How do you know when a clutch fan is going bad?
Symptoms of a Bad Fan Clutch
- Engine overheating at low speed or when stopped is the most-common fan clutch failure symptom.
- Insufficient heat in winter is another common problem but caused by the opposite fan clutch failure.
- Excess fan noise at high speed is caused by the same problem, a seized fan clutch.
Can you drive with a bad clutch fan?
If your fan clutch is frozen on full lock (and i would guess it is, since it roars all the time and has bad mileage and no balls), i would say it’s fine for you to drive it for the time being. If the clutch wasn’t locking up anymore, now that would be different (the fan wouldn’t cool properly).
How can you tell when a fan clutch is going bad?
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.
How does a torque limiting fan clutch work?
A torque-limiting fan clutch reacts to engine speed. A centrifugal valve opens to allow the flow of heavy silicone fluid, locking the fan blades to the pulley. At idle and low engine speeds, this fan clutch is fully engaged, gradually disengaging as engine speed increases.
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.
What happens to fan clutch when air conditioner is turned off?
However, when the clutch is not at its best, the cooling will be minimal. You can test this by switching on air conditioning at the coldest level. You should notice a sharp decrease in warmth within minutes if everything is as it should be.