Thanks minsanity for your reply!! I think im just going to bypass it.. The pros and cons seem to make it easy for me...Im more about cooling then noise and that noise difference isn't bad to me.. cheers!!

 

Yeah, that hi speed fan makes the MINI sound like a jet plane. I know of a handful who opted for the bypass for quite some time now. Just milking whatever the stock fan can give.

 

And did you change anything regarding the 30amp fuse?

In my car (10/2003) there are 2 fuses regarding the engine fan cooling:

F08 -> 30 amp (low speed)
FL9 -> 50 amp (high speed)

30 amp fuse keeps blowing if you bypass the resistance and those fuses are different sizes (50 amp is much bigger).

I suppose I will have to install the resistance.

Thanks!

 

I by passed mine ('05) and didn't change anything, haven't blown any fuses.

 

Have you checked fuse F08 inside the engine compartment? I have just tried again with the same result. 30amp fuse is not enough. Mine is a 10/03 cooper.

 

Mine is an 02 w/ the 2-plug. Bypassed resistor & didn't change any fuse. F08 shouldn't be blowing. Know of 03s/04s/05s/06s that did same w/o changing fuses & issues. Check your wiring, contacts, connections & your fan, too.

 

My thought also, if you have access to a multi-meter I'd start checking the load on the wiring, starting with the fan, the fan motor itself may be getting ready to go.

 

Hey all,

I just got done adding the resistor(the mouser 100W 0.33Ohm) to my '05 MCS and no luck with my a/c coming back to life. For that matter, it seems like the low speed is only coming on due to engine temp...Before adding, the resistor my high speed would cycle on/off with the a/c turned on, like mentioned several pages ago(I don't remember when after reading 36pgs).

I did try jumping the low to the high, but I blew a fuse when the high fan would come on.

I know the low wasn't working before, because I jumped the battery straight to the fan side of the wiring harness and the high worked but no low. I can hear and see the a/c compressor engaging as well. Does anybody have any other ideas of what I can check and/or try before shelling out the money for a shop to go over everything???

 

For the A/C, check the compressor clutch coil - seems like a common failure on our cars:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...utch-coil.html

Sounds like both low and high speed on the fan are working, just your A/C is out, right?

 

I tried that a couple weeks ago and again last night. I can't get a good connection with my multi-meter. When I make the connection the resistance jumps from ~50Ohm (or higher) back to "no connection". BUT, when the a/c is switched on I can see the compressor engage so I passed over that as not the problem.

So...apparently i have working low and high speed fan, compressor, and somewhere between 30-35psi freon pressure on the low side(checked that last night too-I don't remember the exact #), but no a/c .

I'll post a pic of my resistor install later today

 

Sounds silly, but I've seen enough people mention it - when's the last time you changed the cabin filter?

 

I'm getting out of work a bit early today, so I'll pick one up. Based on the way the air filter looked when I replaced it with an Alta CAI, the cabin filter has probably never been changed. (I've had the car about a year now.)

IDK whats going on, because the low fan still doesn't come on when the a/c is turned on.....guess I'll start a new thread later today about it.

 

This might help, around page 51. http://www.bmw-planet.com/lib/mini/E...20OVERVIEW.pdf

 

Everything is checked and it seems to be ok. It is obvious that my fan is using more than 30 amps and less than 50...

I replaced the 30 amp fuse with a 40amp and since then everything is working as expected. High speed comes on every time low speed is called.

 

So, I've got a mounting location ready, and I'm going to get some wires soldered to the resistor and cut to length later today. I had the connector pulled apart to do the resistance check, and that showed an open circuit for the low speed wire to ground.

I do have one question left, though: the fan side of the connector is secured to its little mounting bracket by slipping over a T-shaped post sort of thing. Wiggling it didn't suggest an easy way to take disconnect it from the bracket and pull it further out for better access. Is there a trick?

 

There is a little tab on the underside of the connection. I used a tiny flat head to push it in while I wiggled the whole connection toward the engine. It's easier to do/see if you disconnect the car side of the harness first. I can't get a picture right now, but if you need one I can do it later.

 

If you could, that would be great. Thanks.

 

My 2003 Cooper (non-S) Has this problem, was there ever a DIY write up ever done, I would love to fix this without spending to much (im pretty broke) and need help understanding what it is that needs to be done.

 

Go to page 8 and start reading.

 

Fix still working...................

 

Hi all,

I have what may be a weird problem with my fan. My brother used my 2002 MCS and hit a pothole. He claims not so big, but it was hard enough to trip the inertia switch. After that the fan did not stop until the battery went dead. I assumed that the force of the pothole, this is NYC, was enough to break the resistor. Jumped the car and just pulled the 50amp fuse for the fan. I ordered a replacement resistor from EBAY (only $6.50!!) as I went away to my daughters wedding.

This is were it gets interesting, two weeks later I am driving in stop and go traffic, the mini was not happy, getting a bit hot, so I replaced the 50 amp fuse so the high speed fan would cool the engine. Every worked just fine, including when I turned off the car, the fan was no longer running.

I now repeated this in my driveway while fixing the driver window, and all is well. the fan starts and stops normally.

I would have thought that once the resistor breaks it is over, could this have been a stuck relay? Are there any other compnents to check?

I hate driving it without knowing why it stopped before, if anyone has any ideas or what I should test i would greatly appreciate it.

Steven

 

Hi, I read the first 15 pages of the 36...so I apologize now if I'm repeating something said earlier. But I have a 2/03 JustaCooper, and the low speed fan has failed. I know all about the resistor AND relay being in the fan housing, BUT, just as chrislamb developed the fix for the post 3/03s, could not a similar fix be done by wiring in a relay and a resistor without removing the fan housing? The wiring is all right there. Small connector for the relay, then route its output as per chrislamb's write-up for the resistor. Watch this space- that's what I intend to do unless someone chimes in with warnings to the contrary.

 

I would think that if the resistor broke, all you would loose is the low speed. The fan should still cycle off as designed (unless your radiator is so very hot, the fan needs to run for quite an unusual length of time afterward).

 

According to the Bentley manual ELE-97, pre 03/13 Coopers, of which mine is one, the relay in the fan housing operates the HIGH speed (stage II) of the fan, while the relay in the engine bay fuse block operates the low speed (stage I) of the fan through the resistor everyone hates. I verified this by unplugging the small connector to the relay in the fan housing while the high speed was operating, and the fan stopped. I also verfied that electricity was flowing to the stage I and stage II wires at the big connector too. Thus I conclude that I should be able to apply chrislamb's solution without removing the fan housing. Anyone see a problem with my reasoning?

 

If you replace the resistor find something better then the same old replacement.. Ive done a few now and on all of them I just bypassed the resistor.. But a lot don't like the high speed fan noise.. while I rather keep things cool.. To me it all about keeping it cool..IMO...good luck!