Cooling Fans and Circuits - Inspection and Fan Replacement

Keep hands, tools and clothing away from the fan blades. To avoid personal injury or equipment damage, do not start the engine with a faulty fan. Do not attempt to repair damaged fan blades; replace the fan as an assembly.
INSPECTION
PROCEDURE


All models equipped with A/C have two fans: one for the engine cooling radiator and the other for the air conditioning condenser. The procedures described below apply equally to both fans.

1. To check the fan motor operation, disconnect the motor wiring connector. Using a fused jumper wire, connect the fan motor directly to the battery. If the fan does not rotate, replace the motor.

2. If the motor is good, check the cooling fan fuses (the fuses are located in the junction block at the left under the instrument panel; on V6 models check fuses #3 and #6, on 4-cylinder models fuse #4), the fan switch sensor(s), the cooling fan relay, the A/C fan relay (junction block in the engine compartment) and the wiring of the corresponding circuit.

4-cylinder models have only one cooling fan switch sensor; V6 models have two ("A" and "B").

3. To check the operation of either cooling fan switch, disconnect its electrical connector. Start the engine and, using an ohmmeter, verify that there is no continuity between the switch terminals while the engine is cold (below 88°C there must be no continuity). The switch should close after the coolant warms up to above 92 ÷ 96 °C. The closing temperature of the A/C condenser switch is 108°C. If the continuity does not correspond to the above, replace the faulty switch. Each switch should open at a temperature 3 ÷ 8 degrees lower than its closing temperature.

Do not leave the engine running with the switch sensors disconnected longer than necessary to perform the described checks. Do not delay restoring the original wiring connection, then, after allowing the fan to spin briefly, turn the ignition off.
4. On 4-cylinder models, there is only one thermal switch sensor, which controls operation of the fans for both systems (cooling and air conditioning). On V6 models there are two such switch sensors, one for each system.

5. To check the fan relays, remove the relevant relay from its socket in the fuse/relay box, connect terminal 3 to the battery and ground terminal 4. A good relay should close, creating continuity between terminals 1 and 2, which should disappear when power is removed.