Hey guys,
I made a revelation on the E9X M3 fan dilemma. As we all know, our cars are getting older and the plastic fan blades can crack. If not taken care of, the cracks can lead to explosion of the fan, possibly taking out the radiator among other expensive engine bay bits. And of course you can't just buy the blade...
My 147k miles dual purpose 2008 E90 M3 has had a cracked fan for the past few thousand miles. I have been putting it off because the Genuine part is around $1000-$1200 depending on who you go with. I can't stomach that price for a fan. There are cheap Chinese made ones that are around $200-$300, but I didn't trust that.
So I did a lot of digging and found these NRF fans. I couldn't find where they were made but from other reviews on forums they seemed like a good choice. I ordered mine through Trodo, a parts supplier in Europe that actually ships to the US, unlike Autodoc (I emailed Autodoc to see if they would ship to the US since it's not in their selection, they said they can't).
I ordered mine on July 5th for $588, and received it on July 10th with the cheapest DHL shipping option. Five days from Germany to California! I adore DHL. It came packaged super well, not beat up, and had FRAGILE stickers all over it.
Pictures show the shroud is made in Germany, so I assume the fan is as well. The wiring looks like a thick gauge, and the plastics all seem nice. I think they even balance the fan as there are little clip on metal pieces on only one of the fan blades.
Here's the link if you'd like to buy one yourself. I make no money nor am I sponsored in any way by Trodo or NRF, just want to help the M3 community since I have been helped by you guys a bunch.
https://www.trodo.com/fan-radiator-n...8?currency=USD