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dont waste your money on a jdm e-fan!!!

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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 03:14 PM
  #31  
01 XLT Sport's Avatar
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From: NH
Originally posted by Brian Baskin
But the fans should be wired up so that everytime the A/C runs, the fans should be running too, so that the A/C doesn't overpressurize. Fans should be capable of running for hours straight. I've had my Flex-a-lite fans running constantly, from the time it starts up til I turn the truck off, for the last two years, although it did just melt the fuse holder
Why would an electric fan be wired to come on with the A/C on? That sounds very odd to me. A clutch fan does not engage just because someone turns on the A/C so it would make no sense for an electric fan to energize because the A/C comes on (unless your sitting at idle or traveling less then 30 – 35mph, but that would still have nothing to do with the A/C only that the engine has reached a pre-determined temp that caused the fans to come on). If you’re traveling above 30 – 35mph the electric fan does NOTHING for the A/C or engine…
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 03:18 PM
  #32  
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From: NH
Originally posted by l-menace
this begs a question..


If it has a manual switch I'm assumming that is to be used between runs to assist in cooling down the engine correct?

For normal daily driving it is attached to some sensor to turn on and off as the temperature rises Correct?

Running the fan all the time will cause the fan motor to overheat and thus lead to overheating problems
You’re correct that running the fan all the time IF traveling above 30 – 35mph will indeed cause the fan motor windings to overheat and eventually burn out. However you should be able to run the electric fans at idle for as long as you like. If it is a well designed electric motor it will do no harm to the windings or the fan application.
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 03:24 PM
  #33  
Odin's Wrath's Avatar
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From: Hammer Lane
Originally posted by Brian Baskin
Are people overlooking the part where he did contact JDM? Sounds like it was just an faulty part in the assembly, happens a bit. He contacted JDM back in early September, and is still waiting on the part to come in. Sounds like he is fed up and frustrated not only because the fan died, but because he's been waiting so long for a replacement part. Have some empathy for him. There really isn't much more he can do but call the vendor every single day and ride them until it comes in.
You're right; but, bashing the product, and not the crappy customer service, is where he went wrong. I understand all too well the frustration he's feeling; but, anybody who's been here for more than a month or two knows the response to any kind of post involving a problem with JDM. It doesn't matter whether the post has merit or not. I've noticed that when a problem like this finally gets to the point where it is made public, it tends to be resolved very quickly. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 03:25 PM
  #34  
rscoleman's Avatar
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From: Fl/Tenn
Originally posted by moshe
no my engine didn't blow, but it over heated to the red. no im not color blind, and real mechanics insalled it. they spoke to JDM after it happend and they told him that one of the switchs or some thing was bad and they will send him a new one. that was Sept.3 /03 and we are still waiting.
Looks like he did call first . Sorry you waited 4 weeks for a $.50 part, Jim and his 13 employees have probably been too busy racing and doing R&D. Many people are running this e-fan and similar setups, and its a proven performer. Maybe it was a bad install or maybe it wasn't.
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 03:57 PM
  #35  
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Its a Ford Fan, Ford Relays and Copperwire, Why your fan failed when there are millions of vehicles with the same relays, same fan and copper wire is beyond me. It really seems like your professional Mechanic might need a refresher course or something.
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 04:13 PM
  #36  
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From: Virginia Beach, VA
I'm another one that has over 10,000 miles on my JDM fan kit with no probs at all on the street or racing. The components are almost all Ford factory parts and it's a 1st rate kit IMO. Hope you get yours working correctly and you will be a believer.
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 04:22 PM
  #37  
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From: Lexington, KY
I believe it is an Expedition Fan assembly, and the fan
is wired to the thermostat, and also to the AC circuit.

The E-Fan is perhaps JDM's best product, so I wouldn't
think that literally THOUSANDS of other customer that
have had no problems are the exception.

I know when it's YOUR truck, it seems so overwhelming
to try and get them to respond, but do get a hold of them
and I am sure they will fix you up.

Although I am FAR from a fan ( pun intentional! ) of JDM,
I think it probably was either installed incorrectly or has
a faulty part.

Cliff
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 04:23 PM
  #38  
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now, i've made the switch from JDM to PSP, but i still run jdm products

i've had my jdm e-fan for over 27k miles, no problems
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 05:14 PM
  #39  
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From: Bel Air, MD
Originally posted by 01 XLT Sport
Why would an electric fan be wired to come on with the A/C on? That sounds very odd to me. A clutch fan does not engage just because someone turns on the A/C so it would make no sense for an electric fan to energize because the A/C comes on (unless your sitting at idle or traveling less then 30 – 35mph, but that would still have nothing to do with the A/C only that the engine has reached a pre-determined temp that caused the fans to come on). If you’re traveling above 30 – 35mph the electric fan does NOTHING for the A/C or engine…
Maybe I'm naive here, but my clutch fans come on with the A/C, and I really don't know of any e-fans that do NOT come on when the A/C is on. Then again, if there are some, I'd like to know that I'm wrong, as all my cars are R-12, and that's what I'm a little knowledgeable in. I've been running without fans completely for the past 3 weeks or so, and absolutely cannot use the A/C. Even when moving above 35mph, the compressor starts to whir, and if I give it a good amount of gas the A/C blowoff valve will release a cloud of refrigerant into my engine bay So, I don't use my A/C at all anymore until I get my fans working.

A/C compressors have to have constant air flow over them while they're in use. However, for those of us that live/work in traffic gridlock areas, I'd expect to have a product that can handle being on the entire time. E-fans are made, and marketed, to have the ability to run constantly. Which leads me back to thinking it was probably just a faulty part in the fans he received. Which, no matter who makes it, will happen in a given percentage of components.
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 05:33 PM
  #40  
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this post is going nowhere fast...

Stay on top of JDM and get a new piece...

Lets end this post...
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 05:35 PM
  #41  
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Re: hmmmmm

Originally posted by tallimeca







Sorry you had trouble with your kit. I have installed two kits and made a kit using JDM's wiring harness because it was so simple and easy.

Sorry to hear these are such a P.O.S. I mean, mine's been on for a year and a half and both Eluzion and I drove down to JDM's shop , about 7 hours each way at the end of June sitting in NYC traffic. Guess I really took a chance huh???

7 hours each way hahahah... yeah we played Magellan that day

bunch of clowns
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 05:43 PM
  #42  
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Originally posted by Johnny A
I know I don't have an L but I do have the JDM E-Fan on my 5.4 Expy. I have had this fan on for almost 2 years now and my dad has had his on his L for longer (with no problems). I drive all over the gulf coast (up to 900 miles in a day) in some real hot and muggy weather with 400+ lbs of equipment and my fan has never missed a beat. Couldnt be happier with it.
Tell'em like it is son.....just don't hold back

MOSHE, like my son mentioned both of us have electric fans and in this gawd awful Texas heat we have no problems. I've had mine since Jim came out with them.

The only thing I can think of that might have caused your problem is a short between the steering wheel and the drivers seat.
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 06:10 PM
  #43  
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From: NH
Originally posted by Brian Baskin
Maybe I'm naive here, but my clutch fans come on with the A/C, and I really don't know of any e-fans that do NOT come on when the A/C is on. Then again, if there are some, I'd like to know that I'm wrong, as all my cars are R-12, and that's what I'm a little knowledgeable in. I've been running without fans completely for the past 3 weeks or so, and absolutely cannot use the A/C. Even when moving above 35mph, the compressor starts to whir, and if I give it a good amount of gas the A/C blowoff valve will release a cloud of refrigerant into my engine bay So, I don't use my A/C at all anymore until I get my fans working.

A/C compressors have to have constant air flow over them while they're in use. However, for those of us that live/work in traffic gridlock areas, I'd expect to have a product that can handle being on the entire time. E-fans are made, and marketed, to have the ability to run constantly. Which leads me back to thinking it was probably just a faulty part in the fans he received. Which, no matter who makes it, will happen in a given percentage of components.
You may be correct about A/C having to have constant flow over them when on. However as far as a clutch fan it is nothing more then a spring inside a hub that expands due to temperature. When the temperature gets to a predetermined point, with a tolerance of somewhere around +/- 10* to 15* it engages the clutch and causes the fan to actually engage and not free spin. Since there is nothing connected to the clutch fan it has no idea when the A/C is on so it can’t engage because the A/C is turned on.

Though the clutch fan free spins unless actually engaged it does provide air flow. Electric fans may indeed be wired to a circuit that will turn them on when the A/C comes on since there is no other air flow under the hood at idle. However if electric fans are running when someone is driving over the speed of 30 -35mph it will cause them to prematurely wear out unless of course there is some internal circuit protection such as a thermocouple that opens when the windings inside the fan motor reach a certain temperature…
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 07:28 PM
  #44  
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Don't jump on the guy just because he's mad about the problems with the fan and the customer support he got. It's prolly just his frustration talkin more than anything. Besides some of your responses are alittle off the wall, "fried circuit breakers" and electric motors with "thermocouples".

The fan is not that hard to troubleshoot. A short will cause the circuit breaker to trip (that's it's job). If you have power to the control, breakers are ok. If it is not turning on when your motor is up to temp check the sending unit. This is a varistor type device that completes the ground to the circuit to turn on the fan. Get a piece of wire and jumper out the sender. If the fan turns on then the the sender is defective.

You said the manual switch burned out, it may not have been large enough to carry the amount of current the fan is drawing. It would really help if you could find out how much the fan is drawing (not what it is supposed to be drawing) so you know how big the switch, in amps, has to be. If this was bought as a complete kit this should not be a problem though, as it should have been sized correctly.

Someone mentioned checking how easily it turns, that's a good idea. The fan may have tight bearings or be binding enough to not trip the breaker but cause an increase in current draw (and heat) that exceeds the rating of the switch. From talking with some of the others that have the various brands of fans there is no over capacity with them, so anything out of the norm will cause trouble.

As for the fan turning on when the a/c is on, this is a must, and has nothing to do with the motor temp, and everything to do with the amount of air through the condenser to give you nice cold air. Sorry for the long post hope this help give you some ideas of where to look for the problem.
 
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Old Oct 18, 2003 | 07:35 PM
  #45  
s.cal L 2's Avatar
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From: Imperial County,Ca
I did my own e- fan , for less than $80. I used a heavy duty 110v toggle switch, heavy duty wire, and a monster fuse. Its hooked up on high all the time and have had no problems even on 110 degree days with the A/C on.
 
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