Hi

I just wanted to share my success with installing the new external fan resistor. The slow speed on my 2006 Mini Cooper S was not working. I purchased the car last November so I really never noticed it until this summer. I checked all of the fuses and relays and they all checked out so I thought I would give the external resistor a try.

I really want to thank everyone on this site for all the great write ups with the diagrams and pictures. I am a member of a number of different mini sites but this site has been the most helpful site I have found. Thank you



John

 

I have read here and on other sites that when the resistor breaks on an early 2 plug Mini (mine is an '02) the high speed fan will stay on and drain the battery. If fact, that is what happened to me after leaving the car parked in a lot. Cam back after dinner to a dead battery. After looking at the circuit diagram I could not see why this would happen, but found I had a blown resistor so figured there must be some link between the two.

I now have a new theory.
1) When the resistor blows you no longer get the low speed fan running.
2) Therefor the high speed circuit will be used very often
3) The relay on the fan after age (10+ years) and overuse then sticks on
4) you drain the battery.

I came to this after replacing the resistor and found when I stopped the car the fan was again running. At first I thought oops, maybe a bad connection or the resistor broke. Checked for continuity and all was good. I began connecting and disconnecting the plug when I was using the car. It then magically resolved and worked normally for a while, until this weekend, when the fan ran on. After reading about sticking relays I made a fist had firmly hit the area on the fan.....the fan then stopped.

Does this sound correct to those who may know more than me about this?

RECOMENDATION: if you take out the fan assembly to replace the resistor, also change the relay. Make sure you get the correct one as mentioned a few posts up.

 

That's my understanding of what was happening to some, so I decided to go ahead and replace my relay while I had the fan on my '02 apart to prevent any problems in the future. The fan didn't work at all then, and that's when I discovered (after a huge amount of time troubleshooting with no results) that a standard 5-pin relay from the local auto parts store has a different pin assignment than the stock relay; I did a write up on this on the last page. I just wanted to pass the info along, because it took me forever to examine my relays side by side close enough to notice the different pin assignment; I'm lucky I hadn't thrown the old one away by then. The one from the local auto parts store plugs right in the connector, but it will just blow fuses constantly.

RECOMMENDATION: if you are replacing the relay that is inside the housing; either get an OEM relay, or cut the connector off and straight wire it to the correct pin numbers. That's a pain to do, so I'd recommend just getting an OEM relay.

 

Smitty,

I saw your write-up which is why a banged the relay to see if it was stuck. I suspect the relay socket is made with standard push connectors, if that is the case, there is a small tool that can be used to remove the connectors and place them in different positions to match a new relay.

I have a 59' Bugeye I re-wired completely using many relays since I was upgrading to an electric fan and electronic gauges. Smitty is very correct, here are literally dozens of relay configurations with similar pin configurations and amp ratings.

Steven

 

For that sticking relay: Wire a kill switch in-cabin to that constantly live line that feeds the hi-speed relay to have the option of keeping it off when tantrum strikes. Usually, it unsticks by itself after sitting for a while. Be very careful replacing the relay. It should be the exact OE part number, otherwise it won't function as intended.

 

Did this work for you ?? Last night I had my fan stay on for about an hour, I have the black box on the fan shroud a wack and it stopped...

 

Just wanted to follow up on our 2002 MCS air con/radiator fan not running.

I ordered a radiator fan after checking the fuse shown to control the fan in the engine compartment fuse box indicated as F8, 30 amp, it was good.

I also switched around relays that had the same ID number desgination on them, there are four that are the same and one that is different in the fuse box, of a July 2002 build MCS. All were good.

Even checked the fuses in the foot well of the car that indicated they might have something to do with the fan. They were also good.

But before pulling the front end apart to install the new fan it occurred to me to check that the fan was going to solve the problem by just plugging it in to the wiring harness for the fan because the plugs sit within easy reach at the top of the fan.

There are two plugs on the early 2002-2003 MCS, with air conditioning.

The fan didn't run....with the Air Con on, which is the test to check the low speed fan.

This made me systematically check every fuse in the engine compartment.

Turns out that the F5, 10 amp, fuse was broken.

That fuse in our car is marked as one of five engine management fuses not a fan fuse.

Popped in another fuse and the radiator fan in the car started immediately.

There have been discussions in this forum and others about what amp fuse is supposed to control the fan, ranging from factory mistakes of putting in 5 amp fuses ranging up to 30 amps because of the power draw of the fan.

I have not seen any discussion or explanation regarding if there are separate fuses for low speed and high speed fan settings.
But if there are two this might account for why we have two fan fuses in the engine compartment fuse box....one marked and one not marked accordingly.

I compromised and used a 20 amp fuse.

The first lesson is, as often stated, to check the fuses first.

The second lesson is that the fuse markings of early model MINI's are somewhat random. So check all of them before you make the mistake I did of buying a fan.

The third lesson is if you do buy the fan check it by plugging it in before you pull the car apart.

This saves you the grief of finding out it was something other than the fan, relay, fuse or loose connection for instance, after you do all of that work. And occasionally the new fans themselves are defective....as noted in a couple of forums.

Good luck.

jj

 

Yeah, had that happen to me too once, except both the fan assembly and mgt. fuse were bad. Somewhere in the world there's someone grinning at the complexity they've created for us all to wade through. What was wrong with a good 'ol belt driven, clutched, steel fan that spun all the time?

 

I know, right? Or at least a straight shot from a relay; car runs, the fan runs. No need for all that over engineering. Just more things that can go wrong.

 

I had rad about this on another website. I suspect the fuse you replaced only carries the load for the coil on the relay. It does not necessarily need to be large enough to carry the full fan motor load.

Yes this is way under-engineered. My guess is they had some of the components specified from another application and instead of engineering a total solution for cooling just cobbled together parts.

Steve

 

FYI was now stock the low speed resistors so you don't have to get the fan
http://waymotorworks.com/radiator-fa...0-r52-r53.html

 

I'm planning on just replacing the whole unit. I have an 03 MCS. I thought I read that early 03's have a different fan unit than later 03's. Is this true and How do I tell which one I have?

 

Kidwell;

See photo at the top of page 39 in this thread.

In the bottom right corner of the photo you will see a single plug wire connection next to the Air Con bleed/fill valve.

On the early '02-'03 MCS with Air Con there are two plugs there. You have to look from the side to see them because the second one is under the first.

It is a big job to replace them since you have to pull the front end off, there are many posts about the procedure, one of the best is by GirlDoc.

I would suggest the resistor in line solution documented in the same photo above, much cheaper and easier.

There are several different types including the type in the photo and just above this post from WMW.

Good luck.

Sprite:

You may be right about the relay fuse, first mention I have seen of it.

Thanks,

jj

 

I have two plugs there meaning I have an early 03. This means I can't do the resistor solution without pulling the fan unit anyway correct?

 

Kidwell;

I am by no means an expert on this issue, just read a lot of threads and forums.

Some folks have suggested that if your fan is running non stop then the resistor is burned out and you have an open circuit and can just patch in the resistor in line with out taking the fan out. Some address which line you have to put the resistor in.

Be aware that the '02-'03 MCS's with air con also had the fan relay in various places, some have it in the housing with the resistor on the fan and some have it on a cross member and still others have it in the engine fuse box.

You need to establish if you have a fuse, relay, resistor or fan motor issue before you go any further. Or a combination of those issues.

If you work your way through this thread...you come across most of these issues and solutions, plus links to other forums and threads. A lot of reading I know but such is the price of knowledge...which is pretty low considering everyone else made all the mistakes and shared the solutions.

You have not said why you are replacing the fan, if you have an issue or what that issue is....so it is hard to give you concrete answers.

Good luck and hopefully someone with a lot more expertise than I have will chime in here for you.

jj

 

rockauto.com

2006 MINI COOPER 1.6L L4 Supercharged : Cooling System : Radiator Fan Resistor PriceNo parts for vehicles in selected markets.ÜRO PARTS Part # 17117541092R Cooling Fan Resistor Repair Upgrade Kit
$21.79

 

Be warned, I've heard bad things about URO parts in the Mercedes forums, cheap quality, parts not lasting long, etc.

 

lol, and that differs from the MINI part in what fashion?

from the image, this looks to be the same part that WMW offers. Detroit Tuned has a replacement part whose picture leads me to believe it is from a different source. Thanks for the heads up on URO. about to replace the resistor for the third time, first two came from MINI, so maybe I'll look into the DT option a little more. twice the price though.

vs

 

I used the same kit as they sell at DT, and the resistor it uses is a lot more solid than the OEM/WMW one. I was very happy with the kit. Great installation instructions on their website, also.

 

Thanks JamJax! I'm just trying to make sure I'm interpreting the info correctly and buying/fixing the right thing. I'm not a mechanic by any means. Just pretty good with mechanics and not afraid to take something apart

I don't think I have ever had the low speed fan(bought the car a little over a year ago) The fan started staying on after i shut the car off for a while and then yesterday it never turned off.(This happened just after my entire dash, radio, and AC system turned off while i was driving. Engine stayed running but everything else turned off. Car did this 5 times) I knocked on the Relay box area and now my fan turns off again. Thinking I just have the resistor issue based on what Ive read so far. No idea what the dash turning off means. Thats kind of worrying.

 

Kidwell;

Site just dumped my answer so will keep it short.

This link might have something to help in seven pages.....

http://www.fixya.com/tags/dashboard_...rs/mini/cooper

Try switching relays in the fuse box there are four that are the same number and get a new one if that shuts the fan off which means you don't need a resistor, indicated by the fact that banging the relay shuts the fan off.

For the dash lights going off try a new battery, very specific to the MCS vs regular Mini, so be careful which one you use.

Otherwise invest in getting to a good shop before this gets terminal even if it is just to trouble shoot what you fix yourself.

good luck,
jj

 

So last night while stopped in a drive through the temp gauge on my 05 MCS maxed out and a bunch of smoke (not steam) came rolling out from under my car. I checked for burnt wires, none found. Tried to manually spin the fan and it sticks pretty bad. Now I get to spend about $800 on a new fan assembly.... I am soooo stoked! HA!!!!

 

New fan is less than $100. Installation is relatively easy for a DIYer; hardest part is putting the front end in 'service mode.'

 

What is "service mode"

 

$20 and 30-45 min of works... The original fix posted by Chris lamb working perfectly.

I have installed this resistor mod on three cars now....with two more schedule to be done soon.

Hats off again to Chris lamb.