E90 Electric Fan Removal and Installation Tips

I've seen posts that say removing the E90 electric fan and fan shroud is super easy and others that took several hours.

For me, it was a huge hassle because of the rubber piece that is attached to the pipe after the intercooler. The electric fan would not come out no matter how hard I pulled. Removing the two torx bolts and the plastic clip above the rubber piece were super easy but I got stuck after that.

I circled the rubber piece in orange below. It is located on the driver side of the electric fan.

Here is how I finally got the plastic clip loose and fan free:

• I got a very long flat head screwdriver
• Placed screwdriver between rubber and plastic clip on intercooler pipe. 
• Pushed and pried plastic clip off rubber piece. It may help to get one side of the clip loose first and then pry from the center. 

Installing the fan did not go smoothly as well. I kept getting snapped on the plastic part of the brace which I circled below. 

Some other things to be aware of:

• Be careful to not snag or pinch wiring or fan controller underneath brace
• Pull coolant hose towards engine as you are lowing electric fan
• The plastic clip on the intercooler pipe was causing issues for me and bent the rubber piece. I used the screwdriver as a guide and straighten the rubber piece. 
• It helps a lot to have another person on removal and installation since the clearance is so tight. 

Removing the cooling fan and shroud will make life a lot easier in removing and replacing the tensioner, pulleys, and belt. I strongly suggest using the Continental belt. 

BMW Transmission Malfunction Warning

BMW Transmission woes.

I was driving a E90 335i and merging onto the highway when a yellow gear with an exclamation showed up on my dash. iDrive said "Transmission Malfunction. Drive moderately and Reduced Acceleration."

The transmission was stuck in gear and would not downshift or upshift. This was particularly scary going from 75 mph to 45 mph and driving way too slow on the highway. I got off at the nearest exit and quickly pulled over. I shut the car down and then restarted and the warning went away.

Everything seems normal and I have made a service appointment at the dealer to see what is going on. The 335i is under CPO warranty. I will keep you posted on what BMW says.

Symptoms: I noticed the 335i was awkwardly shifting and slipping before I got on the highway. A month ago I was stopped at an intersection and when the light turned green, I took my foot off the brake and the car lurched forward. When I am coming to a stop on a downhill road, the car will shudder and I hear a grinding noise.

Result: Transmission fluid was two quarts low and the fault only occurred once.

BMW F32 428i M Sport Interior Pictures

F32 Series Interior Pictures

M Sport Steering Wheel
Black Leather Interior
Aluminum Trim Pieces

BMW E90 LCI 335i Dash Pictures

Gauge Cluster

M Sport Steering Wheel

Focus is overrated

Focus is overrated

BMW E90 335i Tachometer Picture

BMW F30 vs. E90 iDrive Controller Comparison

BMW E90 LCI is equipped with the iDrive Professional Navigation (CIC)

 

The E90 LCI iDrive features quick navigation buttons and updated controller wheel. Resolution, hard drive space, and processing speed has been increased compared to the previous iDrive generation. The most notable change is the menus and display which is much more efficient and requires less button clicking and navigating.

BMW F30 comes with the iDrive Professional Navigation (CIC-HIGH)

 

The F30 iDrive has the same navigation buttons as the E90, but has a larger controller wheel. The controller wheel has a smoother feel and does not click when twisting.

Processing speed and hard drive storage have improved to allow more detailed navigation maps.

I prefer the F30 iDrive because it does not have the plastic chrome trim that bubbles up on the E90. If you look at the first picture, the trim is bubbling on my E90 iDrive controller and it drives me crazy. I have sliced my fingers several times and have to be careful when using iDrive, otherwise I will bleed on the controller and my steering wheel. The bubbling in the trim is caused by oils from your fingers and BMW will not cover it under warranty because it is 'wear and tear'.

The F30 controller feels very fluid and is much smoother than the E90's, probably due to its larger size. I really enjoy using the F30 iDrive and I can't think of any negatives. 

BMW F30 320i Bare iDrive

 

The BMW 320i comes with the bare iDrive controller standard. There are two fewer shortcut buttons and movement is limited to left and right. The wheel is much smaller so there is no touch pad like the iDrive equipped with navigation. 

I believe BMW made the right decision in providing a basic iDrive as standard in their 3-series sedans.