Blackbeard55

OK thanks, I will give you a call.

By the way, any ideas on that alternator condenser (size, model). As I said before its not a stock alternator but the 318i larger 85 amp alternator. Or does it matter. Thanks,

KOnrad, thanks, will try all. I ordered a new switch but will try the fix in the meantime and thanks for the electrical knowledge. I am going out the at lunch time and fiddle with the switch.

Just wanted to say thanks to all the people that have posted on here with advice and helped me with all my questions. Who would have guessed without reading through here that the way to get the thermo switch for the elctrical fan operating is to give it a nice quick heating up. It would not turn the fan on. Passed a torch pass it a couple of times replaced it ran the car and boom it works. Nice!!!!

OK when it rains it really pours. I just got done with a 320i radiator switch, an electric fan add on and a larger alternator replacement and everything seemed to be working OK and then all hell breaks loose. I don't think its related to the alternator switch but I am keeping my fingers crossed, but my battery keeps draining. First, I the hazard switch keeps coming on, it just pops out and the switch turn on the hazard lights which I think drain the battery (I am going to disconnect the hazard switch today until I get a new one), but then when I charge the battery and replace it, without the stereo being turned on or the car being on I start getting noise coming out my rear speakers. Battery is in the trunk and speakers are right above battery so its really weird. I can imagine that there is a grounding problem with the speakers, but could that also be contributing to discharging the battery. I know that this is weird and it is probably child's play but I am basically a child when it comes to electrical problems. Its a state of mind thing. Also when I installed the auxilliary fan I went to the green wire in the fuse box which I believe is the horn but also may be the fuse for some other things. Any ideas other than just doing one thing at a time replacing the hazard switch. OH one final electrical ghost, when the hazard switch pops out (by itself) and the battery is nearly drained there is a constant clicking coming from the dash board that only stops when I get the hazard switch pushed in again. Like the hazard lights are going at a crazy speed.

I am going to take it back to Pep boys What it is is that it seems like it is not deep enough so its loose. The cap when you put it on should compress the spring a bit to that when you turn it there is upward force against the flanges. My old '02 cap fits beter than the one from Pep Boys but it is still not a good fit. I may have to call the used parts guys tomorrow. Thanks!!!

Hey there, I am looking for a 320i radiator cap. got the radiator and no cap. went to Pep Boys and got a cap but it is way loose. Not sure what the deal is. Anyway, I figure I need an original. Thanks anyone,

Its grounded from one of the poles. The top of the thermo switch has two poles one is ground and one goes to the relay. Will have to check on the horn wire. I took ipower from right from under the fusebox, so it would seem like it was a hot wire. Will check on ground for the thermo switch but I grounded it to the same place that the alternator is grounded too and that seems to be working. I am going to try jumping the thermoswitch to see if the fan comes on. Thanks, if there are any more ideas let me know. Will check other connections also. I was fiddling alot with it and Im ight have loosened up something.

Thanks, that is what I thought. My car is set up with MS and I have a 318i water manifold so the thermo switch is in the manifold. I think yours is the same. the switch is a 85 degree switch also from a 318i. pretty sure of that. I am going to check it tomorrow, make sure that I did not blow something messing around with it after I wired it. I also read somewhere that sometimes you have to heat up the switches before you start using them and then they will start working. Not sure it its right but I just read somewhere in the forum someone taking a torch to the switch. I will try putting some heat to the switch to see if the fan comes on. I have it wired to the horn so the fan should come on even with the engine off.

Bill, Do you know, is there a set polarity on thermo switches. I can see something on one of the connectors of the thermo switch but for the life of me I cannot make out what is bet is. Almost looks like a triangl so I thought it might be the ground side. Can this be. If it is I might have it backwards and I drove the car today and the fan did not turn on and it was running quite hot in 20 degree Chicago weather. I am going to do a search of the forum while sipping on a nice glass of Trader Joe's Belgian Ale. Good Stuff!!!!

Mr. Lyttlle Thanks for the response and Bill, yes the SPAL is being controlled by a thermo switch wired off the relay as per the SPAL diagram which is basically the same as the FAQ diagram. anything I should know?

I just finished upgrading my '75 '02 with a 12 inch SPAL fan, a 320i radiator, and a 318 i, 80 amp alternator( finally may I say). The big question I have is that I pretty much have everything hooked up the way it calls for except for one thing. The fused power line from the fan is supposed to be directly hooked up to the battery. My battery is in the trunk and so I thought that since the Red B+ Post connection on the Alternator is a direct unfused connection to the battery and I was fiddling with the alternator, that I would connect the yellow/red fused power line from the fan which is supposed to be a direct fused connection to the battery, directly to the B+ Post on the alternator. What do you all think??? I can't imagine it would make any difference. By the way, I connected the orange line, that SPAL tells you to connect to the ignition, to the green horn wire as the FAQ wiring diagram suggest, which I believe allows for the fan to run on if the engine is hot and the car is turned off. I hope nothing will blow up!!!!! Also please excuse my ramblings if this has been previously discussed. Thanks to the kind experts.

Well Mr. MLyttle, Sir, you can always count on the coasties. Used to think only on the water and as an avid sailor I really do appreciate your presence, but I think also on this website. You have answered my questions more than a dozen times. I know it gets repetitive but sometimes the answer is hard to find for us "relatively new to the life style." Thanks, and I think I will contact Mr. Blunt on both counts he sounds like he can get ahold of most anything.

Thanks Chris, never even thought about it. Will check with my local dealer. I am sure that will be expensive.

"Having a sender on the radiator may not be the best idea as people have noted before. If you're taking the temp low on the radiator, your fan may not be kicking on as early as you need it to due to the coolant beeing cooler down there. Other options include running an additional sender up by the one that controls your temp gauge. You'll need the tii water neck and heater bypass setup for this I beleive however, which is what I run due to DCOE's. " Thanks Big Dog, I thought that there was a place on the 320i radiator for a fan switch. I have not seem the radiator yet. Maybe I should wait until I see it. But you are right near high makes sense.

Hi TJF, Well it would seem like we should be able to get a response here on these questions. From what I have read it seems like the 320 radiator upgrade is common so others must have gone through all this also. Thanks for the response, lets see what we get,

Hi Guys, I know some people get very upset when repetition repetition occurs on the forum so kindly disregard if you are simply not interested in answering or whatever but in any case I have done a bunch, like lots of searches. In any case here are the questions: 1. Does anyone know of a source for the necessary brackets for a 318i alternator upgrade? Have the alternator need the brackets and other hardware such as bushings and bolts and quick adjust nuts, etc. Somehow I ended up with the right alternator but the wrong brackets. 2. As I understand the 320i radiator has a bung that can be used for an electric fan control switch. I was going to order a 12' fan from the FanMan but I also wanted to order the wiring with the switch (make it easier on myself) and the switches come in 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch. Does anyone know the correct size? have a radiator ordered but just trying to get the rest of the stuff ordered at the same time. 3. Is the 195 F switch the correct switch to order. I assuming that is right since the thermostat should be 80 C? Am I wrong here. Thanks all that can forgive my repetitive behaviour. Have not been doing this as long as you guys.

Bill, That set up for the thermo switch. Did yo make that or is that something you had made? Thanks,