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Radiator fan doesn't spin fast

325 views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  crombo  
#1 ·
Hello!

I have Accent with 1.5 sohc engine. Recently it started overheating, dial on temperature gauge reaches almost to red when driving faster or going uphill. I noticed that fans spin but it is slow. Once I unplugged the temperature sensor fans start spinning fast. Do I have temperature sensor problem or something else? What exaclty controls the speed on these cars?

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
When driving fast the fans don't do much as the wind alone forces air through the radiator. Cleaning debris from the front of the radiator/condenser might help but it sounds more like you have a radiator that needs internal cleaning or simply a new radiator. Is the coolant fresh and clean? Thermostat and rad cap could be suspect. Hard to diagnose over the internet.
 
#4 ·
Recently it started overheating, dial on temperature gauge reaches almost to red when driving faster or going uphill.
Are you sure it is really overheating?
Have you checked the coolant temperature using a diagnostic scan tool?

The radiator fan is controlled by a different sensor from the one that controls the gauge. It sounds to me like the gauge is probably wrong, because, as Elvis points out, when the car is driving fast the airflow from the slipstream should be enough to cool the radiator. The fan should only really be required when the car is in slow moving traffic, or is stationary.

Do I have temperature sensor problem or something else?
Well, we know from what you've told us that the fan and it's control circuit are good. The ECU is able to make the fan run fast when it needs to. So it seems like there is either a problem with the temperature sensor, or the wiring between the sensor and the instrument cluster.
 
#5 ·
Are you sure it is really overheating?
Have you checked the coolant temperature using a diagnostic scan tool?

The radiator fan is controlled by a different sensor from the one that controls the gauge. It sounds to me like the gauge is probably wrong, because, as Elvis points out, when the car is driving fast the airflow from the slipstream should be enough to cool the radiator. The fan should only really be required when the car is in slow moving traffic, or is stationary.


Well, we know from what you've told us that the fan and it's control circuit are good. The ECU is able to make the fan run fast when it needs to. So it seems like there is either a problem with the temperature sensor, or the wiring between the sensor and the instrument cluster.
Thanks for the reply! My car has only one temperature sensor and it is located on the thermostat housing, there is no fan switch located in the radiator housing that cars usually have.