[nullset]

I had a rough weekend with my 2007 e90 328xi. About 10 minutes into the long drive to visit my folks, my car went into overheating limp-mode during bumper-to-bumper traffic on i-95 and I ended up with a pretty expensive tow back to my driveway.

I pulled the code with INPA today and there was only one:

2EFE e-fan, control

The car is about to hit 64k miles, and for some reason I would have bet anything that the water pump had gone. I guess that doesn't seem to be the case, so the question is, what's my next step in diagnosis to narrow it down? I've seen suggestions that it could be the relays or it could be the fan itself. Do I start by trying to turn the fan on with INPA, then if it works, looking in other directions?

[Bavarian Tech]

E-fan is more than likely the E-Box fan. Which really wouldn't have anything to do with your over-heating issue. If you went into an over-heat limp mode. Their should be a fault
stored for the water pump as well

[nullset]

There wasn't that I could see.

View post on imgur.com

to the info that INPA pulled. Only one code in recent memory (as I understand it?) and it happened at the current mileage on the car.

[nullset]

A small update:

I tried to run the fan via INPA and it wouldn't turn on.
I cleared the code, then ran the car in my driveway, the fan never came on, even though the Engine temp read 95C/203F. I was afraid to push it past that.
I checked the codes after turning off the car, and 2EFE was back.