Cooling fan clicking noise

Thirdkelley · 08-23-2014, 08:03 PM

So today when I was parking in reverse, I weird clicking sound started coming from the engine bay. I checked under the hood, and it seems to be coming from the radiator fan. I turned the car off, the fan started slowing down, and the noise slowed down with the fan. There was just enough space for me to reach my hand down there once the car cooled off. I inspected the fan blades, and they all seem to be intact. Could it be catching something? It seems to sound like it clicks only one time in a full rotation. Anything seen this issue before? I know it is related to the fan because when i started the car cold there was no noise, I proceeded to turn the "max" A/C button on and the noise started when the A/C started. The fan isn't obnoxiously loud, so I doubt the water pump is involved but i don't know for sure. There is a slight bend in the fan blades all in the same point, but I can't know for sure until I know what a normal blade looks like. Does anyone have any n54 pictures looking down at the backside of the radiator fan that I can compare to? along with a picture of a fan blade?

Pig Farmer · 08-23-2014, 09:22 PM

A couple years ago I experienced the same noise. It turned out to be the rubber seal between the radiator and intercooler. The seal must have come off the radiator and slid back into the fan blades. The seal is black and looks like a wind shield wiper blade. If this is the culprit, it will be protruding from the front toward the lower 1/3rd of the fan.

08-23-2014, 08:03 PM	#1
Thirdkelley Enlisted Member 11 Rep 32 Posts Drives: Blacked Out 128i Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: NC iTrader: (0)	Cooling fan clicking noise So today when I was parking in reverse, I weird clicking sound started coming from the engine bay. I checked under the hood, and it seems to be coming from the radiator fan. I turned the car off, the fan started slowing down, and the noise slowed down with the fan. There was just enough space for me to reach my hand down there once the car cooled off. I inspected the fan blades, and they all seem to be intact. Could it be catching something? It seems to sound like it clicks only one time in a full rotation. Anything seen this issue before? I know it is related to the fan because when i started the car cold there was no noise, I proceeded to turn the "max" A/C button on and the noise started when the A/C started. The fan isn't obnoxiously loud, so I doubt the water pump is involved but i don't know for sure. There is a slight bend in the fan blades all in the same point, but I can't know for sure until I know what a normal blade looks like. Does anyone have any n54 pictures looking down at the backside of the radiator fan that I can compare to? along with a picture of a fan blade? __________________ 08 Alpine White 135i// JB4 G5 ISO/Alpina TCU flash/BMS DCI/Berk race mids/VRSF Cat-less DPs/ER Chargepipe w/HKS BOV/Walbro 255 Lpfp/BMS Flash
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08-23-2014, 09:22 PM	#2
Pig Farmer Major 340 Rep 1,293 Posts Drives: E92M Join Date: May 2010 Location: Florida iTrader: (0)	A couple years ago I experienced the same noise. It turned out to be the rubber seal between the radiator and intercooler. The seal must have come off the radiator and slid back into the fan blades. The seal is black and looks like a wind shield wiper blade. If this is the culprit, it will be protruding from the front toward the lower 1/3rd of the fan.
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