Cooling fan

Q My daughter’s 2013 SEAT Mii is a terrific little car, however recently it has been overheating. Inspection is difficult due to the frustratingly limited space in the engine bay, however the cooling fan feels like a bearing has collapsed (ie, the fan rattles about in the mounting ring) and the unit needs replacing.

The actual process of replacement seems straightforward, except that it looks like the entire front bumper needs to come off to access the radiator. There is a complete absence of any maintenance information out there for this car except for the VAG online portal, but this is only accessible via Windows 7 software, which I don’t have. Consequently, I’m struggling to understand how to remove the bumper beyond undoing the two Torx fittings under each wheelarch and the three above the central grille.

Also, the cost of a new replacement cooling fan is horrendous – £350 from my local SEAT dealer – and none of the usual third party spares suppliers appear to stock the unit. I’d be grateful for any repair information and advice on where source an affordable replacement.

David Ray

A The front bumper does need to be detached before removing the radiator and fan cowling assembly. This involves first undoing the bumper cover and the securing screws in the front wheelarches. The book time for removing and installing the front bumper is half-an-hour and around another 30 minutes to remove the radiator and cowling.

You do not mention which computer system you use, but a manual is available for the SEAT Mii from emanualonline.com. This will run in a virtual machine on any operating system. Although slightly involved to download, the technical department at emanualonline should be able to guide you through the process.

I did find a cheaper cooling fan assembly at £95 from this website http://bit.ly/2x8hrdq, but not having used this company, this is only a suggestion not a recommendation.