Fan Testing?

[2010AveoLT]

my old Plymouth's fans (it had Dual fans) would come on at 220F for the Low Speed fan, and 230F for the High Speed fan. the gauge would usually be slightly above the first thin hash mark under normal operation (the needle would get near the middle mark, then drop as the thermostat opened), and would only move to the halfway mark if it had been sitting idling for a long time (about that time, the Low speed fan would come on to cool down the cooling system)

[cmm47172]

Well, I just blew up my car!
No, just kidding.
I tried the fan test and it worked.
So I really don't know if this is an issue or not.
How would I test the relays to make sure they are working?

I will take it out again in the next day or two and test drive in downtown stop and go traffic for about 30 miles or 60 minutes which ever comes first and see what happens.
I hoping that I will get to hear the fan kick on automatically at some point and never see the temp go any higher or lose any coolant.
Maybe I will install a set of digital gauges. I wonder where to get a set of pillar gauges???

[Pickles]

The relays are youre typical 5 pin auto relay

watch this vid
How a 5 Pin Relay Works - YouTube


Ground 85, apply power to 87. If you hear a click, you are good

EDIT; im not too sure about the terminal numbers. maybe someone else can chime in? im only good with 4 pin relays

[cmm47172]

Can you tell me if the fan should come on anytime the air conditioner is turned on?

[kevin7898]

For what its worth my temp guage sits right on the halfway mark. I have driven over 100k kilometers last year mostly highway with some city, and never had an issue where the guage went higher.

[2010AveoLT]

Can you tell me if the fan should come on anytime the air conditioner is turned on?

it should, because air has to be moving across the condenser for the A/C to properly operate. I might ask my dealer to look up the Cooling Fan On/Off Temps.

[Thymeclock]

For what its worth my temp guage sits right on the halfway mark. I have driven over 100k kilometers last year mostly highway with some city, and never had an issue where the guage went higher.

Mine does the same, stays at about the halfway mark once the engine is warmed up. This is normal operation. Besides it's winter. Wait until summer to assess the fan operation.

Meanwhile, fill your cooling system to the proper level and check for leaks. Even if no leak is evident, check it weekly for a loss of fluid.

[petrified.rabbit]

thymelock is right, unless your overheating, the car might never get hot enough for the fan to be necessary.

[cmm47172]

I just ran the car for 1 hour thru heavy stop and go traffic. The temp outside today is 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The fan never came on during or after the drive. The temp gauge reached the half way mark and went no further.
When I stopped the car I noticed two things that concern me.
First, as soon as I got out of the car, I could smell the sweet smell of DEX-COOL coolant. Looking under the hood, I could see no coolant leakage.
Second, I noticed that the level of coolant in the surge tank never moved. It’s was the same level as when the car was cold.
It makes me wonder if the thermostat is operating properly. I did notice that both the upper and lower radiator hose were hot to the touch and so was the surge tank so I would think that the thermostat did have to open even if ever so slightly. I checked all hose clamps and all are tight.
I have yet to test the relays. If they are not extremely expensive, I think I will by some to test with and just to have some on hand if ever needed.
At this point, my main concern is that I can smell coolant.
Any thoughts anyone?

[Aveo5_boy]

From your first post of this thread you did experience some coolant loss in the surge tank. Have you seen a lot of white smoke from the exhaust? Have you checked the oil to see if the color is normal or does it look like a chocolate milk? If so, you may have a blown head gasket.