Hello NAM members. I have a R53 mini cooper S. It has 100k and runs like a champ. I been noticing more that when i turn my ignition off i hear my radiator fan kick on, it eventually stops. My question is, is this normal? My mini shows no signs of overheating.

Thanks for Looking at this post

 

It isn't normal for your fan to be running after you shut your car off after normal driving.

I have a sneaking suspicion that you are low on coolant due to a failing thermostat gasket, or air is trapped in the system which is causing the engine to run slightly hotter. Check the coolant level in your radiator overflow tank.

 

If the low speed fan is broken and doesn't come on when it should, the high speed fan kicks on at a higher temp and it will stay on after you park. My guess is low speed fan is broken, very, very common.

Your car hasn't overheated since it is still not hot outside, but probably will be easy to spot when it hits summer temps.

 

quickslvr580: Thanks for the advice! I checked my overflow tank and it was empty. I added coolant and made sure there wasn't any air bubbles. I did notice that my overflow tank had some corrosion on it, Like it had been leaking. So far with the car fully warm the fan has not kicked on, when i turned the car off.

HRM: Hello, I still feel that i might need to change my Low speed fan. My question to you is. Is the High Speed fan a totally different part # then the low speed fan? I thought there was only one fan on the radiator.

 

One fan, one motor, two modes/speeds.....a resistor controls hi vs low...
When the resistor fails/burns out, current does not reach the motor, resulting in no fan when the computer activates the low speed fan....as the temperature continues to climb, the computer sees this, and turns on the hi speed...
if the car is idleing for a long period, and you hear the hi speed cycling on/off, rather than a much more muted humm of the lowspeed, then that os one symptom....there are several threads with lots of info...so right, some wrong, but basicly, if the hi speed turns on (no ac) and the low has not come on, time for a new fan. Aftermarkets are available for about $100.
the coolant tanks leak around the seam...simple replacement...and mini's do not use long life coolant...so if the time since flush/drain and refil is unknown, it is likely overdue.

 

Easy way to check for a bad overflow tank is to check it while the car is up to temperature and running so the system is pressurized. Look at the seam in the middle of the tank, if it is leaking you will see it seeping out or blowing bubbles at the seam like mine did.

 

I have had to replace the fan and heater core (two heater cores). I've had it flushed out two times. I am starting to think that it's the radiator. My car also has the fan kick off after normal, daily driving. Could the previous owner used stop leak? Any suggestions as to another cause? I'm not terribly thrilled with the idea of paying for a new radiator and labor.
thanks!

 

First thing you should do is look at the coolant level....
Next thing, know a few minutes of fan runon after a hard driving CAN be normal...a sudden change is when/how long it runs can be a warning.
New rads are avalable for about $80 or so (rockauto.com), so not $$....new cooling fans under $100 there too, so not a bad diy.
Heater cores are the lowest point in the system....if a car has not had the coolant flush/matained, the gunk tends to collect and plug them....mini's DO NOT USE LONG LIFE COOLANT...so drain/flushes are needed every 36 months or so...often forgotten....
Symptom of a clogged heater core is no heat....not related to cooling fan....

 

Thank you, Zippy!! I will check the coolant level before I leave for work! You could have saved me a couple hundred bucks!!

 

My fan has also jsut started doing the same thing--running after the car turns off. Only happened twice now, in the past week. Wasn't too hot out either.

I checked to see if the small fan underneath was running and it runs when the AC is on, otherwise when the AC is off it does not run. When the AC is on you can hear a fan cycling between high and low, but a MINI at the dealer same year and model as mine also did the same thing which leads me to believe that is normal (????)

I checked coolant level to best of my abilities (the "transparent" tank is hardly transparent) and I think the level is between min and max.

Any suggestions? Do you think the radiator fan is going out? My car is only driven about 2 months out of the year so this is not too big a deal, but hopefully I can ride it out until it really needs to be replaced.


Thanks!!

 

Have similar problems in the Texas heat. Wondering have anyone found a fix to there problem?

 

The early 1st gen fan has the hi-speed relay in the fan assembly. If your engine temp upon switching car off is high, this triggers the ECU to keep the fan on til temp drops. Sometimes that relay sticks & remains on til your battery dies. In this case, you may disconnect the fan plug by the driver's side of the radiator so you won't come back to a car that won't start.
To check for low-speed, turn your A/C on & watch if fan works. If it directly goes jet-plane-noisy hi-speed fan which cycles on & off, your low is gone. The big green resistor in the fan assembly is burnt. You may bypass it or wire in an external resistor.
Here are 36pages of good reading on this:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-solution.html

Enjoy learning more about your MINI while ironing the kinks out.

 

Having just gone through something similar, if your radiator fan is running after normal driving, you are probably low on coolant. What you need to do is figure out why you're running low...

Common issues are the coolant expansion tank failing. This is pretty easy to diagnose, as some other's have mentioned in this thread. It's also quite easy to replace, and not overly expensive...I think I got mine for $65 from the dealer.

Another thing to check is the thermostat housing. The housing is a plastic material, and over time it can warp and begin to seep/leak coolant. It's a pain in the *** to get to, so if there's a leak there, you should replace the thermostat while you're at it.

Obviously, also check your coolant hoses to make sure you don't have any leaks there either. I replaced mine at 125k miles when I did a cooling system overhaul, because the ends were getting a bit brittle.

As for the radiator cooling fan...it's been covered a ton. The basic gist...a resistor on the fan fails because it is exposed to the elements, which means that only the high-speed fan speed will work. You can verify that both speeds are working by starting the car, and turning on the A/C. With the A/C on, the low-speed fan should turn on. You can get a new fan from RockAuto for about $80 shipped. The OEM fan is $300+. Do yourself a favor and get the part from RockAuto...as both parts WILL fail again, you might as well save yourself some money.

 

All the info is above...
step 1....check your coolant level....if very low...its may need a fill and re bleeding. A wealth of info is around for those who read.

 

I just started having a very similar problem with my 02 R53 (only 60k miles) last night but I think my symptoms may point in a different direction.

My fan runs on a dead cold engine. It started after a very short 5-10 min drive last night. After about an hour of fan running I unhooked the battery, not knowing there was a easy access plug. Went out this morning and reattached it and the fan kicks on. My coolant was on the low side but now dangerously so.

Are these the symptoms for the same dead low speed fan problem or does running on a cold engine point to a different problem like a separate switch, thermostat or controller? I live in Orlando and there has been a ton of water over the past couple weeks. Could something have gotten a short and/or burnt out?

 

Fan running on a cold motor points to a stuck fan relay..on the 02 these were on the fan...wee moved to the car when the connectors changed the next year.

 

stuck relay wouldn't be fixable with a firm thwack would it?

If not i assume im going to be replacing the entire fan assembly and I cant do anything related to that resistor crap ive read about.

 

A good wack can unstick it for a bit..a temp fix...
...you might be able to swap it...remember a few 02 owners posting about it...But with a 10+ year old part that must be removed to be fixed...why not get a $100 replacement? The resistor could still be an issue with installed unit...but have to fix thr relay to determine that...

 

since ive had my mini (1 year this month) ive had to replace all pads and rotors, front end bushings, ps fan(slowly getting reimbursed) and just put a new set of tires on it.

I LOVE the idea of something breaking and and it only costing me $100 and an afternoon but i figure every cent i dont spend on repairs i can spend on improvements or more likely future repairs lol.

I am going to order this parts today. Is there a "best" choice for fans? I think ive heard good things about TYC and Dorman or are they all about the same.

 

Have had the tyc on my car about 5 years... No issues....but others are likely the same...just reboxed from the same factory in China.
Rockauto seems to have the best prices...just be sure to get the RIGHT fan based on the production date of your car..found on the drivers side door jam...
Use service mode...a few how to's around....the get the bumper off...and the inner bumper off....swing the condenser out of the way....not a bad job.

 

Did a couple hours of driving tonight and wouldnt ya know it, the problem fixed itself!

Ok well its still there waiting to break for good im sure but until it sticks for more then 24 hours im just going to let it be and keep it and this thread in mind.

Thx for the advice and help ZippyNH

 

This TYC is currently being recalled for catastrophic issues under normal operations. I learned this from Amazon and Ebay when I tried to order one, but you still notice the fan is for sale on both sites. TYC fans are currently on back order for 4-6 weeks until they get the issue resolved.

 

It will be back.

That said I kept a 12” 3/8 extension handy for a year until I had the time to replace the fan assembly. A slight tap fixed it every time.

And getting to that relay is not possible without slipping out the fan assembly. And when you do, chances are that the low speed resister is gone too.

Rich