How do I know if my fan clutch bearing is bad?
To confirm the diagnosis, start with this simple test: Spin the fan as hard as you can on an engine that has not been started that day. If the fan rotates more than five times, you can bet the clutch is bad. You should feel some resistance and the fan may spin up to three times, depending on the ambient temperature.
Why does fan stay on when car is off?
It’s normal for some vehicles to have a fan run for a few minutes after the car is shut off, generally to keep the engine cool. However, if the fan is running for an extended period, the fan itself can become damaged due to overuse. It’s possible you may have a module or relay failing in your car.
What does a failing fan clutch sound like?
Another common symptom of a faulty fan clutch is excessively loud cooling fans. This may result in an excessively loud engine from the fan blowing at full speed. The sound may be easily audible and present at all times when the engine is cold and hot.
When do you know it’s time to replace the fan clutch?
According to Hayden, here are some signs your fan clutch might need replaced: Fan spins excessively when engine is stopped (three or more times when hot engine is shut off). Poor A/C performance at idle or low vehicle speeds. Fan speed does not increase when engine is hot.
What causes a car fan clutch to go bad?
Insufficient heat in winter is another common problem but caused by the opposite fan clutch failure. If the fan clutch seizes, it remains engaged all the time, cooling off the engine too much. Excess fan noise at high speed is caused by the same problem, a seized fan clutch.
What is an electric fan clutch?
The fan clutch is a cooling system component that controls the operation of the engine cooling fans. While many newer vehicles now use electric cooling fans to keep the engine cool, many older vehicles used a mechanical fan clutch to control the fans.
How can you tell when a fan clutch is engaged?
You should be able to audibly detect when the fan clutch engages, with an accompanying rush of air. At idle, as engine temperature increases, a thermal fan clutch will engage at a certain temperature. Torque-limiting fan clutches will disengage at a certain engine speed. Alternatively, an optical tachometer can be used to measure fan speed.