Anybody know what I can check? everything was working fine, then the temp just started rising so i had to stop and fans arent on. thanks a lot for the help

Lo

 

check the relays that send power to the fan. jiggle them and if that turns your fan on there is something wrong with them. cheap to replace though.

also, before you do this make sure your car is starting to get pretty hot, usually at the third white line (thats when mine kick on usually).

my car was doin the same thing when i bought it and it was the relays. if its not the relays for you, i dunno what to tell you. something might be wrong with the fan or possibly the thermostat.

 

aren't there two different sensors one for the guage temp and one for the pcm to see temp.

The temp sensor on the Drivers side head is for the dash guage.

 

Check the relays first, replace them if need be. If all else fails, it gives you a good excuse to wire up some manual fan switches I always liked having that on my IROC.

 

Before doing that though, simply disconnect the plug at the fan motor and jump 12v to the terminals of the fan motor. Does it run? if not its a bad fan motor.

You can test the operation of the computer, relay, and switch all at once by running the car till it hits 230* and then check the plug at the motor for 12v with a test light or ohm meter.

The fan switch if you have one is in the passengers side head. You can bypass the switch by running a jumper in the relay connector. You can also bypass the relay at the connector for testing. If you need more specific instructions just reply back.

Most of the cooling in these cars isn't controlled by the fan, but rather by the air dam under the car. It's a large black plastic panel hanging down below the radiator. It should be about 5" deep and about 2" off the ground. It's not uncommon for them to be removed or ripped off by agressive driving. If it's not there, then the car will overheat. Period. The fans are only there to keep the engine cool while the car is sitting in traffic, they aren't programmed to come on till the car is very hot 230* or higher.

 

Thanks for the help. I think I'm going to run a manual switch. whats the best way to go about that?

 

Good choice, but did you try any of the suggetions to try and find out what the problem is/was?

 

both fans worked when I put them directly to power.

thanks again.

should I use an inline fuse for the manual switch?

 

It's safer to find the relay or the temp sending unit replace it and fix the problem. Probably cheaper then buying the wire and switch to run a manual switch that at some point you will probably forget to turn on and over heat the motor or leave it on accidentally and kill the battery.

 

Hook up the fan switches to a wire that's only on when the ignition is turned to 'run', that way you can only turn them on if the car's running, that'll get past the battery drainage issue for the most part. And as for forgetting the fans..well...be smart and check your gauges often when you're driving lol. I remember doing my fan switches for less than $11 and that included two switches (I have dual fans) and about 20 feet of 12 guage wire to get the job done.

 

dont forget to check the GROUND wires to the relays. All the voltage in the world wont do you any good if the power can't get to ground.

 

OFF TOPIC:
Forgive me....I know this is off topic, but
"instructor Dave T. looked at the wide-ratio monitor and saw nothing but 12.5:1 AFR while under power, he said "Wide-band looks good, you are good to go.""

Dave the Tit, what a character...HA! Glad you had a good time out there man. The car looks good, from when I first saw pics of it back in like 99/00.


ON TOPIC:
Manual fan switches are the greatest!

 

For those of you who dont know what this refers to, be sure to click on my signature link about NFME 2006: It's about the most fun you can have with your F-body without the worries of someone rapping on your window with a flashlight.

 

Technically you don't need to run a manual switch. You can run a jumper wire from the fan relay to ground so that the fan will run anytime the key is on.

You could fix the problem right, by replacing whatever part MIGHT not be working, but the reality is that its probably working fine it is just that the computer and the switches are set to turn the fans on at really high temps. To really make the factory wiring work well at keeping the engine at the temps we want (160*-190*) you would have to swap to a different switch and recalibrate the PROM to run the fans at a lower temp.

Check out http://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/cool.shtml or go to the forums and check the cooling board for the ultimate fan control threads by Willie. He went to great depths to address the various configurations available and how to set them up to work at lower temps.

 

No doubt, went one year and just did the drag racing....worth EVERY penny!