Is this fan suppose to spin?

[BMWdude]

Hi,

I have a bit of trouble with the fans. lol The previous owner told me that this fan (see pictuer below) which is the fan that is closest to the front of the car does not work so he told me no to use the climate control until I replace it or the engine may overheat. The picture below is the replacement part he bought but never got a chance to put it. Is this fan suppose to spin every time the engine is running? Because the fan that is on the other side of the radiator starts spinning right away. I want to make sure that this fan is indeed broken.

 

[Kirby]

I believe the electric fan does not run all the time. As I recall, it runs with the A/C on OR if the engine is above a certain temperature, based on a temperature switch located in the radiator.

So the fact that the fan is not on does not mean it is defective.

 

[Big Daddy]

Kirby is correct, that fan does not come on unless you activate the AC and or the car starts getting hot.

 

[BMWdude]

Ok thanks! I'll go turn the A/C on for a few min and see what happens