Brought my 03 Cooper in for a service. There apparently is a crack in the radiator where the aluminum meets the plastic(?). The dealership wants to replace the radiator, of course, but they also want to replace the fan, which seems odd to me. The fan is working, but they say if I don't replace it, I'll ruin the thermostat.

Any advice would be helpful.

 

The radiator is not reparible...so that needs to be done...
It is likely the "low speed" portion of the fan has failed...it is one physical fan, that the speeds are controled by a resistor...
Both items are pretty cheap, are pretty safe to buy/install from 3rd parties aftermarket....the dealer prices...hold on!! To give you an idea, the fan is about $85-100 aftermarket, the oem is about $275.....
And the dealer labor rates tend to be much higher...

 

As Zippy said if the radiator is bad, then it needs to be replaced. Aftermarket on that is fine as someone quoted in the last few days. The fan, if it has never been replaced in a 2003, most assuredly has a bad low speed. So I would replace that too while I was in there.

But there is NO WAY that either of these can ruin the thermostat. Overheating could cause the thermostat gasket to fail, but the thermostat itself will be fine.OTOH, I would check to be sure it is not leaking now while they are in there doing the work. They changed the thermostat gasket since 2003 and since the labor will be minimal, a prophylactic change might be a good idea.

Rich

 

BS, if there is nothing wrong with the fan then there is no reason to replace it except to take some money out of your pocket. Ask them specificly if there is something wrong with the fan, then have them prove it to you.

 

I hate to say "prove it" to a dealer...I guess there are dishonest ones around, in general dealers usually are doing everything they can to ensure a reliable car...sure they generally dis-regard the $$$ involved in the parts list, and sometimes the reasoning sometimes gets lost in translation as to why they want a seemingly ok part replaced...did the tech suspect the gasket on the thermostat was starting to fail, or maybe the coolant looked so bad from being overdue for a change mixing the wrong fluids, they feared the thermostat might fail....or it is just old, and "might fail" at anytime...
Most good 3rd party shops will talk to the owner for a few minutes, and let folks decide, and sometimes encourage folks to make a "good" choice.
At the dealers....the system is so different...you have the Service advisor or MA that acts a middle man...there is also incentives at many shops, both dealer and nondealer, to drive up the "average" sale, by adding services to the bill, that may or may not be needed...power-steering flush anybody?!
No matter where one goes, you have to have trust in the place...if you are having to say "prove it", then you are saying the shop/tech has not performed the test, and I doubt you will have much luck getting munch done....you just called the guy incompetent...if he is, one thing, but if not, be prepared to pay to have the test done a second time...so some shop time...good piece of mind perhaps, but something that should not have to be done at a dealer!!

 

No need to say "prove it but I do agree with Doug here. If there is nothing wrong with the fan it is not going to hurt the thermostat at all. Just ask what is wrong with the fan and if they say nothing then tell them to only repair the radiator. Better yet, find a good mech and get away from the dealer, especially if you like you wallet!