Rep Power: 0

Does the 98 Civic fan have more than one level? I could have sworn that in months/years past, when I'd drive up to an intersection, that the fan would turn on and it would be loud, an unmistakable noise that you could immediately indicate as the fan.

Lately, the car has not been overheating, thermostat stays in the middle, but I hardly hear the fan at all, and when I do hear it, I have to strain to hear it.

Does the civic have high and low level settings for the fan, when it goes off? Or is it only supposed to go off at one speed?

 
Rep Power: 519

There are 2 separate fans, one for radiator and the other for the AC system.
It may be louder if both happen to run at the same time.
Do both still work?

I don't think those have 2 speed control on either of those fans.

 
Rep Power: 0

The one for the AC sure works. I've never had a problem with the fan not bringing in air into the car. The one for the radiator must, as I have not been overheating at all.

I will run both at the same time, although I'm sure that's what I was doing before. I will see if I can get a loud hum, but I haven't heard it much if at all, the last several months.

Now the radiator fan does not go all the time, correct? Only when the thermostat reaches a certain level?

 
Rep Power: 519

I did not mean the fan for the HVAC that is in the dash.....but I suppose that would account for three different fans.

I meant the fan behind the condensor in the engine compartment that should run whenever the AC compressor is running.
That fan has its own temperature switch, it only runs when the coolant temperature demands it.

 
Rep Power: 0

OK, sorry for complicating this. The HVAC fan works for sure. Now when I run that, I can hear another fan turn on, say, 30 seconds after I start to idle.

The loud fan I had been hearing when idling--which one would that be? If there is one that shoudl be running whenever the engine is on, then this would NOT be the fan I was talking about. I could always look around and see which fan(s) are running, and which are not. I only saw 2 when I popped the hood. both were right by the front of the car, but then again I was not looking for a third.

 
Rep Power: 519

Open the hood and see which one is running.

(Note: Wiring diagram verified each fan in the engine compartment is single speed)

Neither fan in the engine compartment should run all the time. Both are controlled separately, and operate independently of each other.

Some people wire fans to run all the time after they can't figure out how to make it work correctly though.

The third one is the HVAC fan in the dashboard, your fan switch on the dash is connected to it and it blows air on your face/feet/windshield

 
Rep Power: 0

OK, after running an errand I'll keep the car running when I park, then pop the hood. I'll keep the ac on as well, and see when I hear that fan when i idle--I'll see if I can get both fans to run at the same time.

Much obliged for your assistance. I know (as you can tell) next to nothing about cars. I was just trying to see if the reason for the fans quietness was better oil in my recent oil changes, or if something was wrong. I'll post back when I can verify what teh fans are doing.

 
Rep Power: 519

Absolutely not.

 
Rep Power: 0

better oil = less friction = less heat = less fan?

OK, like I said I'll report back and see which fans are working/running, later on.

This has to be more than a decline in my hearing. It couldn't be going that quickly.

 
Rep Power: 519

It doesn't work that way.


Stop it.
I ride a Hog with open pipes. LOL

 
Rep Power: 0

Interesting.
Its about 68 degrees now. took it for a short trip, 5-10 miles freeway, then back home on a highway with a few stop signs. Had AC on both legs. When I came back home, kept engine running and popped the hood.

standing at the front of the car, looking at the engine, there are two fans, both against the front of the car. the one on the left was not running at all. The one on the right would turn on for 5-10 seconds, then shut off, then turn back on for 5-10 seconds.

I was surprised that neither one was going all the time. OK i'm not a car guy, I just thought that this is what was done.

Anyways, that loud noise I thought I had heard in the past---it was made by that fan on the right turning on. Its just that I thought it was a LOT louder, but I recognized that noise. As far as why I thought it was louder in the past--maybe back then, it was just rattling against something else that got replaced/fastened by my mechanic, I don't know. I looked through my repair spreadsheet, and my reciepts in the glove box, but couldn't find anything that looked like something that he would have fixed/touched, that would have affected anything that this fan would have touched.

Oh well.

OK you verified that they are both single speed. Thanks for looking into that. In which case, the oil really doesn't appear to be having any effect, because the "noisy" fan is in fact going off, and just when I would have thought it was---after idling, especially with the AC on.

 
Rep Power: 519

Your left and right are backwards. Left and right on any vehicle are always determined as one sits in the drivers seat facing forward.
(this is also why I still don't automatically know my own left and right, I gotta stop and think about it LOL)

The fan on the drivers side (left) is for cooling the AC condenser, it only runs in conjunction with the AC compressor. If the compressor cycles on for 10 seconds or so, that sounds very reasonable given your ambient temperature of 68*F. If it was a lot warmer, the AC would run more frequently and for a longer period of time.


The fan that cools the radiator (right/passengers side) only needs to run when the coolant temp goes above .....about 200* or so. (did not look up the spec).
Given the ambient temp of 68* it may be able to idle quite a while before needing to run that fan.


Do keep an ear out for excessive noise....or no noise (fan failure).
A radiator fan failure can lead to expensive problems.

 
Rep Power: 0

OK, will do. Given that my engine temperature gauge doesn't ever go above the halfway spot, and I have no reason to believe my engine is overheating, I suppose as you said it was simply not hot enough to get it going.

Thanks for all your help/comments.