Radiator fan constantly blowing

[BlackOps]

I had my engine replaced with a rebuild, by Stone Mountain Ford in GA a while ago. When I left the parking lot after picking up my car, I notice that my radiator fan was blowing on start up. Didn’t think too much of it until the next morning when I started the ignition on a cold engine. The radiator fan began to blow until I turned the ignition off. This has been doing this since then. I brought my car back to Ford the next day to tell them what was going on with my radiator. After spending five thousand dollars with them to replace my engine, all they were interested in was my wallet and how to get more money out of me. The guy told me that the radiator fan threw a code saying that the radiator problem was preexisting, which it was not!! I figured they had left a wire disconnected or something? I guess what in trying to say/ask is will this problem throw a code? If it does, will it say existing/preexisting? What should I do to correct the problem? I don’t want to bring it back to Ford or any other (Most) Mechanics because all they are after is the money that I don’t have! Thanks in advance

[RF Overlord]

Is the CEL on? Nothing in the fan circuit throws codes, and even if it did, there's no way to tell if a code was "pre-existing" unless they saw it before replacing the engine. Make them fix it at their expense. At the very least, go to the nearest FLAPS (AutoZone, Advance, O'Reilly, etc) and have them read the codes, just to be sure there are none.

[BlackOps]

No check engine light on. No other lights are on either. Engine is not running hot!

[MM2004]

No check engine light on. No other lights are on either. Engine is not running hot!

Define "a while ago".

How many miles have you put on the replacement engine and duration of time?

Just a thought.. I am not 100% sure, but if the A/C is on or defrost, the fans run all the time?

I would certainly 'nag' the dealership in making it right.

Just my .02

Keep us posted.

Mike.

[drewb457]

fan relay, its has dar failed

[BlackOps]

Define "a while ago".

How many miles have you put on the replacement engine and duration of time?

Just a thought.. I am not 100% sure, but if the A/C is on or defrost, the fans run all the time?

I would certainly 'nag' the dealership in making it right.

Just my .02

Keep us posted.

Mike.


October 28th 2009 is when they did the engine swap! Mileage when I brought it to them 118008. Mileage now 126305. Miles put on since the engine swap 8297. Car was also garage kept for an entire year due to license suspended. But was also driven weekly around the neighborhood during that year of being garage kept. Was garage kept from end of 2009 until end of 2010. I don’t necessarily think the A/C is what has been keeping the radiator fan blowing. With or without the air/heat on or off the radiator fan blows from startup to shut off, even on cold engine. I also have the EATC problem with the air blowing through the defrost. Don’t know if that could be related? But that was a problem that happened later down the road.

[BlackOps]

fan relay, its has dar failed


What is DAR??

[drewb457]

its nothing, just me being a dee-dee-dee

EDIT: but seriously, the radiator fan relay has failed. welded itself shut so the fans are getting constant power

[BlackOps]

its nothing, just me being a dee-dee-dee

EDIT: but seriously, the radiator fan relay has failed. welded itself shut so the fans are getting constant power


OK. So do you think the relay could have “welded” itself shut in such a short amount of time? I mean from the time they replace my engine until the time I picked it up?

[drewb457]

well the relay is located in the fusebox under the hood, i doubt that that is something that they would have changed it or even bothered to look at it. its very possible it could have "welded" itself shut, relays commonly fail.

a quick test is to take a similar relay that you know is good (like the relay for the A/C compressor or something) and switch it with the radiator fan relay. if the fans now magically works perfectly you have confirmed your problem

[BlackOps]

well the relay is located in the fusebox under the hood, i doubt that that is something that they would have changed it or even bothered to look at it. its very possible it could have "welded" itself shut, relays commonly fail.

a quick test is to take a similar relay that you know is good (like the relay for the A/C compressor or something) and switch it with the radiator fan relay. if the fans now magically works perfectly you have confirmed your problem

Thanks bud! Happen to know which relay/Number it is?

[drewb457]

no. im not sure if the ones onder the hood are labeled, or if the have the same ridiculous number coding like on the interior.

either way the relays are the big ones, and they should be labeled in the owners manual

[BlackOps]

Thanks again! I do remember trying to pull some of the big ones out a while back not sure which ones they were/or for what. But they did feel like they were stuck in there pretty good? Are the usually pretty easy to pull out by hand or are all of them a tight fit?

[fastblackmerc]

Is it an original Ford fan assembly?

If it's an aftermarket fan assembly (from a FLAPS) they like run all the time.

[BlackOps]

Is it an original Ford fan assembly?

If it's an aftermarket fan assembly (from a FLAPS) they like run all the time.

yes its the original

[fastblackmerc]

yes its the original

Then the relay is bad.

You can't buy just the relay.

[BlackOps]

Then the relay is bad.

You can't buy just the relay.

What are my options?

[fastblackmerc]

What are my options?

Buy a fan assembly from Ford.

Aftermarket fan assemblies have a tendency to have "thermal" events.

[BlackOps]

What are my options?

What does the fan assembly consist of? Is it just the fan, or more? Part number? Just wondering, why can’t I just buy the relay? I would think that because my fan runs all the time, that the fan assembly wouldn’t be the problem, instead of an on/off switch/sensor? Sorry I’m terrible at electrical stuff.

[fastblackmerc]

What does the fan assembly consist of? Is it just the fan, or more? Part number? Just wondering, why can’t I just buy the relay? I would think that because my fan runs all the time, that the fan assembly wouldn’t be the problem, instead of an on/off switch/sensor? Sorry I’m terrible at electrical stuff.

Fan + housing + relay = fan assembly.

Ask Ford why you can't buy just the relay.

Better yet take the car to a Ford dealer and let them diagnose it for you.

[RF Overlord]

The engine cooling fan doesn't use a relay, it's a circuit breaker. #102 in the BJB (battery junction box). The fan is controlled by the PCM so something is making it think it needs to be running. Perhaps the PCM ECT sensor on the COT is unplugged or is bad. IIRC it's the one on the passenger side.

[drewb457]

The engine cooling fan doesn't use a relay, it's a circuit breaker. #102 in the BJB (battery junction box). The fan is controlled by the PCM so something is making it think it needs to be running. Perhaps the PCM ECT sensor on the COT is unplugged or is bad. IIRC it's the one on the passenger side.

if the ect was unplugged the pcm would read -40 degrees, the fans would never come on instead of always be on

[RF Overlord]

if the ect was unplugged the pcm would read -40 degrees, the fans would never come on instead of always be onGood point, but is it possible the PCM might see the disconnected sensor as a failure and have some sort of fail-safe strategy that just turns the fan on to be safe?

If not, then it's possible for a bad sensor to cause a serious overheat condition that would not be visible on the temp gauge until it's too late.

Otherwise, nevermind... ;)