Urgent Help - Electric Engine fan

[JulianG]

Help down and out in France !

I am having problems with overheating and the electric engine fan is not coming on Both rad fans are OK

Q Will the fan nornaly trigger with the aircon ?

Q2 Where is the fan stat ?

Q3 should I Wire the rad fan into the engin fan ??

Any assistance would be much appreciated - stuck without you guys

Thank you

[John the sparky]

hello,

one of the fan switches is on the drivers side of the engine block, if removed, it should run the fans all the time, I would seperate at the cable connection rather than at the sensor, as they seem to break really easily when they have been fitted.... I'm pretty sure this is the rad fan sensor, and there is another sensor in the engine bay for the scavenger fan.... but not sure what or where that is....

hope this helps, I'm sure someone will confirm or ammend this shortly...

hope you get it sorted and have a good rest of holiday


John

[brorabongo]

Hi Julian
Sorry to hear about your woes.

AFAIK.... but I don't know very far.

Q1. No, it's the rad fans that come on with aircon.

Q2. If you are on about the scavanger fan in the engine bay, then the stat is just behind the handbreak. Some have shorted the plug using an unfolded paper clip, to test opperation?

Q3. Not a clue sorry.

Good luck.

[JulianG]

Its the scavenger fan presuming that is the fan directly in fron of the engine ? if you short the fan directly to the battery it bursts into life ..... so I will have a look at the stat behind the hand break.

thanks John

[John the sparky]

for the red fans see this thread;

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... ns#p190385

for scavenger fans, can't see photo, but lush projects show the sensor, 18-845, on the metal bar over engine, here

http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... o=.html#12

and looks like this....

http://www.bongobits.com/Main.asp?PageN ... roduct=260

the scavenger fans, are I believe, the two fans under the van, near the front of the plastic undertray


(I've not fiddled with the scavenger fan one, so the above is as much for my own information.... and didn't know how good your internet is over there.... so apologies if this is teaching you to suck eggs )

[JulianG]

OK so if I disconnect the sensor by the hand break the scavenger fan works turn off the engine take the keys out and the fan stays on ?? It also makes the glow plug light flash?? This is a sensor connected to the ecu which is sending back info about the engine temp - not quite sure how it works.

If you simply short the sensor connections it has the same effect as taking the sensor out i.e the fan stays on all the time after switch off and the glow plug sensor on the dash blinks........

How do I test to see if it is at fault ??

Has anybody ever put a switch in the circuit to turn the scavenger on and off manually ?

Has anybody got a spare sensor I could try ??

[robdrinky]

cant answer the other questions,yes a switch can be put in the scav fan circuit(recent post on here by mikeonb4c).

[mikeonb4c]

cant answer the other questions,yes a switch can be put in the scav fan circuit(recent post on here by mikeonb4c).

Juliang - yes it's dead easy and you have already sussed how.

This thread explains.

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =scavenger

Remember to fit a fuse inline that is rated less than whatever wire you run from the battery for the new feed.

Haven't tested mine much yet but one quick test suggested the handbrake stayed much cooler. I would imagine it can only help hot engine problems to do this, but I'm reluctant to believe the engine would overheat without it or that it can work a miracle if there isa root cause elsewhere.

Good luck - keep us posted.

Mike

[JulianG]

thanks Mike on the case!

I think its a head gasket..........I have taken out the stat, rad fans on all the time, scavenger is on all the time and i have flushed the rad with cheap coke......it is staying cool at the moment......

Yesterday when climbing a mountain the scavenger did not come on and i don't recall it doing its cool down 2 mins after ignition off the day before either..... She overheated halfway up the pass. Have operated as above but I think its a bit more serious than a blocked rad or a duff sensor / thermostat ....... how do i tell if its head related ???

runs all day on the flat at 90mph......



Thanks for all the advice so far

[Nevets]

Try switching on both heaters on full speed and in the hottest setting(if you havn't already) this should keep the engine temp cooler when required....

You may get a tad warm inside(get all windows open) but may save your engine..

Hope its not the dredded curse of H.G.especially in france..

If it is the beginnings of the curse you could try getting your hands on K-seal(bit like radweld on steroids) 2 bottles should do it, we use it and it claims and actuallyDOES seal most coolant leaks including minor H.G leaks and cracks, Although may not be availble in France.....

Best of luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JulianG]

OK so I have taken out the Thermostat, Rigged the fans to on all the time including the scavenger, and have now filled the car completely with antifreeze for hot climates!! and its holding good…..in fact its running cool........I still believe I have a head problem but I may just get home. “The English Car Mechanic’s” in OPIO ( France ) Family of father and two sons, assisted with diagnostics and made the comment DONT EVER WASTE TIME SKIMING AN ALLOY HEAD AFTER A BOIL OVER AND A HEAD GASKET BLOW........REPLACE THE HEAD!

Thanks to them all.

Thanks for the support...... tell you when I am back.....if

[brorabongo]

“The English Car Mechanic’s” in OPIO ( France ) Family of father and two sons, assisted with diagnostics and made the comment DONT EVER WASTE TIME SKIMING AN ALLOY HEAD AFTER A BOIL OVER AND A HEAD GASKET BLOW........REPLACE THE HEAD!

Are they anything like this, http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/thegarage/

Best thing on tv!!

[Grahame at work]

Hi JuianG,

I see from yopur other posting that you ar erunning cool now - good news.

You said

Yesterday when climbing a mountain the scavenger did not come on and i don't recall it doing its cool down 2 mins after ignition off the day before either..... She overheated halfway up the pass. Have operated as above but I think its a bit more serious than a blocked rad or a duff sensor / thermostat ....... how do i tell if its head related ???

If you were only getting overheating on a long hard climb it could be one of the two 'high speed' fan relays (1 on the supply side to the motors and 1 on the return side)(motors have dual coils). These are turned on by the ECU in response to the coolant temperature sensor sensing 108C. At temperatures above 95ish the fans come on at 'low speed', as they do with the air conditioning on, this is sufficient to cool the engine when at lights, short hills etc. but can not deal with a heavy load at slow forward speeds for extended periods. So at 108 the fans switch to 'high speed' to compensate.

These can be checked by comparing the fan noise (i.e. speed) between that made by the fans when turned on by the air con and that made by the fans when the coolant temperature sensor (in the side of the head above the starter) is unplugged (turn the air con on and then unplug the sensor). You should hear the fans running at about twice the speed.

I hope all is well.

Regards Grahame

[ronhud]

Anyone any idea where the temp gauge needle (Mason alarm fitted) would be at 95 and also at 108 degrees?
Ron

[mikeonb4c]

Anyone any idea where the temp gauge needle (Mason alarm fitted) would be at 95 and also at 108 degrees?
Ron

I think this has been debated before and - not surprisingly perhaps - the answer is 'No'. Variations in how the alarm is set up are I think the main factor causing variation. And here is a lack of shared data on calibration. The general point made is that it doesn't matter much. You note where the needle now 'normally' rests and then save your concern for if/when it starts to hang around further to the right than normal. Maybe it should be called the O'Mason Alarm due to the Irish logic. Only kidding of course, its a great little piece of kit