What is this??

scottau

scottau

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Hi guys, I have a UK CSA project car, it's complete but seized engine and all the wiring disconnected. I have an engine to drop in (existing is non matching), thats just gonna be quicker to get this back running. I've gone through the wiring diagrams and have a good idea how to connect up all the engine wiring. However this part has thrown me, I can't see it on my wiring diagram, so not sure how to connect it or even what it's function is? Seems to be a common part looking at other UK and AU E9 and E3. Thoughts, help!
PS please no comments on the rattle can spray job , not my handy work! ‍♂️
 

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That's interesting, I didn't think the car had A/C, there's nothing in the engine bay to suggest it has. Hard to tell as that side of the engine bay was stripped out (coil, resistor)
 
Looks like an A/C line to dryer down low in the pic. Mine had aftermarket A/C fitted before delivery to original owner, using some BMW components, wired as per the factory manual including that switch/relay.
 
Ah yes good spot! I just had a look at those lines. It looks like a bypass, those flex lines do a loop in the engine bay and go back under the engine near the mount and then connect into two hard lines??! Cars a non runner, so kinda hard to know why it's like that
 
I had the switch and auxiliary fan in my CSA w/o AC from the factory, a Germany- delivered car initially in 1971
 
Ian C said:
Looks like an A/C line to dryer down low in the pic. Mine had aftermarket A/C fitted before delivery to original owner, using some BMW components, wired as per the factory manual including that switch/relay.
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Agree- these hoses definitely look like AC. Your hard lines would come from the passenger side and go thru the firewall into the engine bay. There they connect to the AC hoses, which lead to the compressor and the drier, and further towards the condenser on front of the water cooler. Have you checked if you have a condenser and an auxiliary fan mounted?
 
Ok so I also have that relay. It also came with these aux fans but im not sure if they are even part of this car. The car has come with some random parts such as e30 grills.
 

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the aux fan and holder seem to be from a later model. You would need a fan mainly if you plan on AC. If not, you can skip it. My CSA had the fan but it was disconnected, never needed it, only brought it back now with my AC retrofit.
 
deQuincey said:
and I just found this one, no AC, but box is present…

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it is an automatic car, could this be to avoid overheating for a non AC car ?
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My car has the switch as well; being an automatic without AC, it still has the additional fan in front of the radiator.

So, I think the switch is there in both ac and automatic cars.
 
Dlc said:
the aux fan and holder seem to be from a later model. You would need a fan mainly if you plan on AC. If not, you can skip it. My CSA had the fan but it was disconnected, never needed it, only brought it back now with my AC retrofit.
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The fan frame actually does look like the frame that I have in my car, though my fan blade had 5 blades (or 6 perhaps?).
 
Had a look in real oem, there was a transmission cooler fitted in front of the radiator with the aux fan on autos. That line in the photo may be a transmission line. Guessing the fan and switch were used how and where needed, but with those stubby little blades it must have struggled with an air conditioned automatic
 
That looks about right Ian, I followed those lines back, and looks like they are the transmission cooling lines and go into the rad. Assume the autos require the extra aux cooling with both the engine and transmission into the rad?? Looks like I now need to find an aux fan, I think this car had a front-end shunt and was repaired bodywork-wise but never went back on the road for whatever reason.
 
If you're looking for originality I have the original aux fan and it's mounting bars that I'll never use again. Mine was delivered as a manual no aircon but was fitted with an auto transmission and aircon in Aus by dealer at the buyers request. Second owner put a manual back in it. It had a small transmission cooler which was mounted behind the right headlight, nowhere near a fan, which I also have. The cooler doesn't look like the one on real oem which is seperate to the coolant radiator.
 
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