What happens when a radiator cooling fan fails?
Since radiator cooling fans aren’t responsible for the bulk of the cooling performed by radiators, a failed cooling fan doesn’t necessarily mean that the engine will overheat. If the engine starts to overheat at idle, but it doesn’t overheat when the vehicle is moving, then turning on the heat may help.
Where are the cooling fans on a radiator?
These radiator fans use DC motors that can be switched on and off either by the engine control unit or directly by a coolant temperature switch. They also typically bolt directly to either the front or back of a radiator along with an integrated fan shroud. This set of two radiator cooling fans is built right into a fan shroud.
What happens when a radiator coupling is disengaged?
When vehicle speed increases and radiator air temperature decreases, the valve closes, the oil drains out and the coupling disengages. With the fan coupling disengaged at higher rpm and vehicle speed, the danger of the fan overspeeding is minimized.
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 much does a belt driven cooling fan weigh?
These traditional belt-driven cooling fans are heavy. A typical belt-driven fan, depending on year, weighs between 9.8 and 12 pounds for trucks with plastic fans, and earlier model Ford trucks use metal fans which weigh even more! These Troyer Performance electric fans are much lighter, and are usually situated much closer to the radiator.
Is a radiator fan supposed to spin freely by hand?
Is the radiator fan supposed to be able to turn a bit freely by hand when the engine is off? If there is a fan clutch between the fan and radiator on your vehicle, then you will be able to turn the fan by hand when the engine is off and not running.
What happens if there is no clutch on a radiator fan?
If the fan is turning freely with no clutch, then there is a problem with either the belt being loose or the pulley will need adjustments. A fan clutch will look like part # D22175, just as an example.
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.