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Hey guys, question regarding my Fan.
I was sitting in traffic the other day for 2 hours in the heat and noticed that my car was over heating. So when I had a chance noticed the Fan was not on. I ordered a new one. Replaced it...Come to find out that the old one still worked...DUMB on my part for NOT testing it. Replaced it anyways...
I started the car and let it idle for at least 25 mins before the fan turned on and that was only for short time before it turned off.
So I changed the Fan Cooling switch that goes into the thermostat housing. I let it run again at idle and set my stop watch and it took 22 mins before it turned on and only for short time.
So my question is...what else could it be or is this normal. I had the radiator replaced 2 years ago and the cap. I replace the upper rad hose last year. I have 144,000 on the engine and run only synthetic oil. I think my lifters need to be adjusted, but other than that my car runs great.
Any help will do, Thanks...

 
Rep Power: 173

Is what normal? The car overheating?! The fan only turns on when the coolant reaches a certain temperature threshold, but that's long before an overheat situation. Is it possible that your thermostat isn't working properly? Is there enough coolant in the radiator and reservoir?

Also, what's with the blue font?

 
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The blue font helps me when going thru my posts
and I like it...Thanks for the help info on the coolant, just bought
some water wetter and put a little in to see if it helps. I hope it
was just from driving hard and then sitting in traffic for 2 hours,
that this happened but I probably need to change the thermostat...

 
Rep Power: 208

Water wetter won't do anything for you, unless you are racing. You need to get it to run right first.

Is it still overheating? the fan is supposed to kick on and off as the coolant temperature goes up and down. The best way to test is while idling parked. if the fans turn on and it's not overheating, then you are good to go.

 
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What is normal...Does it take over 20 mins NORMALLY while idleing before the Fan kicks on...That's all...

 
Rep Power: 208

That sounds about right. If it gets hot without the fans kicking on, then there is a problem. By hot, I mean the temp gauge on the dash gets hotter than normal. It should stay in the same place and the fans should just kick on. Also feel the hoses, is the bottom one much cooler?

 
Rep Power: 518

It depends on a lot of stuff, and the fan is never operated by a time constraint.
If the heater is running it may remove enough heat from the cooling system to significantly delay or negate the need for the radiator fan to run. Same if there is a breeze blowing through the radiator, the fan may not be needed.

The rad fan only needs to turn on when the temperature of the coolant EXITING the bottom of radiator and entering the engine is sufficiently hot (200* ish F) to turn on the thermoswitch in the stat housing.