What happens when the relay on a cooling fan fails?
The engine may also run hot and overheat, too. The typical electric cooling fan circuit includes a temperature sensor, a relay, a control module and the fan motor. The relay is the component that fails most often; so be sure to test the relay as well as its power supply and ground connections.
Where is the relay on a radiator fan?
The fan relay is often located in the engine bay’s fuse box, but the best way is to check your repair manual to find where it is located. Testing a 4 pin relay is often very straightforward. Remove the relay and give 12 volts to pin 30 and 85. Ground pin 86 and check if there is voltage coming out from pin 87.
How can I tell if my cooling fan is working?
The quickest way to tell whether or not the electric fan (s) are working is to start the engine; let it reach normal operating temperature and then turn the A/C on. The cooling fan in the engine compartment should turn on to pull air through the radiator and A/C condenser. A main cooling fan for the radiator.
What does it mean when your radiator fan is not working?
This is what we call a blown fuse. A blown fuse is no big deal, and changing one does not cost a lot of money. If your car’s radiator fan is non-functional, check your car’s user manual and locate the fuse for the radiator fan controller or the fan.
How do you test a radiator fan relay?
Open your hood and take some time to locate your fusebox, which is mounted in front of the passenger side of the firewall. Remove the top cover to expose your fusebox and relays, check your radiator fan relays and remove them. Inspect for any damage to the pins or the body of the relay, such as bubbling or melting.
How to diagnose radiator fan problems?
Part 8 of 9: Check if the radiator cooling fan is faulty Locate the radiator cooling fan. Park your vehicle and apply the parking brake. Open the hood and locate the radiator cooling fan. Warm the engine. Start your vehicle and allow the engine to run until it begins to get hot. Check the cooling fan. When the engine starts to get above the normal operating temperature, watch the cooling fan.
Why is your radiator fan not running?
The most common causes when a radiator fan is not coming on is broken fuse, bad wirings, bad coolant temperature sensor, bad fan relay, or a faulty radiator fan . Here is a more detailed list of the most common causes of a radiator fan not coming on.
Why does your radiator fan keep going on and off?
Here are some possibilities causing the fan to stay running longer. low coolant level, faulty coolant temperature sensor, PCM or ECU defective. coolant leaks from the water pump, cracked radiator, worn upper or lower radiator hoses, leaky heater core, leaky thermostat housing,
What happens if one fan fails to come on?
If one or both fans fail to come on; the lack of additional cooling provided by the fan may cause poor A/C cooling performance. Also, it may cause the A/C compressor to overheat and fail. The engine may also run hot and overheat, too.
What causes a cooling fan relay to stop working?
Cooling fan relays can stop working for any number of reasons. Common causes for relays going bad include: There are several ways to tell if a bad cooling fan relay is to blame for an overheated engine. The easiest method is to start the engine and then turn on the air conditioning.
What happens when a radiator relay goes bad?
A faulty or broken relay cannot deliver power to the cooling fans. In turn, the unpowered fans won’t run, leaving the radiator to its own devices. Deprived of the helpful influx of air from the cooling fans, the radiator cannot remove as much heat as it usually does.
Can a radiator fan and condenser fan share a relay?
There are, however, some models that use a dedicated second unit to the condenser. In such a scenario, the condenser fan and radiator fan may or may not share the same relay. If the cooling fan does not engage, you can check whether the relay is to blame by swapping it out for a different relay.
The quickest way to tell whether or not the electric fan (s) are working is to start the engine; let it reach normal operating temperature and then turn the A/C on. The cooling fan in the engine compartment should turn on to pull air through the radiator and A/C condenser. A main cooling fan for the radiator.
Where is cooling fan relay located?
The cooling fan relay is normally located in either the underhood fuse and relay center or mounted to the electric fan assembly behind the radiator. To replace the cooling fan relay, there are two methods that we will cover for the positions mentioned above.
What’s the best way to remove a fan relay?
Gently pinch the relay with your fingers and wiggle back and forth, all while also pulling up on the relay. The relay should pull free with nominal effort. Tip: It’s not uncommon for the relay to build up dirt and debris over time and therefore become difficult to remove.
When do you need to replace a cooling fan relay?
The relay controls the engine’s cooling fans as well as the fan for the A/C condenser. It also saves electricity. Since excessive heat will damage the vehicle’s parts over time, a bad relay must be replaced as soon as possible. The relay is a critical part of a cooling system.
Can a bad fan relay cause an engine to overheat?
However, a bad cooling fan relay isn’t the only culprit for excessively high engine temperatures. Many other issues can cause the engine to run hot or overheat. Rather than uncommonly high engine temps, the driver may notice that the cooling fans have stopped running.
The cooling fan relay is normally located in either the underhood fuse and relay center or mounted to the electric fan assembly behind the radiator. To replace the cooling fan relay, there are two methods that we will cover for the positions mentioned above.
What to do if your fan relay is broken?
Replace the relay. Another simple relay test is to shake it. If you hear something rattling inside, the relay armature is probably broken. The armature closes when the coil is energized to route power to the fan motor. The armature is normally closed and is pulled open when energized.
The fan relay is often located in the engine bay’s fuse box, but the best way is to check your repair manual to find where it is located. Testing a 4 pin relay is often very straightforward. Remove the relay and give 12 volts to pin 30 and 85. Ground pin 86 and check if there is voltage coming out from pin 87.
How can you tell if a fan relay is faulty?
You’ll know the cooling system relay is faulty if the fan works with the substitute relay. You can also measure the relay coil’s resistance. A normal relay’s resistance will read between 40 to 80 ohms. Higher resistance levels warn that the coil has started to fail while lower readings mean the relay has broken down.
The engine may also run hot and overheat, too. The typical electric cooling fan circuit includes a temperature sensor, a relay, a control module and the fan motor. The relay is the component that fails most often; so be sure to test the relay as well as its power supply and ground connections.
If one or both fans fail to come on; the lack of additional cooling provided by the fan may cause poor A/C cooling performance. Also, it may cause the A/C compressor to overheat and fail. The engine may also run hot and overheat, too.
How many amps does a dual cooling fan need?
With dual cooling fans, there are two methods for wiring up the relay kit. This is based on the draw from the fans, if the fans are larger and draw more than 15 amps each, it’s recommended to install a second relay kit as shown below.