I am having some problems with aftermarket E fans I bought from a sponsor here. Since I want only to resolve the problem I will leave the sponsor nameless. I have aftermarket tuning, fans, 3.5" intake, exhaust, plugs, Mustang COPs. I have purchased the Dynatech long tube headers as well but not yet installed. So the Fans were a bit for me to install and had them done by a local shop I trust that is ASE certified. 2 months later and several fuses later, fans are still overheating, locking up and blowing fuses.

The first time it happened I was told by the sponsor that it was not installed correctly, and to check the wiring. Did this and ground down the paint to ensure a good contact for the ground. Second phone call said that they could replace them if I sent them back and they don't know why this is happening but fans motors do run hot. Since I would have to replace fans with stock fan, while I wait for parts have been hesitant to return them or else I will just put it back to stock and leave it that way. So every time before I start the truck up, I must stick a screw driver into the fan blade and move them, because they are usually locked.

The left fan, passenger side only if I was last running the A/C. As far as I can tell the fans are calibrated and running at the right time but after running for a long time lock up after I turn the truck off and then try and restart, blows the fuse. Can anyone help me? Has anyone else experienced this? Thanx...

 

BOTH fans do this? That's extremely rare to have two fans with identical issues.

You got them sucking through the rad, right - not reversed?

Other than that, if it's only one, remove the offending unit & ship it back for a replacement. IF it's both, I'm afraid you will need to put the stocker back on and ship them both back. This is for a mechanical fan problem.

BTW - have you checked the voltages at the fans themselves - low voltage can cause fan binding (not enough initial torque to overcome bearing friction), and it can also cause overheating of the motor. This is an electrical/possible install problem.

Best to work thru the vendor for tech support - be a squeaky wheel if you have to.

Good luck.

 

What happens is the fans do it independetly meaning, that after the fan has been running a while, either the drivers side fan because it is hot out side or the A/C hight temp fan, passenger side, was running last for long length of time and the the fan motor is hot. Turning off the vehicle say to go into a store and then coming back out and starting the engine or turning on the A/C, if that fan motor has not cooled off yet, it cinches up and blows the fuse.

Yes they are pulling air through the radiator, spinning right direction.

I will have to learn how to check the voltage at the fans, thanks, what should this voltage be?

As far as heat soak, I just want to clarify that it is not from the engine bay compartment but from the fan motor itself which is overheating. So hot that if the fan has been running for any length of time you cannot touch the fan motor.

 

Hi.

A healty fan motor should pretty much be impervious to heat soak (the name of the set of conditions you described). If this is indeed happening for normal heating ( NOT due to undervoltage), then you have a 100% valid argument to return for free replacements, IMHO.

Measure your battery voltage while the truck is running - this is what you should be reading at the fan terminals when they are on, within a few fractions of a volt. Much lower - you have a connection issue somewhere.

Good luck.

 

Thanks, I will look at this. I am driving two additional things from the battery a stereo system maybe 1000 watts and those cool Amp Research Power Step Running Boards off the battery. So all 3 things are connected to the positive post on the 45K stock battery, mmmm. Maybe a Optima Red Top is in order...will check the voltage as well.

 

what size fuse are you running. I was having problems with a 25amp fuse blowing all the time, so I switched it out for a 30amp and haven't had a problem yet

 

30 amp fuse which is what is recommended by the sponsor. Again the fuses are blowing because the fan blades are locked up. I have to manually move/free the blades before starting the engine by hand with a screw driver, sometimes they are locked up and somtimes they move freely.

 

Cooling fans should be almost indestructible. Sounds like a bad set of bearings or poor assembly making the whole setup tight. Heat comes from friction or over loading. I suggest you connect the fan to an 12 volt supply and run with out the truck running and check the amps drawn. Check the temp of the fan motor after running for 5 mins. The fans should also move and spin with ease at room temp, if not time for returning.

 

Feel the ground wire to see if it gets hot. Check the fuse holder to see if it is getting hot. Often time a poor ground or one with too much resistance will cause the circuit to over heat. Now if the vendor offered to take back the fans then by all means send them back. Reinstall the mechanical fan till you get new ones back.

JMC

 

I will try all these things, appreciate the help. Sometimes it really isn't buyers remorse over the purchase but product support remorse that makes me want to throw in the towel. Defending your product here or by phone really doesn't help me fix my problem. Sometimes vendors will tell you a product has been installed by them 1000s of times or their very first product has been running since the dawn of man with no problems. Unforunately that just frustates me more as it still doesn't address the problem I am having. Thanx..

 

Try this:

If you have access to a service station type battery charger that can carry a good size load, when you remove the fans hook them to the battery charger and see if they get hot and also if they do get hot let em sit for a few minutes and try to start them up again. That will tell you if it's the truck's system, wiring, ground, etc. or if it's the fans. I also have the fan kit you are referring to and have had no problems and I tested them with my battery charger before I installed them. Good Luck,

Bob

 

I have the Fal 270 love them If you have a digital volt meter and some time it EZ to check things out Electrically but it sounds like you have a fan problem not a electrical problem its getting cooler you can probably get away with just installing the fan with no shroud and be fine thats pretty EZ to do

 

Don't laugh to hard but are they running in the right direction for pulling air and not against the air being forced thru the radiator when driving.
That will surely heat them up.
These types of DC fan motors should never have any resistance to movement when starting. Matter of fact, if you could see them while driving, they would be turning just from the airflow being forced thru the radiator.
Like all these motors, the starting current is about 2 times the running current unless they are already turning from airflow.
If the shaft is hard to turn from a tight bearing, lack of lube or any other bind, the starting current will be higher yet and may blow the fuse or run hot.
Each fan should have a seperate fuse and not have 2 motors on one fuse.
The 12 volt feeds should be seperate up to the fuses with the main feed a heavier size wire to minimize the voltage drop.
If the fans bind, your mistake not returning them for an obvious fault.
Do more research before buying parts. That's your responsibility.
These things are the result, if not done.
When mods are done you can't rely 100% on someone else and must take ultimite responsibility..

 

yeah i'm with bluegrass, i bet you have them wired to run the wrong way.

 

About the 12 volt feeds, could you just do a seperate feed for each fan to elimate worrying about that?