs at?)
    \\\Whitepower
    Previous: '95 M3, '99 M3 Cab

  16. #16
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    starting the circulation earlier is what helps lower the running temp, you haven't let the engine build up as much heat that the cooling system then needs to remove.

  17. #17
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    I have wondered this myself. There are 3 temp thermostats, 92, 88, 80. I have an 88 that was just installed last year with AL housing and I had a coolant system service and flush about 2 months ago. I wanted to just remove the fan and go to the lower temp switch. Any input guys?
    ~Phil
    Madeiraviolett Bf.C club member #001

    1996 BMW 328is Madeiraviolett/Dove Grey: 5 Spd, Sport, Cold Weather & Premium Sound pkgs.
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  18. #18
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    To match the cooling capabilities you need to install a replacement electric fan. Like said above the stock temp gauge doesn't do much once it reaches the middle, so the car can run hotter and you never know. The aux cooling fan cannot do the job by itself.

    On my car if the aux fan would turn on (due to the temp switch, not a/c) then it would never be able to actually cool the car, it would just run forever and the temp keeps climbing, just slower. This combo might be ok for cars with excellent cooling systems with moderate conditions, but it is not going to take care of all possible conditions.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by SHOracer
    On my car if the aux fan would turn on (due to the temp switch, not a/c) then it would never be able to actually cool the car, it would just run forever and the temp keeps climbing, just slower. This combo might be ok for cars with excellent cooling systems with moderate conditions, but it is not going to take care of all possible conditions.
    So you're telling me that the clutch fan makes some kind of miracle to keep the engine cool? (I'm not being completely serious with the miracle thing, lol )


    Quote Originally Posted by ClintonM3 View Post
    the Audi A4 is a tweaked, cosmetically enhanced, cross platform, put-together overnight VW.
    Quote Originally Posted by joeuser528e View Post
    Staggard setups are for cars that you park at show meets. They go well with 5 screens and 3 12"s.

  20. #20
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    this modification is a must for all e36's. if performed properly, with the essential parts, and proper bleeding will run plenty cool enough, and you won't risk ruining things under the hood. its like $60 or less to do this mod, its good maintenece to do your waterpump, thermo housing, gaskets, flush, when you do it. its cheap noticble throttle response, add a flywheel, pullies, etc, and youll be content. people shouldn't be scared of doing this. bmw's cooling systems are designed very well.

    oh yeah.... thank you again for this thread. i can think of a few more "ultimate threads." hahahha
    "intake, headlights, etc..."

    now maybe we will see less noob questions on here about the same things over and over, with no searching... hahah end rant

    BMW Parts Whore... BUY THEM PLEASE!!!

  21. #21
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    I did it 2 months ago and haven't had any problems whatsoever.

    Right after I removed the fan, the temp started to go up but that was because I hadn't bled it properly. Once I did that, no problems. I had the kit from bimmerworld.com because it's cheaper, but I ended up buying an additional bottle of water wetter (it came with only 1 bottle) so the price ended up being close to what understeer.com charges. And they give you a threaded cap for the fan pulley too

  22. #22
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    I did it last last summer (100+F heat wave here in Los Angeles) and with the usual bumper to bumper traffic. ALSO installed a gauge kit for true tempreture reading. Done correctly with proper bleeding I believe it will not overheat. It never made my stock needle move past the half way mark and the worst I saw it climb to shortly was about 210F. Usually now it ranges from 180 to ~210. I run the car very hard and often. Did a few auto-x's with no problem at all.

    Do plan on either getting the Zionsville radiator with attached electrical fan in the future for total reliability..only thing its close to $800 if I remember correctly.

    As for results I too felt a very noticeable difference...enough to justify me doing it. Would do it again if I ever had to.

    One more vote for the .."Just do it" column

  23. #23
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    finally there's a sticky...hopefully noobs see it. Thanks Daved. I don't think I felt any gains with the fan delete but the engine revs freer. Hopefuly there won't be a sticky for the 3 beeps deal lol

  24. #24
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    good idea

  25. #25
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    So, I would like to break down the 'mystique' of the stock temp gauge.
    Two questions:

    1) does anyone know the propper (reccomended) running temperature range of our engine's coolant
    2) does anyone know the temperature range that constitutes 'in the middle' on the stock gauge?

    I would venture a guess and say that they are close, curious to see if anyone has the actual numbers.

    Thx
    \\\Whitepower
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