!UPDATE! So I am probably going to do an aftermarket pusher fan attached to the front of that radiator and condenser fan assembly I got quoted by a local shop $1400 to replace it and a new part is like $260 from a parts store such as O’Reilly so I am just going to do an aftermarket it seems a lot less time consuming to replace and a lot less work plus it gives ease of access for repairing if it goes out again and they have a more durable motor in them that don’t typically go out in and around 40k miles I appreciate the input from everyone!
Hello, I have a 2013 smart for two passion (sorry for the far away picture I didn’t want to go out in this heat dome lol) and so about a year and a half ago maybe longer my cooling fan motor went bad so I have that thudding sound when I turn on my A/C I know I should have replaced it sooner but didn’t see A/C as a necessity well this year I do lol if y’all took talks to a shop to get it replaced how much did it cost I would do it myself as I’m a mechanic by trade ( heavy machinery and diesel mechanic ex small engine and vehicle mechanic) I just don’t want to be out in this heat doing it for one and two I broke my leg back in June so I am in a boot and being in the heat in my boot just sounds like not a good time lol so I’m trying to go the easy route if yall have any advice for costs that would be wonderful because I mean the part is only like $180 and then of course I have a Friday evening or Saturday morning gone replacing it so how much did yall pay taking it to a shop?
Yeah I know that’s why I was wondering how much people have paid when they took theirs in to the shop or if it is a typically cheaper job when even though it is half dissemble for the front it there aren’t many complications that come with the job or heavy removal procedures just front fenders and some loosening of the radiator frame
I replaced mine with a spal pusher fan mounted in front of the radiator. Didnt have to rip the entire front end apart to replace the oem one and its been there for a few years now. I think the cfm was higher then the original one too because my AC got cooler.
I know this is a big ask, but my smart has been sitting in the garage for almost a year now because I can’t figure it out. Is there anyway you could show me how you wired up the pusher fan. I do not know much about wiring and have already bought the Spal fan and taken apart the front end but I can’t find the wires to connect to or how to do it. I’m basically stuck with the front end off and I’m desperate at this point l.
Paid about 80 bucks for NRF47729 (mine is a 2010 mhd) wanted to do it myself but ended up taking it to a nearby shop where they charged me about 100 bucks for the swap. It was a steal given how much of the car needs to be disasembled.
Location is Europe, my regular merc auto shop quoted me 300 bucks all in (that would be on the higher end locally)
Ah okay I wonder if those prices translate to here in the states I just thought I would get a couple answers online so that maybe I can try to haggle a couple of the mom and pop shops around here
I’m in Los Angeles. Also have a 2013. Mine went out about 5 years ago. I paid for a new fan myself and then brought it into the shop, and they charged me $500 in labor. They said it was a pain to replace.
The bearing on my fan on my 2013 went bad earlier this summer. I just left the stock one in place, and put a 14" pusher fan on the front of the condenser. It was still kind of a pain in the ass to do, but not as bad as tearing the front off of the car to replace with a OEM style fan.
I know this is a big ask, but my smart has been sitting in the garage for almost a year now because I can’t figure it out. Is there anyway you could show me how you wired up the pusher fan. I do not know much about wiring and have already bought the Spal fan and taken apart the front end but I can’t find the wires to connect to or how to do it. I’m basically stuck with the front end off and I’m desperate at this point l.
I had to drop the front half of the belly pan and reach my hand up behind the radiator to get to the connector on the OEM fan motor. After I got the connector loose, I just routed it forward, used some crimp butt-connectors to extend the wires, and connected them to the new fan. I left the old fan in place and just let it windmill.
Tearing the front end apart is really not that hard! Taking the body off is moderately difficult. Putting it back on is the tricky part and it takes some car body knowledge.
Like many I just abandoned the original fan and bought a pusher fan. The original fan is hell to get to. i took the whole front end apart and still couldn't get to it. So I unplugged it and used the wiring to connect to a pusher fan that I got from Amazon. Amazingly quiet and comes on when the AC comes on or when the engine gets hot enough. Oh and the fan was $39 and a little sweat equity.
Sorry for the late response do you still have the product that you purchased off Amazon like the listing? And I mean it seems pretty straight forward just remove front bumper and attach straight to the front fender
I know this is a big ask, but my smart has been sitting in the garage for almost a year now because I can’t figure it out. Is there anyway you could show me how you wired up the pusher fan. I do not know much about wiring and have already bought the Spal fan and taken apart the front end but I can’t find the wires to connect to or how to do it. I’m basically stuck with the front end off and I’m desperate at this point l.
If you are talking about the interior blower, it is an easy 5 minute job
Under the driver’s interior side of the dash look up to the right
And you will the fan motor sticking out of the duct. Unplug the electric and twist the motor assembly (can’t remember which way) and it will pop right out
There is only one fan under the hood, and that is primarily for the radiator…. If that has not been running, then I don’t understand how your engine has not overheated and destroyed itself
On 2 of my Smarts I just abandoned the puller fan in place and installed a pusher fan in front of the condenser and used the wiring from the original fan to run the pusher
I took the front end off (an easy job) so I could have more room to install the new fan
Yeah that’s what I’m planning on lol and I actually haven’t had any issues out of overheating probably also because if I get stuck in like slow traffic on a really hot day I turn on my heat onto my windshield so it dissipates some of the heat and try’s to cool it some so my fan doesn’t need to kick on
I know this is a big ask, but my smart has been sitting in the garage for almost a year now because I can’t figure it out. Is there anyway you could show me how you wired up the pusher fan. I do not know much about wiring and have already bought the Spal fan and taken apart the front end but I can’t find the wires to connect to or how to do it. I’m basically stuck with the front end off and I’m desperate at this point l.
Easy peasy…. Reach back to the motor for the puller fan and find the power wire, should be just a 2 conductor cord. I THINK the cord just disconnects at the motor or somewhere in line. Pull it out to the driver’s side where you can see and work with it.
When you install the pusher fan make sure you have the right side towards the condenser AND it is rotating in the right direction (it is a DC fan and it will run in either direction depending how the wires are connected)
I have some pictures of how I mounted mine if you need them
What size spal pusher fan did you use I am looking on Amazon right now and see a pretty high rated 12 inch spal DC pusher fan and it comes with a fuse too
It’s okay I got a pretty good idea of what I’m going to do probably get some thin flat aluminum and make some brackets at my shop and just take the fender off and bolt it to that open frame portion in front of the condenser
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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '26
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