Don't Let a Low Speed Fan Slow You Down: How to Fix Your MINI R50 for Less Than £10

Are you tired of dealing with a low speed fan problem in your '03 R50 Mini? In this video, I'll show you how to easily and inexpensively fix the issue with an external resistor.
No need for a mechanic or expensive parts - all you need are some pliers, wire, and connectors.
The 100W, 0.33Ω resistor that I used can be found in the links below, along with the cable and Scotch locks that I used in this repair. With just a few simple steps, you'll be able to get your Mini running smoothly and save yourself time and money.
So why wait? Check out this video now to learn how to fix your Mini's low-speed fan issue with ease. Don't forget to hit the like button and subscribe for more helpful DIY repair videos like this one.
RESISTOR: amzn.to/3ZY9lvr
CABLE: amzn.to/3y9mLYy
SCOTCH LOCKS: amzn.to/41Dogeo

[@daveyork2506]

Great solution to an otherwise lengthy and expensive fix. My 2005 MINI R52 cooling fan works perfectly now. Thank you also for including the links to source the parts!

[@joaopmf]

Glad I could be of help! Hope your Mini stays strong! 😁

[@Andy19555]

For those people having problems finding for a 0.33 Ohm 100 watt resistor try looking for a 330 milliohm (mΩ), 100 watt resistor - it's the same thing.

[@timffitch]

Most likely the thermal fuse had failed because the resistor had overheated. This is a safety circuit to stop the car going up in flames. What you must do is ask yourself why the resistor overheated. The reason for that one these early Minis is the fan motor bearings are failing. This makes the motor harder to turn causing to much strain on the resistor. You can hear the noise of the fan is not right when he bridges the high speed circuit to the battery. The whole fan assembly needs replacing. This repair is a bodge and risks the car going up in flames if the wiring overheats.

[@joaopmf]

Indeed this is a bodge, but the proper repair part costs at least 6x what I spent here in materials and you have to remove the whole front of the car the replace it. Plus all the "while I'm in there" parts you're going to replace. On a car worth £700 or thereabouts I wouldn't go about spending 10% of the car's value or more in a repair if I can avoid it.

[@joshuametta9718]

very nice..thank you

[@joaopmf]

You're welcome!

[@davidcheshire8569]

I wish I'd thought of that before before I replaced the resistor in the shroud , although the replacement was only £15 it was a lot of work to changed it

[@joaopmf]

Easier than a radiator out job 😁

[@alfatangokilo]

Sorry, I don't understand how this started to work. If the original resistor is damaged (current does not flow through it) and therefore the fan does not spin, so how, plugging a new resistor into the slow-run power supply line made it work?

[@joaopmf]

You're bypassing the old resistor by sending the low speed fan signal through the high speed wire.

[@alfatangokilo]

@@joaopmf So then you only have one, slow speed?

[@noel5ilv3rlake]

@@alfatangokilo Guess, there are still 2 stages ( L & H ) First, The high speed fan will only turn on somehow when the AC on need push sometimes, but normally the stage 1 is just enough Secondly, as emergency 🆘 🔥 so when we have broken resistor in low speed fan it means we have trouble sometimes soon or Alarming alert to our MINI COOPER , when we have stage 2 fan turn on after the key off, this is the final alert we cannot ignore it so long As long as the speed fan is working normally, it will not going to hit 112 degrees Celsius that’s why using the high wire but under the lower order from the ECU to keep running cool or prevent overheating and prevent everything in order, no coolant leak, boiling etc Sometimes I thought the Mini Cooper engine is pretty strong, My TTQ will turn on the fan at 95/96 instead of 102♨️

[@krystiangrochowicz3692]

As quick as possibile.🙂👍

[@dallasjohnson3632]

i like the concept but, the execution could have been better. i found it very difficult to view how it all came together in the end...i'm sure, i'm not the only one who feels this way. consider putting up a very clear picture of the end result then sit back and watch how your positive comments SORES!!! (just a suggestion).

[@joaopmf]

Thank you for your feedback! I did not show the end result thoroughly because at the time of filming I was experimenting if this would actually last enough to be a long-term solution, after testing it for a few months I published the video and went back and soldered everything and mounted the resistor properly. There's a diagram midway through the video explaining how it goes together.

[@mikedessavre399]

please see the link, so you can see how I installed the capacitor. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIrJqoGip5KKp7s

[@Blue48185]

From the new resistor you join the low fan and high fan together then join it to the high fan wiring loom

[@joaopmf]

Check the diagram @ 1:54

[@prairiepegger]

This is a great video. I'm going to order the parts today. I hope this also fixes/energizes the power steering cooling fan. I read that they are tied together. Interestingly - not sure if it's coincidence or not- the AC also stopped working when the low speed was not working. Maybe this will energize the AC as well!! Thanks

[@Rubenchavez87]

Did the fix work for your ac? Have the same issue

[@StoneJumpers]

Did the fix work i have the same problem?

[@prairiepegger]

@@Rubenchavez87 I chose to replace the fan with a new one. The reason is because if I retrofit the with a new resistor as shown in this video, it will not engage the Power Steering fan circuit. Also, it will still not engage the radiator fan when the AC is activated. I had to replace the AC clutch and magnet assembly because the stage 1 fan did not engage and the AC was overworked and overheated. By replacing the radiator fan and clutch, everything works well again. I bought the fan and ac clutch assembly on Amazon. Hope this helps.

[@prairiepegger]

@@StoneJumpers I chose to replace the fan with a new one. The reason is because if I retrofit the with a new resistor as shown in this video, it will not engage the Power Steering fan. Also, it will still not engage the radiator fan when the AC is activated. I had to replace the AC clutch and magnet assebly because the stage 1 fan did not engage and the AC was overworked and overheated. By replacing the radiator fan and clutch, everything works well again. I bought the fan and ac clutch assembly on Amazon. Hope this helps.

[@DariuszDulewicz]

I applied this solution to my Mini today, and it seems to be working fine. Many thanks! However, the resistor is getting extremely hot, to the point where it burned the cable ties I used. I'm a bit concerned about its long-term durability. Have your resistors gotten just as hot? Has anyone experienced them burning? Where did you attach yours?

[@joaopmf]

Glad it helped, the resistor will get warm of course but mine never got warm to that point. There's a aluminium mount close-by that you can mount the resistor to for heat dissipation.

[@beilerdude]

If I'm understanding correctly, using your provided diagram- the left side of the screen would be where the fan pig tail is, and the right side of the screen (where the low speed wire "T's" into the high speed wire) would indicate the area where the remaining low speed wire to the fan will be capped off?

[@joaopmf]

Exactly, you bypass that feed for the low speed.

[@Tuchh]

You should film school fights with these camera angles

[@mateuszcegiel6998]

Polska

[@benonnet]

Will this work on my 02 R50 Cooper? Many thanks 😊👍🏻

[@joaopmf]

Mine's a late 03 R50 so it has the 1 plug fan. If yours has this same connector, it will work. I think 02 models had 2 plugs going to the fan, those do not work. But check it out, I don't know if they've changed it in 2002 or 2003 😉

[@stefano5981]

Hi, what size is the current collector for the big red wire? or rather you can give me the link where I can buy the current collector of the right size! thank you

[@joaopmf]

I used eBay to buy them

[@mikedessavre399]

I installed the resistor just like Joao showed. works great with the A/C on. I have to check if high stage will start at the correct temp. What I don't know it is necessary to install the resistor in metal to help to dissipate the heat ?? :)

[@joaopmf]

I didn't do it at first, but then mounted it to a piece of metal to dissipate the heat. I would recommend it out of precaution!

[@mikedessavre399]

@@joaopmf Thank you man, please see the link, so you can see how I installed the capacitor. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIrJqoGip5KKp7s

[@joaopmf]

@@mikedessavre399 great placement of the resistor for cooling, nice job!

[@mikedessavre399]

@@joaopmf Thanks to your video and your knowledge.

[@omgitsanSTi]

if you do this wiring modification, does the high speed fan still work?

[@joaopmf]

Yup, works as normal.

[@ranij6209]

Great video. Can I ask please, where did you place your resistor and did you use thermal paste of some sort?

[@joaopmf]

I still haven't placed it permanently, but I'd probably bolt it to the transmission mount, i.e. a large chunk of aluminium for heat dissipation.

[@mikedessavre399]

Please see the link, so you can see how I installed the capacitor. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIrJqoGip5KKp7s

[@allmoxie777]

Joāo...want to make sure that you completely cut the low speed wire amd tape off. You then splice a new resistor into the Hi speed (thick) wire...the result is the low speed begins to operate? Yes?

[@joaopmf]

Yes, just like the diagram @ 1:54. The wire capped off is left out of this diagram.

[@mikedessavre399]

The installation of the resistor is almost half a year old, and it worked perfectly during the summer. Before the modification, only the high-speed fan worked, now only the low-speed fan works and the high-speed fan only works when it is very hot. My final installation on the below link. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIrJqoGip5KKp7s

[@rickykent4543]

my 2002 cooper has no fan working at all , will this work for that year. The plug has 3 pins , brown wire plus 2 red/blue of different thickness, assume they are high and low.

[@mikedessavre399]

@@rickykent4543 What I heard and watch on Joao video, for 2002 will no work unless the plug have the connection to to the low speed resistor. If you want to know, do the test just like Joao explain in his video. connecting a wire to each battery pole (- & +), and then connect the other wire end to the plug as Joao shows

[@alekspiatek9930]

Would this work on a 2005 r52, and how long is this fix good for? What’s it’s life like

[@joaopmf]

I've sold that car now but I've had it for 1 year + with no issues

[@federicoresnati8941]

hi, I have 100 Watt whit 1 ohm resistor .. could it be fine too? thank you

[@joaopmf]

It will run the fans at a lower speed, I'd recommend the same spec resistor.

[@leeransom6440]

Would this fix work with the early r50 with 2 plugs

[@joaopmf]

Sadly no, this will only work on the later three pin plug.

[@corywilson1488]

Why does the air filter hose look like it’s mesh or some type it other material I looked at mine and was gonna replace it with a regular hose should I or no

[@joaopmf]

If yours is the same as the one in the video it is the OEM part, I would keep it OEM. Intake systems are designed with a certain airflow in mind, unless you're comfortable with the maths behind that I wouldn't mess with it. Hope this helps!

[@chtkymz01]

Hello my friend. in my location not to sell 100 watt 0.33 ohm resistor. instead of to use 100 watt 0.50 ohm resistor is it suitable?

[@noel5ilv3rlake]

I’ve been testing for several days now, my 05’ MCS 53 plate now is running great again, you can find 0.33R easily on AMAZON or I think if you want a good durability of the resistor you can use 0.68 R ( like parallel) I believe this can be stronger enough than 0.33R but 0.50 ain’t work I guess You can find both 100w 0.33R or 0.68R > AMAZON

[@familieverhoeve7127]

My Mini is a 2002 model Mini cooper One 1.6. My low speed fan is also not working. I already bought a new resistor. I read this only works in post 2003 models....Now I an dissapointed. Is there a way I can make this work on my 2002 Mini ? What is the difference between pre and post 2003 models ? Kind regards from the Netherlands

[@joaopmf]

This only works on cars with the 3 PIN fan plug unfortunately.

[@jimmahr.4665]

I just worked on this. My fan was low speed only, no high speed. What I noticed after quite a bit of poking metering testing is that my fan was super low speed, as in it should have never spun this slow. Low speed on this cooling fan is fast enough to be easily heard when hood closed and your standing next to it, or even in it while engine is running. Low speed is just short of 10V. Sooooo not so much low speed. Also I don't believe there is a high speed. There is only one speed on mine. There is wiring for two speeds but the relay that sits in the same box as the resistor is not powered, as in it never switches. Now relay could be powered internally, but with no ground going to it at all, its chit out of luck. Fn beemers. At the end I think I just had a dirty contact that cleaned up with me plunging it in and out, and now it runs proper with no parts changed. 2006 cooper plain 194k miles. Also don't be this lazy, bumper cover comes off fairly easily, bumper reinforcement is even easier, then don't drain the coolant, undo the top hose, you will spill a bit, and you're in. It's no chevy but well damn, you don't want to do this again in 6 months because wires rotted out if you live in the salt belt.

[@loope96reach]

So I am confident that the low speed fan issue is present on my mini. If I start the car and run the AC the high speed fan seems to come on right away. Other than testing it that way, I have not tried connecting wires to the battery to see if just the low speed fan is working as intended. My first question is there any other way to test that the low speed fan is working? My next question may be silly (I am not a car guy), but is the low speed fan necessary to have outside of the summer months when it's hot and the AC is running? Be honest with me here, is this something you truly need? Great video, thank you!

[@joaopmf]

I believe these cars only use the fan when idling while standing still because I never really heard it come on otherwise, if the low speed fan isn't working it has always the high speed fan as a back-up, but it's good to have both just in case.

[@loope96reach]

@@joaopmf I will grab some wire and see if I can't give it a test! Do you know if any wire will work? Or does it have to be the Pearly one that you linked? Thank you!!

[@joaopmf]

Anything that can pass 12V to that will work

[@jesusjj13]

Does it have to be 100wat? I only find a 27 watt resistor on my local store

[@joaopmf]

Maybe try buying it online, it has to be 100W.

[@JMSGroovetank]

Bravo,... i guess the OEM resistor i purchased is going to the junk drawer, cause i was not looking forward to all the work of getting the fan shroud out for the repair.....now I dont have to. I assume the replacement resistor will endure the current and not burn out. I believe the OEM was located to recv cooling air to help it handle but just does not. Ordering my resistor now

[@joaopmf]

Yes, it was suppose be in the shroud for cooling I guess, but it didn't work in 90% of the cars on the road, did it? 😂 I don't use this car too much right now, but I did this fix a few months ago and it's still running great. If you're worried about heat you could for example bolt it to the aluminium transmission mount with some thermal paste (the paste they use in processors and graphics cards for pc's) in between the surfaces to dissipate heat more effectively.

[@JMSGroovetank]

@@joaopmf I considered that but opted to mounting it to another piece of aluminum ( for added heat dissipation and zip tie the whole thing near the fan connector. Can't believe I found your video confirming my idea that I was considering after looking at the electrical schematic. Where did you get the resistor value, the aftermarket OEM replacement measures 1 ohm, so .33 would just bring stage 1 closer to stage 2 fan speed, will just keep the engine coolant cooler. A good thing I suspect

[@mikedessavre399]

Please see the link, so you can see how I installed the capacitor. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIrJqoGip5KKp7s

[@mikedessavre399]

See the place where I installed the capacitor is always cool and I installed 6 months ago. I used this car daily. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIrJqoGip5KKp7s

[@graycbr600]

I get nothing from the battery directly low or high or when turn on AC . Is there a way to test the motor without stripping the car down ?

[@joaopmf]

If your motor doesn't run I'd assume it's not working, so that'd require taking apart and further investigating.

[@tshedzasiliga8854]

thanks for the solution but the resistor get very hot when i am running air condition it smell bad i have to turn it off

[@joaopmf]

HI!, Have you mounted the resistor to an aluminium surface to better dissipate the heat? Was it a quality resistor? I did not have such problems. Thank you!

[@user-er2wc5ts2n]

thanks, may I ask one? what size did you use for the new black wire? can I ask the info plz?

[@joaopmf]

You should use 17 Amp wire, like this: amzn.to/3y9mLYy

[@user-er2wc5ts2n]

@@joaopmf Thank you

[@Ginbaubabe]

What about the size of the blade connector you used to connect the resistor? The connectors I can find are either too small or too big. Thanks Joao!

[@joaopmf]

​@@Ginbaubabe I've bought 2.8 mm ones for my resistor, yours might be different, can you measure the size with some calipers?

[@Ginbaubabe]

@@joaopmf I think the resistor is the same or similar, with a terminal just under 3mm, but the 2.8mm connectors I got are too small. May have to dig out the old soldering iron 😅

[@DanyGhinescu]

At what temperature does the fan start on the first stage? At 87 or 97 degrees Celsius?

[@joaopmf]

I think the fan doesn't come on until it reaches 106°C or somewhere around that mark

[@DanyGhinescu]

@@joaopmf I have a Mini Cooper D R56 Diesel and it starts when it exceeds 97 degrees Celsius. I don't know if it's okay. I was looking to buy a new thermostat and the specifications say it opens at 87 degrees.

[@joaopmf]

@@DanyGhinescu I'm only aware of the values for the R50 1.6 Petrol engine, so I'm not sure about those

[@deanbadhamswilliams2047]

Hi I have just checked the fan ... speed one not coming on and speed 2 not coming on I have put the aircon on and nothing .. please help mines a 2004 one plug like yours

[@joaopmf]

I'm guessing the resistor is shot like mine was

[@deanbadhamswilliams2047]

@@joaopmf I'm getting no clicking when testing also where your high speed fan works mine dont low speed and hi speed I'm getting nothing ... thankyou for replying and so fast ..

[@joaopmf]

Try swapping relays/fuses around to see if that's a blow fuse

[@graycbr600]

have you fixed this Ive got the same ?

[@ranij6209]

I've done this installation today, but still the low speed fan didn't come on. Strangely enough, when I connect the battery to the negative and the positive of the high speed (thicker red wire) low speed comes on instead of high speed! While when I put the AC on, high speed comes on in cycles. I do hear a very very faint click from the fan area (not the relay area) when I connect negative and thinner red wire, but obviously the fan doesn't switch on at all. Very strange. All fuses and relays look fine and my fuse box looks to be rust free....could it be that one of the layers within the fuse box is actually rusted?

[@ranij6209]

Figured it out. Bought 33 and 47 ohm resistors instead of 0.33 and 0.47 ones :/ (bought two capacities in case the 0.33 one burns out quick) 😣

[@markb.131]

@@ranij6209 where did you buy the .33 resistor?

[@ranij6209]

Hey, bought the wrong ones cheap on aliexpress, but the 0.33 one from eBay UK to recieve quicker

[@markb.131]

@@ranij6209 is it 100W .33ohm? I couldn’t find that. I can only find 100W 33ohm

[@mauriziozappala3692]

Ciao non riesca a capire dove si mette il collettore blu . E quale filo devo tagliare

[@joaopmf]

Please check 1:54

[@joaopmf]

Welcome to the video! If you're having trouble finding the materials used in this fix, don't worry - we've got you covered. You can find the resistor, cable, and Scotch locks that we used in this repair at the links below: RESISTOR: amzn.to/3ZY9lvr CABLE: amzn.to/3y9mLYy SCOTCH LOCKS: amzn.to/41Dogeo And if you have any questions or comments about the fix, feel free to leave them below. I love hearing from our viewers and I am always happy to help. Thanks for watching, and don't forget to like and subscribe!

[@beretta994]

Hello, will a 50W 0.47 ohm be enough? Thanks :D

[@joaopmf]

Well, the 0.47ohm should be alright because that makes the fan run just a bit faster. But I wouldn't run a 50W, people already have problems cooling the 100W one, so going lower wattage will only accentuate those problems if you don't burn it all together the first time your fan sends power to it. 😉

[@joaopmf]

But I'm not an expert so it might still work, just my view 😂

[@beretta994]

Thanks for the reply. The problem is I can't find 100W resistor with less than 10 ohm's resistance in my town. I already have the OEM replacing part but I don't want to go the long way. The OEM measures around 1 ohm, so I was thinking of placing two 50W 0.47 ohm resistors in a series. Would that make a difference or the first one will just blow out? What do you think about placing a diode after the resistor for preventing flow of current the other way when the high speed is on? I'm not an electrician, just throwing ideas. Thanks :)

[@joaopmf]

@@beretta994 anyway you could buy one over the web? That sounds like it could work, I'd give it a try anyway!

[@beretta994]

@@joaopmf I can but it would take weeks to arrive. I bought two 50W 1 ohm resistors. I will put them in parallel and that should give me 0.5 ohm and 100W according to the salesman. It's close enough to yours. We'll see what happens😀

[@jonathanfrostick9825]

This is a great video and I’ve been able to diagnose that my fan resistor isn’t working on my R50 1.4D. I had previously swapped out the relay but to no avail. To confirm, when I wire up then, on the fan loom (coming from the fan), I: 1. Cut off the low speed wire from the fan and cap off 2. I wire to the low speed cable coming from the plug 3. I connect this to the resistor 4. I then connect another wire to the other side of the resistor 5. I then splice that second wire coming off of the resistor to the high power fan cable on the fan loom (coming from the fan into the plug. Is that correct?

[@joaopmf]

As correct as it can be!

[@andrewmaximous7619]

@@joaopmf Thank you for the video. I'm not quite following a couple steps in Jonathan's list here. How does the low speed fan get power if the wire from the fan is capped off (Step 1)? On Step 5 (not shown in your video), does the high speed cable get cut and the 3 wires get spliced together? 3 wires meaning 1) the wire from the new resistor 2) the high speed wire to the fan and 3) the high speed wire to the plug. Also, can this be done without the Scotchlok? Thank you!

[@joaopmf]

@@andrewmaximous7619 the end you cap off it the original low speed wire that went to the fan, this has a bad resistor and won't get any current. Here your running the original signal through a new external resistor and feeding that via the unrestricted high speed wire. Please see 1:54 for a very basic diagram. Hope this helps!

[@andrewmaximous7619]

@@joaopmf ok thanks for the follow up. Just to be clear, both wires must be cut correct? Then all three are spliced together on the high speed fan wire.

[@joaopmf]

@@andrewmaximous7619 Exactly!

[@shauntomo88]

I used a wire the same as you did, the low speed fan won’t work, soon as I put the power onto high speed it works

[@joaopmf]

That means your low speed fan resistor is broken

[@Blue48185]

You connect resistor in low speed fan and the other into high speed fan

[@joaopmf]

Exactly that!

[@Brad5161]

Source for resistor?

[@joaopmf]

Good ol' eBay. Just search for 100w 0.33 ohm resistor and you should find it.

[@Brad5161]

Just searched ebay... no luck.

[@Brad5161]

Never mind, this won't work as an external on an 02 R53.

[@joaopmf]

@@Brad5161 Two pin connector right?

[@Brad5161]

@@joaopmf Everything I'm reading says this won't work on an 02. Two plugs.

[@peskachina]

I installed the replacement resistor and it lasted only 10 days. Now switching to this mod because i don't want to take everything apart every 2 weeks!

[@mikedessavre399]

Hi, did you switch to this mod? It works ?

[@peskachina]

@@mikedessavre399 I still have it in the glove box... too busy lately

[@mikedessavre399]

@@peskachina please see the link, so you can see how I installed the capacitor. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIrJqoGip5KKp7s

[@peskachina]

@@mikedessavre399 Very good job! I did install the resistor but I may move it to the bumper too, I don't like to see it on the transmission bracket.

[@mikedessavre399]

@@peskachina Thanks ! I was using my Mini all week to test the installation, in the freeway, heavy traffic in Los Angeles, and I have been checking it, and it is cool enough and still working great !!

[@akbarharoon3184]

I did exactly what you did and my low speed fan still doesn't work.

[@joaopmf]

Are you sure you wired it correctly? You have bought a defective resistor, or there maybe other problems with your fan that are not the resistor itself.

[@akbarharoon3184]

@João Ferreira the high speed fan works perfectly.... and i also tested it from the battery to the fan plug before and after the resistor..... the low speed fan doesn't want to work

[@coxboy4140]

I don’t get where the second point of the resistor goes…???

[@joaopmf]

High speed fan wire.

[@coxboy4140]

@@joaopmf ok thanks i imagined. i hope this will help others

[@mikedessavre399]

Is still working on your Mini? I will do it this week end.

[@joaopmf]

Yup, all working still!

[@mikedessavre399]

@@joaopmf Thank You so much !! I use this car everyday and the high speed fan is working very often. So I think doing this, will help to keep the temp lower before the high start it.

[@mikedessavre399]

Joao , Did you soldering ? what is the gauge wire that you use ?

[@joaopmf]

@@mikedessavre399 I've used 17A wire

[@argenisrosado7779]

Will this work on a r56?

[@joaopmf]

I'm not sure, never worked on that one.

[@argenisrosado7779]

Thanks for the reply

[@argenisrosado7779]

@@joaopmf they look almost the same

[@joaopmf]

There might be a chance that the system is similar, but I can't tell you for sure.

[@banjominer9682]

i needed this video but couldnt see anything or understand it

[@joaopmf]

Check 1:54 for a very basic wiring diagram.

[@mikedessavre399]

After more than a month , this solution is working 100% perfect, the high speed fan works now only with the A/C on. and the low speed fan stage keep the engine cool ...final installation link => kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIrJqoGip5KKp7s