BMW E46 Mechanical Fan To Electric Fan Conversion DIY

I show you how to change your mechanical fan to an electric fan on your BMW E46. I did this particular video on a 2002 BMW 325i but can be used for any E46. I will explain in detail in the video.
E46 Electric Fan:
click.linksyne...
Support my channel by becoming a member using this link: / @shoplifetv
My Amazon Store: www.amazon.com...
Buy My Merchandise: www.shoplifetv.com
Ask me a question: www.shoplifetv.com
Request a Shop Appointment: www.shoplifetv.com
Instagram: @ShopLifeTV
/ shoplifetv
My vlog channel: / shoplifevlogs
KZbin Business Inquires: Email me [e-mail]
Disclaimer: Due to factors beyond the control of ShopLifeTV, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. ShopLifeTV assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. ShopLifeTV recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of ShopLifeTV, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not ShopLifeTV. Disclaimer: The product links provided are often associated with an affiliate. When using any of the affiliate links I may get compensated for any products purchased using the link. This compensation does not affect my views on the product.

[@davidbenji1]

Yep, you are totally correct. The fan on my 1998 540i blew up last week. It knocked off the cooling hose going into the radiator but the worst damage was tearing up the hood liner and putting a crease in the hood.

[@most_unwanted_316i]

I thought my belt slipped off and snapped after I floored it but it was the fan exploding that cause havoc.

[@racks1711]

Same shit just happened to me

[@racks1711]

The same day I replaced the hood :(

[@davidbenji1]

@@racks1711 Dang!! That stinks! Were you replacing the hood because of damage from a previous exploding fan?

[@w-j7210]

​@@racks1711did you get the hood covered by your insurance?

[@Jason-gt2kx]

Two questions 1-Did you notice deleting the clutch fan freed up any hp to the engine? 2-Are you sure one electric fan can cool as much as both the old clutch fan and the ax aux electric fan? I would be nervous it wouldn't cool enough with only one fan.

[@JsUnderWorld]

All your videos are excellent! You do a great job of explaining things

[@JT-gq8wv]

Wow ! Saved me a lot of time troubleshooting and executing. Thank you for a good idea and an EXCELLENT presentation.

[@carlosfranciscosanchezvazq8543]

Hi, excellent video. Where did you get the electric fan. Or what BMW model it is, it is seen that it is used. Thank you.

[@134ondarun]

He says at 0:35 all manual e46's came with electric fans except the m3. I missed it the first time too.

[@Traceyi1000]

Great video. I will be doing this job tomorrow. Thank you I didn't know I could rent the tools from the auto part store

[@juliusduran7286]

I hope you can help me with a problem I have on a BMW 330i. Everytime I unplug my auxiliary temperature switch the fan kicks on. When I plug it back in it shuts off. I dont understand why.

[@linkin1041]

So to be clear, if we have a Manual E46 it comes with an electric fan?

[@ShopLifeTV]

Yes

[@kent570253]

@@ShopLifeTV Except if you have an early build.

[@nando4755]

So what electrical conection u use for the new fan !! What did u conected to i dnt get it

[@nando4755]

So there was already a plug for the new electric fan

[@keither89]

nando4755 yes all plug and play

[@Alex-ti3uf]

I think you have to remove the auxiliary fan to clear the air going thru.

[@bowz53]

My fan jus blew up yesterday and took out my radiator😤😤😤

[@joevani4220]

Quick question so when you do this conversion does the fan stay on consistent or only when it overheats/A.c. is running?

[@keither89]

Alex D my fan turns on when it gets hot.. but I’m having an issue with it . Now when I turn off the car it will stay on

[@amosy8345]

Alex D I'm wondering the same thing have you got an update?

[@Jamy4ya]

@@keither89 , Its completely normal if the fan spin for a few minutes and then its turns itself off as its cooling certain things from heat-soak.

[@rezalzainal8527]

What model the eletrik fan brother?

[@shoman24v]

So, just to be clear, you said the auxiliary fan, which uses the same motor as the manual electric fan, only comes on when the AC is on or if engine "over heats". First off, the fan doesn't come on when the engine overheats. The fan comes on by direction of the coolant temperature on both automatic and manual cars. When the coolant temperature reaches a certain point, the fan turns on. The only difference here now is you went from a pusher fan to a puller fan. The function of the electric fan is to cool hot coolant when the car is not moving, at speed, fans will do little, if anything to cool the coolant. It seems that people get all freaked out thinking that if they remove the manual fan, all of the sudden the car is going to overheat.

[@JodBronson]

Do you still have the Vehicle? If yes, maybe do an update and tell People about it? Like Mileage, Cranks, and Heating, etc....??? THANK YOU !!!

[@FastBackCa]

I encourage everyone to do this!! My manual fan blew and and damaged, the radiator, expansion tank, power steering reservoir and the water pump. Did all the work myself and it cost me about $400 for parts. Convert to the electric fan and save yourself a lot of money and the hassle

[@bettyferman6553]

Hi I have a question where can I get the fan from? What kind of car does that come off

[@JeffHundo]

@@bettyferman6553 any e46 MANUAL

[@rokk1493]

​@@bettyferman6553 READ THE FKING DESCRIPTION, kinda. ily

[@harisansari6126]

electric fans did not come on all manual e46's. i drive a 99 328i 5 speed. with a stock manual fan clutch.

[@nickritter1992]

2004 325ci all factory 5 speed doesn't have a e fan either

[@ForeignDomesticRacing]

he means the efan in front primarily known as AUX FAN for your condenser. they all have that fan. that is the actual fan he is using in the video, but he is utilizing it as a radiator fan. hope that clears things up

[@trapman1338]

+ForeignDomesticRacing u just answered my question.. because he never detailed what fan he's using.. but I thank u.. fr

[@1Corinthians15.1-4]

I have a 99 328i 5spd too and it has a manual fan. I'm actually going to go ahead and swap. Looks super easy and I get annoyed with the manual fan job.

[@1Corinthians15.1-4]

@@ForeignDomesticRacing for real, so all we gotta do is move it from the front of the radiator to the back?

[@richardgonzalez7199]

Thanks for the information good job, could you give me the information which car model I should look for that used fan

[@stefanyotcev5479]

please explain how this fan knows when to turn on ?

[@johndaniel3474]

You unplug your front aux fan connection and plug it in to the radiator one don't need to front any more

[@TheClevaroChannel]

It turns on when the car reaches operating temperature

[@klinatoc]

The coolant temp sensor that plugs into the radiator controls the aux fan. It will keep the coolant temp in a range so it will cycle on and off when at idle and low speeds where there is no air passing throw the radiator while driving.

[@BadPandaRacing]

@@klinatoc a lot of people seem to be tripping out about this part especially if you have an AC obviously you want to run it what happens does your fan come on does the AC still work and like he just said yes it all runs off of temperature reading

[@georgeteo8797]

I did this conversion on my 2005 330ci and I saw on a e46 group where they also replaced the thermostat so the “auxiliary” fan would cut on at a lower temperature. Does anyone know the part number or where to get that thermostat? Thank you for the video.

[@IvanGomez-ox7tz]

hey man thank you so much , this video helped me out alot ! saved me money on not buying an auxiliary fan as well !

[@hagopsarkarian]

Hello :-) What is the BMW part number for the electrical fan? I have 2002 BMW 330xd touring, 4WD with m57 diesel engine and 184 horse power. I'm willing to take my car's mechanical fan out. Thanks in advance :-)

[@Casper-nq6ug]

BMW-17117561757

[@Pierofelizzola]

to remove a super frozen fan ive used an air chisel on the bolt Works excellent

[@MrGio24]

how it will work on Automatic transmission?

[@arnolduk123]

I like your videos very much, but I'm not sure about what you acheived here. How do you have the aux fan connected to cool the radiator if you are using that connection to power the newly installed electric fan ? The viscous fan cools the engine as it heats up and the aux fan cools the water in the radiator. In your video you show only one fan connected and that will lead to an overheating engine when car is stationary. Also what direction is the air flow for the electric fan that you installed ? is directed at the engine (which is what is should be) or is it directed at the radiator ?

[@Traceyi1000]

My 2002 BMW 325xi fan blades broke off and it's an automatic transmission. Do you still recommend replacing to electric fan?

[@SGPxLEE]

Same here

[@Ron_ye]

Love your videos. I shop BMW parts stores online that sell OEM parts along side aftermarket parts. The OEM fan is twice as expensive as aftermarket fans. Do you prefer OEM vs aftermarket when making repairs?

[@most_unwanted_316i]

Here in 2024 for this job lol. Why auto 325i ones did not come with electric fans, like the manual ones?

[@luciusverus7697]

Heya Shoplife. Great vid as always. Can I ask if it's definitely ok to leave the Aux fan on? A few BMW forum threads I've read said that it has to come off. Any thoughts? Cheers

[@FayZz-xp1tw]

U found out coz I just took mine out

[@ericmatheri9394]

Do the electrical fan works effectively with E46 automatic transmissions, in the long run? Also can i leave the auxilliary fan (pusher) to work with the puller one at same time, just there in case of emergency?

[@warrenoliphant9748]

If you unplug the radiator fan switch on the e46 must the fan run? ... And if you plug it back the in the fan stops... My e46 is overheating.. Can it be that my radiator fan switch is faulty

[@ShadowMCD]

what do you mean keep the old one for back up? it wasn't plugged in to anything. or do mean keep the front fan installed, in case your fan failed, you could plug the front range in to get you home?

[@BadPandaRacing]

I think so makes sense I have the opposite my ac fan blew up nd I'm left with a clutch fan nd no shroud

[@alexibarra7708]

I have a BMW 540i and Am replacing the Radiator fan to an electric fan . Where can I get a fan with all the stuff yo just put on like on your video.

[@mafan-_-]

What electric fan did you use? Is it the same as an electric fan from the manual?

[@sevakghazaryan3834]

Yes

[@dennisderp8988]

If you leave your aux fan disconnected, doesn't that prevent your AC from turning on?

[@wackysacky001]

What part number is that electric fan assembly?

[@anthonyong9296]

Do you have an example for e46 m3?

[@joseph_the_human]

At the very beginning of the video, you said that the new fan was going to replace the old auxiliary fan also, So why didn't you take it out? Is it just sitting at the front of the radiator doing nothing now? 🤔

[@TheCrabbyCrabcakes]

i just did the swap from mechanical to electric after two fan blowouts and got it installed and i have no wires to plug in....any ideas? there is a lil box over there with a few wires going to it but it looks like a fuse inside...no connector...

[@4423Scott]

@ShopLifeTV Are you able to do same to a 2003 X5 3.0 M54 engine?

[@soundseeker63]

How is this fan controlled? Surely you would have to put in some kind of coolant temp switch to turn it on when the temp exceeds a set point otherwise how will it come on at the right time? At least with the clutch fan you know it is always running even when its not strictly needed.

[@keither89]

soundseeker63 i converted my fan a while ago and it turns on when the car gets hot

[@s4ms0n1t3]

seeing as you have just swapped out the aux fan connector onto the new electric fan will it only come on when idling? also is this the same proccess on the m3

[@crooky66west]

Love your channel ! Has been a great help to me in looking after my 320i E46 here in New Zealand. Question: I want to get rid of the manual clutch fan. Can I remove it and stick with just the A/C fan or do I have to install an electric fan on the engine bay side? Thoughts......cheers

[@gustavoalbertotapia6433]

I have the same question.... do you have any information??

[@crooky66west]

@@gustavoalbertotapia6433 I ended up just removing the clutch fan a couple of years ago now and sticking with the AC fan only, did not change anything else and left it in its original position and it has worked perfectly and holds the temperature exactly where it needs to be. Just run the car at idle after removing the clutch fan with AC off and check that it automatically comes on when the car temperature gets up. Cheers.

[@markhammer9975]

I don't know if you still have the car but somebody just told me that the reason the clutch fan is on automatic is because the extra heat created from the automatic transmission needs the constant air flow apparently. I was kind of concerned with that and that's why I watch this video, I've had my electric fan in for years now and not really had issues​@@crooky66west

[@enrique967]

What wire did you tap into for the fan?

[@andrewa.3304]

Can this be done on a e46 m3? Awesome video!

[@most_unwanted_316i]

is a fan relay needed for this conversion? auto e46 325i here

[@mavricxx]

Can you do a video on how to remove the front bumper so we can remove the aux fan? Thanks bro, loved your video btw. I did this mod like 2 yrs ago on my 2003 330i and it works amazingly, I just haven't removed the aux fan due to not knowing how to remove the front bumper.

[@ShopLifeTV]

+Rene G. Solis For sure. Thanks for watching!

[@yourdignity-5039]

I Heard that it was bad to do this if you had an automatic transmission because your automatic transmission can overheat without a clutch fan is this true ?

[@DustyPearl-NFL]

Great job Jason! Your vids make me feel really comfortable doing this! Keep up the great work!

[@Raptorman5174]

I have an 2001 e53 X5 3.0i with the exact same motor. I have been wanting to do this swap in that vehicle would the fan be the same or would it be a different?

[@E46_2ndA]

Did you figure that out?

[@tomcanada4047]

Nice swap! I'm a little unclear as to how you reconnect the wires. Could you explain what goes where in a little more detail? And what happens to the front ac fan? Thanks

[@ShopLifeTV]

+Tom Canada Thanks! You are eliminating the a/c pusher fan and using that connector for the electric puller fan. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[@georgallasj]

@@ShopLifeTV What if you have a manual? any benefits to this over the front fan?

[@pablopadilla1506]

The part number for the electric fan?? Please thank you.

[@moospeed813]

What model did you source the electric fan from?

[@yusufsesay6648]

How do you Bend that tool I can’t bend mine it’s from fcp euro

[@noneya96]

Any one have the electric fan part number for the E53 X5

[@ingegneriafacile]

Hello, is the fan the same for automatic or manual transmission?

[@JustineIzaaks-lh6pv]

Could we swap this out on a 320D automatic?

[@atancjoatancjo6472]

Why I can’t do this in 320i 150HP m52tub20

[@demik1553]

will any of these videos relate to the 2006 M3 or no??

[@SHREDTOKILL]

Did this to my 335ci, everytime i plug the fan in (keys not in ignition) the fan comes on, and never turns off. I do not have the outside air temp sensor (in the bottom side of the bumper), could this be why the fan never shuts off?

[@pablolopez-ue2te]

Hi I had a problem where it only works when my ac is on when doing the conversion am I doing something wrong?

[@flyparagliding]

The aux fan is for the air con so this mod seems to me to be all wrong, if you unplug the temp sensor it should come on as that is emergency mode.

[@markt9438]

is this the same on the M3 i have an 06 !

[@Arsenalusa]

No not the same, I have a 04 M3 and looking to install this.

[@jarodsimmons2542]

On the forums they don't recommend it. Don't remember the reason. It will bolt in though

[@beaferoner]

I did this fan delete for my 2004 325i. One concern I had was that on my obdII gauge my temps would fluctuate from 96-100 and sometimes 105 but, at this point the electric fan would kick in but never stay on a constant(as you would expect the original aux fan to behave). I tested this on my friends 2005 330i ZSP and the electric fan came on around 90 and stayed on a constant lowspeed unless it reached 98 then would kick in high speed. I know the ZSP's are tuned alittle differently but I wondered how I could get my fan to behave the same. I tryed swapping the fans between the two to see if it was the fan itself but turned out the same. I've since bought an new used 2004 325ci auto and have noticed with the two fan set up my temps run a constant 95-96, and rarely peaks at 98 when in traffic at which time the aux switches on and brings it back down to 95. I would consider doing this mod again but, only if there is some way to get the electric fan to kick on at lower temps and not let the temps spike up and down. Pardon my ignorance but I am not sure if this makes any difference at all but knowing these engines sensitivity to overheating I'd rather stick to whats proven. Searched the forums but no luck on how to adjust the behavior of the electrical fan. If anyone knows how PLS PLS PLS let me know, I've been looking for some time now.

[@ShopLifeTV]

The fans will cut on and off automatically to keep the car in a certain temp range. The fans are only really doing work when the car is standing still, otherwise airflow usually takes care of the rest when driving. As long as you have done maintenance to the cooling system, just relax and drive. Thanks for watching!

[@andyusa459]

Can you exchange a manual fan for an automatic fan on a 325ci / 2005?

[@andyusa459]

The 325ci is an automatic transmission.

[@akaSouths]

or you can just get it tuned so that the fans come on sooner but 10 degrees temp isnt much tbh. Maintenance the cooking system and youll be fine

[@lucasvonheiz1310]

Cool vid but doesn't work on m52tub28

[@kestonwilliams6365]

I have the same model e46 but it doesn’t look like this one

[@enay2255]

Hey man, great video! Can you leave the fan at the front still in or does it need to be removed??

[@Recon77]

Is it all plug and play? No coding needed?

[@goglikokenchxade5948]

The cooling of the air conditioner will does not work

[@RoiVananda]

why my electric fan stya on when my car is off, ??

[@FROSCKO]

One of the worst feelings is hearing the fan blades rip through everything in your engine -.- 400 to fix and replace everything

[@ShopLifeTV]

At least you will have a new cooling system haha

[@nicklittlewolf2738]

what was all broken? lookingto get one that looks like the coolant hose and shroud and whatever else was damaged,

[@fernandjose07]

This same exact thing happened to me about a year and a half ago. New fan, fan clutch, shroud, radiator hoses, expansion tank, couple of pulleys and belts, as well as the Transmission cooler and lines. About 600$ in repairs, and now i have a new hood dent thanks to the fan 🤣

[@Jsean0]

@@fernandjose07 what made the fan explode?

[@MrRick1303]

can these electric fan be used for e39 530i?

[@jomiahbernard8483]

Thank you much Shop life TV. Gr8 talk.

[@ghettomechanicllc3070]

Question. I have a 2003 325i and I cant put my mechanical fan back on because its stripped. My car has an automatic transmission, can I still replace the fan with an electric one?

[@BadPandaRacing]

There's no room for a clutch fan and electric fan two fit reason u ditch the shroud and clutch fan only way to fit the oem electric fan from the Mt e46s

[@fahin9595]

Is the electric fan make car more powerful

[@andregomes1332]

Do you need to program the new fan?

[@azaariey7453]

Can we bypass wire and 2 fan running

[@JeffreyMedina]

Where did you get the electric fan?

[@noneya96]

Is this the same with the E53 X5 3.0i

[@conradgarcia9389]

Hi there, thanks for your help about working in BMW, l have a 330ci year 2006 having issues with temperature, already change water pump, thermostat, but still heating up, somebody told me is the electric water pump, may you please help me teaching how to test it and how to replace it, thanks so much for your kindness and GOD BLESS YOU

[@LilMell24]

Hi. Can you tell me the OEM code for that electric fan please?

[@sevakghazaryan3834]

Fan of E46 with manual gearbox

[@gabrielito88]

Oh i forgot one question. Is it possible to remove the fan clutch bolt without the pulley holder? I mean using the belt friction to hold it.

[@Z0neDrift]

Yes, but you will most likely need to use a hammer to whack it loose.

[@ryantedesco6594]

Gabriel Lee I tried this once and it's a pain in the ass. Get the tool if you haven't done it already

[@gattube]

Thank you very much for these videos. I am wondering whether this electric fan fits the E38 7 series from 1995-2001. I have a 1998 and a 2001 7 series. Please let me know whether there is a plug and play aftermarket fan available online.

[@IvarsONE]

Maybe Electric Fan To Mechanical For e46 m43b19? :D

[@EminenceFrontX5]

Will this trick work on the 2001 x5 E53? the tabs seem to be the same to me!

[@chrisfernando606]

Hey man, great video as usual. Quick question. I have a 03 320 automatic, and I'm considering this mod. Can I leave the old electric fan in and not take it out?? Won't it have a negative effect on airflow?? Thanks again for the videos man. Appreciate it !!

[@ShopLifeTV]

You can, it will effect airflow, but it is not severe. My gf's e46 still has the aux fan attached and we drove the car cross country.

[@chrisfernando606]

ShopLifeTV thanks man. I was a bit scared to do this. Guess I'm doing it lol!! Thanks again for the great vids. Pls keep em coming

[@gregosler9181]

I just did this conversion on my ladies 03 325xi. Honestly the hardest part was lining up the slots on the side and bottom. The old fan came off really easy and was surprisingly heavy. Once I work out the other bugs I expect this will increase the acceleration. This took maybe 15 mins tops. The other issue that took most of the time in the garage

[@georgeteo8797]

Good luck… it almost cost me an engine…electric fan went out and car overhead, it only lasted 6monts

[@w-j7210]

​@@georgeteo8797so not to replace it? The manual e46 has the electric fan.

[@JoesayGarseeia]

Would you think its a good idea to do on an M3 considering its a different engine?

[@dustynbadillo7443]

Can you do this with an m3?

[@cismaruspu1]

What about M3s? Some people asked and no answer. Thank you!

[@ShopLifeTV]

Does not apply to e46 m3s

[@hundobigmothertrucker]

Lol wow my fan blew

[@raqb28q89]

Hi Jason, I have a question about the 2000 z3 2.8 it's this can be work in this car I appreciate your help please thanks

[@E46_2ndA]

My 2001 x5 3.0 has same motor. Clutch fan is failing. How can i make this work on it? Im sure theres many people wanting to figure that out. And im sure you will get many views if you pull it off bro. Let us know please.

[@LaloFoSho]

I bought a cheap 99 328i that came with a blown mechanical fan BUT it is a standard. Is it okay to replace the fan when replacing the water pump or should i buy an electric fan instead(still replacing the water pump)? since you said only automatics came with mechanical fan, it does have the fittings for an electrical fan... thinking maybe previous owner added the mechanical fan without knowing..

[@benileka5613]

Hi. I have a bmw e46 - 320 - diesel - 136 ps and i hav a problem with the Fan. Its work only in the first speed !! Normaly the electrical Fan hase 3 speeds. Because of that my expansion tank has explodet. How can i fixet to work with all three speeds ? Thank you.

[@cstillz2562]

I just did this fix to replace a mechanical fan that had lost all its blades somehow and after installing one I purchased from ecs tuning. the fan keeps running after my car had been turned off even up to an hour after at which point I pulled the connector off. I'm wondering if you know why this might be happening? maybe bad wiring or a relay?

[@jeffdominguez3491]

Jason\Ankur I'm a big fan of your DIY's I'm inquiring to see if you have an Electric Radiator fan that you can sell to me so I can replace the manual mechanical radiator fan on my 2001 BMW 330CI Convertible, also maybe you can lift and check out my car too and see if there is any other major stuff that I need to replace and fix in the future and give me a quote on how much it will cost me for you to do them??

[@HolyFix]

Can I do this on my e46 M3 smg? My aux fan shows signs of corrosion on the module and has no parts available to replace it. I’ve been struggling with overheating with a/c on when it super hot it. Only when it’s like 30 degrees plus it overheat on idle

[@monkeywentbananas]

Hey brother love your videos both old and new. My 2000 323CI has a bad fan clutch! Does the 2000 year model E46 have the electrical connectors to make the conversion to electric?

[@nicholasreyes8806]

I’m having trouble inserting it in my manual 325i. It’s really really snug and scratching the metals on the cooling fan

[@briansimon1864]

Just wanted to verify... I have an automatic 2002 E46 330i and want to change to the electric fan. It should be okay correct? cannot stand dealing with the fan clutch on the manual fan. I need to replace thermostat and water pump. Is there a brand that you recommend?

[@rudar825]

I have a 320 ci e46 coupe. It mehinical fan exploded yesterday. Does the fan explosion affect the transmission?