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Old 03-11-2010, 02:55 PM   #1
DavoAust
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Radiator fan not running

Hi everyone, haven't been on here for a while.

I'm wondering if anyone knows what could be causing the radiator fan to not run?

I've checked the obvious (fuses & relay) and its definitely not those. Both fans run if i turn the air-con on, but won't run otherwise. Its frustrating the hell out of me as i either have to have the aircon always on or the car will overheat when stopped / stuck in traffic.

The temp gauge is reading correctly and there's no obvious wiring damage.

I'm half tempted to wire the fan to be always on at this point

Any ideas?
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Old 03-11-2010, 03:00 PM   #2
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dont wire it to be on all the time, have a switch if your going to do it...i no in the BG there was a thermostat switch, well actually 3 on the autos...that screwed mine up...
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Old 03-11-2010, 04:30 PM   #3
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The ECU doesn't use the same temp sender as the dash. On the back of the head to the right of the dash sensor is another sensor with a triangular plug.
Should be 300 to 400 ohms at operating temp. If the engine coolant is low it may not be getting wet enough to read correctly.
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Old 03-11-2010, 06:47 PM   #4
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as rod said, check that switch.

if you checked everything else, it's your last port of call.
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Old 03-11-2010, 06:47 PM   #5
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maybe your fan switch (bolted into your thermostat housing) has given up? maybe to rusted/corroded to work
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Old 06-12-2010, 05:00 PM   #6
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Ok im having the exact same problem and its extremely frustrating, I just spent money on a new radiator switch and it did nothing. I have enough coolant in and brand new radiator switch, and my fans do come on when i turn the aircon on. I have a 97 323 ba.
@cosmo, please explain what you meant by the ecu getting a temperature signal from elsewhere
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Old 13-12-2010, 06:35 PM   #7
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Exclamation

Hay Lads,

I'm getting the same issue as this. Radiator Fan not going. Here's what I've found - hopefully someone here can help with the issue.

Car: 1996 323 Astina - BA11P2.

Took it to an auto electrician and he said that the thermo was working fine (ohm change) as the car warmed up. He traced it through to the ECU and determined that the issue was in the ECU not the thermo.

The work around he did was to disconnect the thermo from the ECU, which caused the ECU to turn the fan on when ignition is on. He said that this shouldn't be a problem (agreed) - but said I should look into getting a new ECU. He said fuel eco will be shot as the ECU doesn't know the temp (is this true?)

Should I get a new ECU to correct this work around?
(ECU = BP1C 18 881)

Cheers,
DRiSK
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Old 13-12-2010, 08:15 PM   #8
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Yeah, an auto elec knows **** beyond a falcon or commodore
The thermo is just a signal, disconnecting it sends a signal to the ECU to tells it it's too cold.
If you have access to a multimeter we can tell you what to look for. Make sure your radiator is full.
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Old 13-12-2010, 08:20 PM   #9
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yeah man, 3 years of electrical studies in high school should get me through it.

I found the 2 thermos, the one with the clip (currently disconnected) and the other for the temp gauge on the dash.

What do you want me to check?
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Old 13-12-2010, 08:57 PM   #10
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ok, I just checked the coolant level. Was top to the brim, turned over the engine - no air bubbles, coolant was still in the reservoir so I think its not coolant.
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Old 14-12-2010, 01:34 AM   #11
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if you want to test your thermo fans to see if its working. just put 12v directly to the fan. if it spins really fast then it works.. if it doesnt spin.. you know the rest :P
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Old 14-12-2010, 08:14 AM   #12
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Yeah the fans work fine, if I disconnect the thermostat that the ECU uses to read the engine temp the fan starts up and runs fine. I'm more concerned about if the issue is in the ECU or the thermo isnt getting the right signal to the ECU to tell it to turn the fans on.
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Old 14-12-2010, 02:49 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drisk View Post
I'm more concerned about if the issue is in the ECU or the thermo isnt getting the right signal to the ECU to tell it to turn the fans on.
That signal is change in resistance when coolant warms up. measure it with a multimeter like Rod said above.


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Old 20-12-2010, 07:59 AM   #14
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hay guys, I've replaced the two temp sensors and it seems to be working a lot better then before. I still haven't seen the fans come on, might try on a hot day or something.
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Old 21-12-2010, 03:09 PM   #15
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Well apparently it 'tis the season for stuffed radiator fans. I posted not long ago about coffee coloured radiator water.
Well i've finally flushed that clean. But i noticed that the fans never came on no matter how long i drove it for. The odd thing is that the dash temp gauge sits constantly at just below half way.
Not to long ago on a long trip it went to three quarters and i lost a fair amount of water (pre Rad flushes).
I've replaced the cap and the thermo and i've just had the rad pressure tested today with no leaks found.
Both fans work when i switch on the ac.

Does the fan not switch on if the dash gauge doesnt go above half?
If thats not the case how long does it approxiamtly take to fire up?

I'm going to try and find the triangular sensor and test it with my multimeter as suggested above. If thats not the issue then i'm out of ideas.

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Old 21-12-2010, 03:19 PM   #16
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As far as i know, one fan is Engine, one is AC...so i'm not sure why they'd both come on with the A/C. I was reasonably sure they were independent.
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Old 21-12-2010, 03:22 PM   #17
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Yeah I'm getting those results.
the fan closes to the thermostat is the engine, and the fan closes to the compressor is for air con. My air con button only turns on the air con fan.
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Old 21-12-2010, 03:23 PM   #18
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I'll confirm both run when AC is switched on. Buggered if I know why but :P
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Old 21-12-2010, 03:26 PM   #19
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Ah well there you go
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Old 21-12-2010, 04:30 PM   #20
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Any ideas on how long it should take the fan to turn on if your just idleing in the garage?

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