Engine cooling fans not working

[Pacho]

Any suggestions?

[HazMatt24]

get new ones

[00oldsalero]

did u check ur fuses and relays the relays should be under the hood in the fuse box

[billytheman1188]

get new ones
:haha: lmao, u dumbass.

[SweetNLow]

wow billy your back to your old self of useless post after useless post arent you?



anyways.......... why do you think they arent working?

[Redog]

^ Yeah, they kick on at 195*

[brim]

i posted at gagt about the same problem, temps skyrocketing near the last tick mark with no fans on.

New coolant temp sensor, new relays, fans do kick on but only when the a/c or blower gets triggered.

never did figure out what the issue was with it aside from a computation glitch from the computer

[jackal2000]

replace the thermostat?

[DOHC_tuner]

changing your themostat can play a big role in the temp reading, your themostat could be sticking and needs to be replaced causing your fans to burn out since their isn't a good quality thermostat to help. Its easy if you know how to use tools. Its location is near the waterpump, you have the timing chain housing, then the waterpump, then the thermostat housing. Yet to access this you must remove the exhaust manifold or headers to have sufficent room to work. Dont forget to get the themostat gasket!

[Pacho]

im going to go take a look at it today since its my day off work, haven't checked the fuses yet but ill do that first

[jackal2000]

changing your themostat can play a big role in the temp reading, your themostat could be sticking and needs to be replaced causing your fans to burn out since their isn't a good quality thermostat to help. Its easy if you know how to use tools. Its location is near the waterpump, you have the timing chain housing, then the waterpump, then the thermostat housing. Yet to access this you must remove the exhaust manifold or headers to have sufficent room to work. Dont forget to get the themostat gasket!

yea if he had a 2.4L BUT he has a 3400.

follow these instructions

http://www.grandamgt.com/thermostat-pfyc.html

[DOHC_tuner]

yea if he had a 2.4L BUT he has a 3400.

follow these instructions

http://www.grandamgt.com/thermostat-pfyc.html

OHH forgot 2 ask what platform he had, oh well f**k it!

[billytheman1188]

wow billy your back to your old self of useless post after useless post arent you?



anyways.......... why do you think they arent working?

ehh, what can i say, i was in a good mood, and hazmatt made a useless post, but it was funny, so i wanted to let him know it was:lol:

[Pacho]

alright fuses and relays look good so i guess its the thermostat, i read that link jackal but how long do you think it would take to do (can a beginner do this or take it to the shop) and where can i get a new thermostat for a good price

[Gr1m]

www.pfyc.com get the 180 Tstat, was like 20$ for mine, its easy once you drain out the coolant, thats the hard part with it

[HazMatt24]

like the only thing easier than changing a thermo is like changing the air filter

[Pacho]

alright appreciate it guys

[brim]

coolant temp sensor signals the computer which turns the fan on
unless the 4 cyl is any different with a fan switch located elsewhere

otherwise what good is changing the thermostat gonna do even if it wasn't opening? The coolant would heat up quick which should trigger a the switch or which would turn the fans on either way

[dbailey]

Anybody know which fuse or relay is the one(s) for the fans? :(

[jackal2000]

its probably in the engine bay. look at the fuse box diagram on the under side of the cover.

[dbailey]

Found all of the fuses and they're good. How do you determine if a relay is bad. I don't think its that because the fans come on when the A/C is turned on but I don't think they're coming on when the A/C is off. The thermostat is not that old. I'm getting a leak right around that little hose area that connects to the radiator coming from the coolant tank. The hose is new and I've cranked the new screw type clamps down about as tight as I can. The heat guage moves up a bit above half way when I'm sitting and then seems to be OK when driving along. Its never had a problem in the past though when sitting still. :(

[strtrydr]

to check the relays you would need to have a Multimeter and then Ohm check the tangs on the relay (one alligator clip to one tang & the other alligator clip to the other tang.) Check to see if the number on the display is within the limits (should be listed on the relay ... somewhere.) If not you have a bad relay. If the display doesn't even show a number then you have some broken internals in the relay ... so yea that would be bad too.

[dbailey]

Does anybody know if the colling fans are circuited differently for when the a/c is on and when it is not. I mean, would there be a circuit that recognizes to turn them on when the a/c is turned on and a separate circuit that senses the temp of the engine and turns them on? :(

[Cliff8928]

The cooling fans are controlled by the PCM. There could be two circuits depending on if they have more than one speed to them.

[dbailey]

Hmmmm.....wonder if the computer is slowing dying? I recall last year when I took a road trip from North Carolina to Florida when I came off of the freeway to get gas it wouldn't start or stay running. Died as soon as I pulled away from the pumps. Put it in neutral and it started. Started to get back on freeway and it died. Back to neutral and started. This time I turned the cruise off and it hasn't happened again. Just always wondered if by leaving the cruise on all the time if that had been slowing frying the circuit in the computer. And now maybe this is just another symptom of the computer going bad. I recently let it sit in the driveway and run until I hoped it would get hot enough for the fans to come on and they didn't but I was seeing some steam start coming from that area around where the little hose from the coolant tank connects to the radiator. Was wondering is it was trying to overheat since the fans weren't coming on? Gotta find my multi-meter to check the relays. :cry:

[dtldiaspora]

anyone ever figure this out? i'm having this issue now fans won't come on unless i turn the a/c on...

[01silveralero]

^i had to replace the fusebox to solve my problem.i believe mine used to only come on when a/c was on i didnt remember exactly though.

[lonnie]

You could just run a switch to them and turn them on when you want.

...I've noticed that when I'm at a light or stopped with the car running she runs hotter but as soon as I'm on the go she cools right down to the half way mark. I guess that is to be expected though.

[dbailey]

I noticed the other day that my fans came on without the a/c needing to be turned on. :yahoo: They may be set to only come on when it gets really hot. My temp guage was at like 3/4 the way to the top when they came on. Was climbing some pretty steep hills in the mountains of Western North Carolina. When I stopped and went inside a store, that is when it got so hot. Cooling fans cooled it right down though. Is your temp guage getting all the way to 3/4 and fans still not coming on?

[Cliff8928]

Yeah, I think 3/4 is the normal temp for them to come on.

[01silveralero]

^incorrect it should be a little above half line when they come on. which is 230 degrees. middle line is 220. 120 is bottom. 170 is 1/4 line. 270 is 3/4 line. top im not sure the temperature but that is head gasket blowing and possible engine failure stage.

[dtldiaspora]

ya mine only come on if i turn the a/c on, if i don't run my a/c all the time i will over heat

[Cliff8928]

^incorrect it should be a little above half line when they come on. which is 230 degrees. middle line is 220. 120 is bottom. 170 is 1/4 line. 270 is 3/4 line. top im not sure the temperature but that is head gasket blowing and possible engine failure stage.

I don't remember seeing degrees on my temperature gauge.

However on my '04 Ecotec, the fan stage 1 comes on at 223°F and stage 2 at 230°F

[01silveralero]

I don't remember seeing degrees on my temperature gauge.

However on my '04 Ecotec, the fan stage 1 comes on at 223°F and stage 2 at 230°F

i had watched it many times with my friend's "superduper" scantool. :p it shows literally eventually u can think of. rpm, timing, coolant temp (even when it rises or goes down), o2 readings, and so on. it was like 1000 dollars for it or somewhere around there.

[dtldiaspora]

so basically no one knows why the fans do this?

[Cliff8928]

It's impossible to tell without proper diagnosis and a scan tool.