I brought my TT home the other weekend and noticed my truck was running hot and not cooling down. I have the Troyer Electric Fan kit and I found out this weekend my high temp fan controller was toast. It will not come on by itself but still seems to activate the fan when the A/C is turned on.

I am in the market for new controllers or controller and I want to know if there is anywhere easy to tap into the coolant with a proper sensor. Some of the controllers I have seen say you can attach them to the factory OEM temp sensor, has anyone done that? I found the rad inserted probes were not accurate so I am looking to upgrade.

 

I was looking at DC Controls. I know a few guys here run them. They are also a rad probe sensor, is it more accurate?

Anyone running the PAC-2700 fan controller from Dakota Digital?

 

Rad probe inserts are accurate. why wouldnt they be? Aluminum is highly conductive of heat so of course the water flowing over it is going to transfer into the probe

 

The Troyer controller rad probes were not accurate IMO. My low temp fan was set at 208 and the fan would come on anywhere from 200 to 214. To me that is not accurate. It was accurate at a standstill when the wind blowing through the engine compartment was not a factor.

 

you have to get an adjustable one then you can adjust it to any temp you want. I have a flex a lite controller.

 

SPAL has an awesome controller...this is the one I'm getting.

http://www.spalusa.com/store/main.as...tem=FAN-PWM-V3

I'm currently running two manual switches due to controller failures. I got Painless relay kits that are really nice, but switch on/switch off all summer is getting old.

The controllers that come in that kit are crap! At least they were when I got mine years ago.

 

They still are crap as far as I am concerned. My truck doesn't see a lot of use so I was surprised to see a failure so soon.

The spal unit does look nice. Thanks for the link. My only concern is that it is only a 30 amp unit.

 

It has full instructions and a relay kit designed to go with this controller for a/the second fan; you're correct, not going to run both off this controller. If you read the brochure, it runs the second fan when needed and both at 100% with AC.

I think that would be nice to run both off the controller though. The one thing I don't like about set-up (and has me slightly reconsidering) is the fact that the controller only turns on the second fan when the first fan is running at 100%. That would not be a lot of the time. One fan keeps my truck pretty cool for the most part. Not a concern for the truck, but a possible concern for the fans...one getting worn out and the other getting old.

But, maybe I'm trying too hard.

 

The PAC-2700 is a 70 amp unit and I found out it has the ability to run one two speed fan or two separate fans but it will work like the old controllers the fan will come on 100% cycle and shut off. The controller will take two temp settings one for each fan. It does not like water so you have to mount it in the cab (PITA). It is also less money but I'm really more concerned about reliability at this point. I wish I could find something that had a combination of both units.

I also wonder if the PAC-2700 could run both fans as a two speed fan? So they both would come on at 50% at a set temp and then move to 100% at a high temp setting. That way you could use both fans at once (it sounds like a good idea but I don't know how it will affect the trucks charging system and what not). I will have to email him back and find out.

 

I've had good luck with Flex-a-lite and am running a older Spal in my other car. I set the flex with a laser temp gun and it's a probe. It's as accurate as the temp guage. The spal one is as easy as looking at my temp gauge in the car, holding the low temp button and 20 degrees higher, holding the high temp. For a daily driver, get the flex a lite one IMO. Set it at where you want it to come on, it starts slowly then just goes full speed. The spal one needs at least a 20 degree diff from low temp to high due to it running low at 50% fan speed, to 75% to 100%. I just don't like the idea of a fan running while driving on the highway when you don't need it.

 

Look up the Mad Enterprises Controller. Lots of L guys use em without failure and someone on here just got a kit and did a review on it

 

Why?? Agree it doesn't do anything, but it doesn't hurt anything either.

 

It reduces air flow, and creates a drag on the motor, and will eventually burn the clutches in the fan motor


You could also take the probe style, and submerge it in the coolant in the upper radiator hose, then just have the thin "wire" portion coming out under the hose/clamp on the radiator. Makes it more "accurate" that way

 

Found the Spal PWM-V3 on eBay for $109 and change today. I like the soft start feature of 50% that these controllers offer. They can also be mounted in the engine bay as they are water resistant. You can also tap into the factory coolant temp sending unit or add another coolant temp sending unit.

I am toying with the idea of running two of these to take advantage of the soft start feature for both fans. Run the low temp fan at 205/215 and the high temp at 217/221 or something close to that. Probably overkill but I am already wired for two controllers.

Can anyone tell me where the OEM coolant temp sending unit is or if there is an easy place to sink an aftermarket one?

 

Here is what I use. 1 for each fan. They are similar to what was used in the first gen of the Troyer fan kits.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/DER-16759/