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A fan clutch is a thermostatic engine cooling fan that can freewheel at low temperatures when cooling is not needed, allowing the engine to warm up faster, relieving unnecessary load on the engine. As temperatures increase, the clutch engages so that the fan is driven by engine power and moves air to cool the engine.
What are the symptoms of a bad fan clutch?
How to Tell If Your Fan Clutch Is Going Bad? Vehicle overheating. An overheating engine is often the first symptom that is commonly associated with a bad or failing fan clutch. Loose and Wobbling Fan. Excessively loud cooling fans. A decrease in acceleration, power & fuel efficiency.
When should a fan clutch engage?
What Temperature Does a Fan Clutch Engage? The majority of them engages when the air temperature goes around 170°F, which means that engine temperature is around 180-190°F. Usually, they can reduce it by about 20°F before disengaging.
Should a fan clutch spin freely when cold?
A fan clutch is a thermostatic motor conditioning fan that may freewheel at low temp when cooling isn’t required, enabling the engine to heat up quicker and reducing engine load.
What activates a fan clutch?
Most fan clutches are filled with a silicone-based oil. The oil is held in an internal reservoir when the fan is disengaged. To engage the fan, internal valves open and allow the fluid to fill the working area of the clutch. This creates friction between the drive plate and the housing, causing the fan to spin.
Should a fan clutch spin all the time?
Spin the fan. Electronic types might freewheel, but most fan clutches should spin with a little effort. If the fan spins more than three times, you may have a bad fan clutch. If the fan doesn’t spin at all, the bearing may be seized.
How tight should a fan clutch be?
Snugged up is Good Enough. For “The Jesus Nut” to the Threaded outer portion of the Water Pump Snugged Tight is Fine.
At what temperature should a fan clutch kick in?
At what temperatures do fan clutches engage? Answer: Most fan clutches engage at about 170°F air temperature (about 180-190°F engine temperature).
Does fan clutch make whining?
A whistling or whining noise coming from the engine bay can be pretty serious. There’s a number of possible causes for the whistling noise, but one of the most common causes is a loose serpentine belt. When this happens, the fan clutch is not engaged properly.
Why is fan clutch engaged cold?
A thermal fan clutch is engaged on a cold startup because the fluid drains into the working area when the engine is shut off. The fan clutch will slow down shortly after startup as result of a pumping action produced by a difference in speed between the shaft and the body of a clutch.
How do you test a clutch fan?
To confirm the diagnosis, start with this simple test: Spin the fan as hard as you can on an engine that has not been started that day. If the fan rotates more than five times, you can bet the clutch is bad. You should feel some resistance and the fan may spin up to three times, depending on the ambient temperature.
What causes a fan clutch to fail?
This can be caused by low system air pressure or an air leak in the system, or in the clutch itself. The fan clutch needs a minimum of 90 PSI air pressure to function properly. Repair any leaks as needed. Also, check for worn sheave bearings.
Does a clutch fan pull or push air?
Neither. The fan on your car pulls outside air through your radiator to remove the heat from the engine coolant flowing through it. The fan increases air flow when it is necessary due to slow speed driving which does not move enough air through the radiator to maintain coolant temperature or on very hot days.
What is better clutch fan or electric fan?
When compared to an electric fan, fan clutches are quite inefficient. The benefits of a Thermatic Fan lay in its ability to provide constant air flow, improved fuel economy, better air-conditioning performance, cooler engine running and increased engine power.
How do I know if my viscous fan is working?
How do you know if its working properly? When your motor is hot, you should be able to hear the fan kick in. If you can’t, pop the bonnet, and turn the vehicle off while watching the fan. If it comes to a fairly abrupt stop, the fan hub is working properly.
What’s the difference between thermal and non thermal fan clutch?
A non-thermal fan clutch is nothing more than a thermal fan clutch always partly engaged. It provides adequate cooling when needed, however, it does not save you money by disengaging (operating at a lower RPM) when additional cooling is not needed.
Will a fan clutch tighten itself?
it will tighten itself down just fine.
Can I drive my car if the fan is not working?
As such, you should never drive your vehicle if the cooling fan isn’t working even though you can. If the radiator does not have cool air blowing on it constantly, it will overheat eventually, so you’d need the perfect combination of weather and traffic to drive effectively without a radiator fan.
Why does my fan come on when I start my car?
If the fan comes on, you may have a bad temperature sensor or gauge. 2. A cooling fan temperature switch (or sensor, in some vehicles) can also get stuck, which may cause the fan to run continuously any time you turn the ignition key on or start the engine. Troubleshoot the switch.
Can a car run on one fan?
Yes, of course. But, the engine might get a little hot, and it isn’t a good idea to continue to do so without getting the other fan (or two) repaired or replaced… If there is more than one fan, there is a reason for it.
