E46 - NOISY VISCOUS FAN

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Need some advice here guys.

I started up my E46 320 on Monday morning to go to work and could hear a strange noise in the engine bay. Left it idling and popped the bonnet open to check it out. The viscous fan is rather noisy, kind of grating noise and I notice a piece of the plastic cover above the fan broken. I assume that the blades must have struck it. So I switched the car off and left it since.

If I recall properly, some of the threads I read state that the water pump fails and then causes the viscous fan to self destruct??? Can anyone provide a layman's explanation of this, please.

Please also advise what repairs need to be carried out before I can drive the car again.

Thanks

 

[rick540]

Sounds like you may have lost a fan blade. Count them, should be 9 or 11

 

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Thanks Rick, will check that in the morning :thumbs:

 

[Alister ///M]

also check your engine mountings prev. that could cause the fan to shift and touch the cowling.

 

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Thanks Ali, will check that as well

 

[moranor@axis]

when my water pump failed it had quite alot of movement on it and was making a huge noise...

i think your waterpump failed and made the fan hit...

 

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Thanks Moranor....how do I check the water pump? I remember you where considering importing some upgraded water pumps.....did you go through with it? Any idea on pricing of the water pumps locally?

 

[moranor@axis]

I have not imported any pumps yet... with my pump i could move the pulley with my hand thats how i knew it was gone... i dont know how easy it is to do this with the fan on because i have an electric fan...

local pump should be under 400 i would just get one of those for now because even if i order the pumps today it will still be a wait...

when i import some pumps i will let you know and you can decide if you would rather fit a better pump...

 

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Thanks Moranor

 

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ok, I checked the blades of the fan they appear to be fine. I noticed that there is movement / play (forward / backward) on the part where the viscous attaches to the water pump......does this mean that the water pump is done?

Incidentally, after moving it a bit the grating sound has gone away when I started it....for now.

 

[moranor@axis]

does the pulley move in and out with the fan or is the fan moving alone?

when you going to pick up the power steering pump? can i ninja it there is another one coming at 1:30 so if you picking it up later i can go get mine now...

 

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looks like just the fan moving Moranor....going to leave home in the next 10 - 15 mins

 

[moranor@axis]

damn that means i have to wait :rollsmile:
if its just the fan moving then i would start with replacing that (I dont know if its supposed to move like that thou)... unless the water pump is old then you may as well replace it before it fails...

 

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Moranor, are you in Durban already? If so, go get the one that available. I'll go later and get the other one....I'm live in Durban so its no big deal to me.

 

[moranor@axis]

na man im sending my dad he lives in Everton but he wanted to go 12ish...

had to get may car towed to a workshop because my house was to far so i can only work on it monday...

if you dont mind picking it up later im sure my dad would appreciate it but its not the end of the world if he has to go later... it all depends when you want to start working on your car...

 

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Let him go got it now Moranor....I'll get mine later cos I probably will only sort it out tomorrow

 

[moranor@axis]

cool thanks alot :rollsmile:

 

[sclass]

When a fan blade breaks off you likely experience an engine vibration akin to a bad coil...well that's what happened to me!Have no idea why the fan blade was touching...ok, maybe it was because my mech put a fan from a 5 series as a temporary fix and so clear there wasn't enough clearance!

 

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@ Moranor, just got back from Martins. They said that your Dad collected your power steering pump. I got mine as well but they didn't have the water pump. I'll have to get it from somewhere else but will 1st take the viscous off and check that before deciding on the pump.

 

[moranor@axis]

yip he got it... my mom still works in pmb so she will bring in monday... free couriers ftw :rollsmile:

if i did not do it this way i would have to wait till monday afternoon to get started on the car and that does not work for me...