E46 Engine fan self test?

[DJC]

The rad fan on my E46 318 spins up about 25-30 seconds after starting from cold. It sounds like it is running at quite a low speed.

I'm not sure how long it spins for but when I stop at the first set of lights down the road from my house (about 1.5 miles, 2-3 minutes or so) it has stopped.

I've read a couple of posts on another forum that the fan is self-testing and will trigger a fault if it determines a problem.

Can anyone confirm this is this true? It seems a little odd if so but this is my first Bimmer.

[TheEnd]

It's possible, especially if it only has an electric fan.
A quick spin on start up will be able to let you know if it is broken, and keep them from seizing up too.

[cslwannabe]

can't say I've heard of it before, however in a not dissimilar manner, the headlights used to automatically go up and down after starting up, to prevent seizing up on my E46...

[DJC]

cslwannabe said:

can't say I've heard of it before, however in a not dissimilar manner, the headlights used to automatically go up and down after starting up, to prevent seizing up on my E46...

Yes, mine do that - not every time but maybe 1 in 5 !