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The radiator fan (or fans) pulls cooling air through the car’s radiator. Positioned between the radiator and engine, cooling fans are particularly helpful when the car is stationary or moving at speeds too slow to force air through the grille. A failed cooling fan can result in an engine overheating.
How do I know if my radiator fan is bad?
These are the most common signs of a faulty radiator fan assembly in need of replacement: Engine Overheating. When the radiator fan isn’t functioning properly, it is not able to adequately cool down the car’s engine. Air Conditioner Function Diminished. Loud Noise Coming From Radiator Fan.
Should radiator fan always on?
It’s supposed to turn on before the engine overheats. The fan shouldn’t run constantly, but it is supposed to switch on at a specific temperature (the exact temperature varies from car to car, as different engines have different operating temperatures) to cool the engine down before it gets dangerously hot.
Can you drive a car if the radiator 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.
How often should the radiator fan turn on?
But, on a normal 70–80 degree day you should hear the fan run, I would guess, after about 15 to 20 minutes of idling from a cold start. When the electric cooling fan operates is purely a function of the setting of the temperature switch used to control power to the fan.
What happens when a cooling fan goes bad?
If the cooling fan motor fails, the blades don’t spin and they don’t generate air flow. At that point, the engine temperature continues to climb until your engine overheats. Once your engine overheats, you get other warning lights to come on indicating the problem.
What does a bad radiator fan sound like?
Q: What does a bad radiator fan sound like? In some cases, when your radiator cooling fan clutch fails, it will develop a whirring or clicking noise. The noise could result from a bearing that is out of place or a bent fan blade that is touching other components.
How can I tell if my radiator fan is working?
A simple way to check if the radiator fan is working is to start your engine and turn the air-conditioning system (A/C) to the maximum speed. If the fan is spinning, then it means that the fan motor, fuse, wiring, and relay are all working properly.
Is radiator fan connected to AC?
The condenser fan (if it has a dedicated fan) or the radiator fan most always comes in (with AC on) when the compressor discharge pressure (or, alternatively, the liquid line one; look for where a sensor or a switch is located on the high pressure line) rises over an operative threshold.
Should radiator fan run when AC is on?
When the AC compressor is activated, it is actually expected that the radiator fan runs. For instance, the radiator fan is needed when the temperature sensor of the cooling fluid in the lower tank reaches approximately 212F.
How much does it cost to fix a radiator fan?
As one of the more expensive car repairs needed (not including the replacement of a seized car engine, obviously), the replacement of the radiator coolant fan could incur about $128 to $162 in labor costs and around $465 in parts. So, total radiator fan replacement cost could be anywhere from $592 to $627.
How much does it cost to get a radiator fan replace?
The average radiator fan replacement cost is typically between $550 and $650. In many cases, the radiator fan will cost around $400 to $450, while the labor adds $150 to $200. However, some vehicles can be more expensive, depending on the design.
Do radiator fans always spin?
Temperature will often determine the time that a radiator fan starts up. A temperature-sensitive switch functions to turn the fan on and off periodically. Radiator fans are designed to start when the temperature of the engine coolant reaches around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
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.
Can radiator fan cause overheating?
Engine overheating: A bad radiator fan can cause the engine to overheat, especially at low speeds. If your car starts overheating, pull off the road as quickly as you safely can and turn off the engine.
Why does it sound like a fan is running in my engine?
It is possible that your engine is getting hotter than normal and is kicking the fan on harder to assist with cooling. It is likely that if the issue got any worse that a warning light may come on. Another possibility is that the fan motor is starting to fail and causing noise while the fan is running.
Why does my fan keep running when my car is off?
So its quite normal for fans to keep running after the engine is cut off… it helps cool the radiator down gradually. It’s normal. The electric fan is running independently of the engine in order to bring down the temperature of the coolant in the radiator.
How long do radiator fans last?
Your car fan will run for a few minutes after you turn off the car then turn it off. This is normal in many vehicles, such as BMW or Mercedes-Benz. The radiator fan may run up to five minutes and sometimes longer. Unless there is an electrical issue, it may stay on all the time until it drains the battery.
