Rearended someone in my 240D - questions
 

It was a very minor collision, just a scratch on the other person's car.

My car is what took more damage, but nothing super ultra serious.

The thing in front of the radiator that looks like a radiator: what is it? I can't remember and can't find my manual right now. Mine is bent, but with nothing leaking from it apparently. The radiator was all good as far as I can tell.

Also, the aux fan (the electric one on the front) -- how necessary is it? Mine got messed up/the frame around it is bent a little. I maybe could bend it back but have heard of people running without it just fine.

Thanks as always to all the fine people here.

Its the A/C condenser. If your air conditioning doesnt work then its fine. If it does then youll want to fix it and the condenser fan.

Nah, the AC hasn't worked probably in 10+ years.

Sweet then I will disconnect the fan, get a new grill, and not worry about it.

That's too bad. How's the grille?

I'd check to make sure the oil cooler or its fittings didn't get bent or cracked (the little radiator next to the big radiator, not the AC condensor). I always worry about that thing since several people on here have talked about having all the oil leak out in seconds while driving & ruining their engine.

I've never seen/heard my aux fan come on, even when the engine coolant temperature hit 200 degrees on a hot day after a long hill climb. My A/C doesn't work either so I guess the aux fan is tied in with the air conditioning. I bet it's pretty easy and cheap to find an aux fan at a scrapyard if you want one...they look the same for all 70's & 80's models from what I can tell.

There you go. I'd probably fix the fan at some point. I'm not sure if the 240 is this way but my old 420sel would kick the fan on if the engine got too hot. Just a little extra security and it did come into play once when I blew a radiator hose and my temps went through the roof..

I will double check it all in the light tomorrow, but the oil cooler was out of the way of the things that got dented. I did look under to make sure it wasn't dripping, and it didn't look bent at all, but I will check it again in the light.

Replacing the fan probably is the best bet in the long run, unless I can just un-bend the frame around mine.

The grill was already pretty gnarly, but now it is broken in 1/2.

If your aux fan doesnt work, try to replace the ice cube relay in the blox on top of the drivers side front wheel well. Silver relay, looks like an ice cube, pretty cheap.