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        General >> Problems >> Removing cooling fans
        
(Message started by: sector-9 on Mar 19^th, 2006, 6:31pm)

Title: Removing cooling fans
Post by sector-9 on Mar 19^th, 2006, 6:31pm

After spending yesterday tracing the cause of my non-running fans I've now discovered that fan 1 (driver's side) doesn't work. It does have continuity but applying power to the wires directly doesn't do anything.

Suspecting a duff motor I tried removing the fan shroud - problem is that the fixings on the RH side are just spinning round as whatever it is on the back of them isn't being held still. Thinking that I'd have better access I tried removing the radiator mounting bolts and the RH one sheared off! >:( (now I remember why I hate working on Fords)

So now I have a radiator only bolted up on the LH side, a broken fan and a shroud I can't remove! Anybody got any ideas? I know I ought to fix the radiator mounting fairly soon (even though the top 'clips' are intact so it is held up) to prevent further damage, but I really want to replace the RH fan as without it in circuit the other fan won't run until the temperature gets really high, and with only the one fan it may struggle.

Also does anybody have a suitable fan they want to sell me for a VM diesel? There's one on ebay for £20 which I may go for, but if it sells then I don't imagine it would cost any more than that from a scrapyard.

Finally, speaking of cooling systems, does anybody know what the float in the expansion tank triggers? It doesn't seem to do anything on the dashboard, however the temperature warning light doesn't come on at all so it may just be a bad bulb...

Darren

Title: Re: Removing cooling fans
Post by mr._floppy on Mar 19^th, 2006, 7:13pm

I know the damage is done now , but, what evidence did you have that the fans weren't running ?

I've been concerned about mine lately too.

But, even with a warmish day like today ( honest, first day of spring up here ) , my Scorp, after a fair old 40mile run with temp gauge at " normal ", it still took 10 minutes of idling before they came on, and even then, just for 30 seconds or so.
So I'm fairly reassured that they will come on before the engine overheats.

Title: Re: Removing cooling fans
Post by sector-9 on Mar 19^th, 2006, 7:23pm

Because I took it for the air-con to be regassed last week and after running it for a few minutes the guy told me the fans weren't cutting in and the pressure was building up too high.

He recommended not using air-con until the fans were fixed so when I got home I decided to check the fan relay with my multimeter - that's when I discovered that there was no power getting to the relay contacts, even thought the fuses in the fuesbox were fine.

After remaking about 5" of the loom in front of the radiator I now get the passenger side fan running (only on high of course) with the air conditioning. At this time of year it's probably good enough with the one fan but I like things to be as they should and as the warning light on the dash doesn't seem to be doing anything and I've heard that these engines don't survive overheating very well...

Darren

Title: Re: Removing cooling fans
Post by stan1746 on Mar 21^st, 2006, 1:26pm

drop out the full rad and drill out the mounting bolt.the fixing on the fan are a t shaped head bolt i had to take mine of about a week ago it has more than likely broke on the plastic :(

Title: Re: Removing cooling fans
Post by Snoopy on Mar 21^st, 2006, 2:13pm

The float in the expansion tank should light the radiator symbol on the dashboard if the water level gets low... See the handbook for further explanation .page 8
http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/images/handbook008.gif
If it does not then maybe a bulb has gone but the later models did NOT have this, but I do not know what date the feature was removed.

Title: Re: Removing cooling fans
Post by sector-9 on Mar 21^st, 2006, 11:22pm

Interesting you say that - it's what I'd expect. However I thought on Fords all the warning bulbs lit for a few seconds as a test when you turn the key to pos. II ? The ABS, airbag and fuel lights do (and of course the oil, charge and handbrake lights), but not the one for engine overheating, cruise control or low coolant level. However I know that the cruise control does work because I use it whenever possible.

Yesterday I took the instrument panel out to check the bulbs (in the process those on the SATC panel failed), but you can only access a handful on the back - those for things such as fuel, ABS, charge, etc. aren't visible at all! Do I need to remove the back part of the cluster casing to get at these bulbs or are they LEDs?

Darren

Title: Re: Removing cooling fans
Post by sector-9 on Mar 21^st, 2006, 11:25pm

Thanks Stan - not the answer I wanted but pretty much what I expected. :(

Problem is I spent my entire overdraft buying the bloody car so now I don't have any money to spend fixing it - at least not until I sell my Rover! It'll just have to wait until I can afford to buy some antifreeze then I'll drain it and flush it through proper like when I remove it.

Darren

Title: Re: Removing cooling fans
Post by Baz on Mar 22^nd, 2006, 12:22am

The feature of the low coolant level indicator was removed from vehicles built after 11/97. i.e. it doesn't feature on any facelift models as standard (not that I am aware of anyway.) I fitted it to mine because i seem to get through a radiator every few months! The indicators are LED's and on the facelift models, the LED for the coolant indicator isn't even on the circuit board. The common thought that it lights up on the ones not fitted with the level float is actually the washer level LED lighting up. The float is fitted to all tanks, but the wiring and the sensor which clips into the bottom of the expansion tank is not fitted.

The wire is the thin green and white wire which has a joint in the connector fitted to the bulkhead just in front of the windscreen wiper motor. On the facelift cars there are only 3 wires, pre-facelifts have the 4th green white wire.

Title: Re: Removing cooling fans
Post by Simmo on Mar 22^nd, 2006, 6:37am

I would re-check the ribbon connector to the SATC panel as that may be the cause of the bulbs not lighting rather than them failing.

Title: Re: Removing cooling fans
Post by sector-9 on Mar 22^nd, 2006, 9:57pm

Baz - the plot thickens! I took my instrument cluster apart tonight and there are no LEDs in the positions for coolant or screenwash; however the expansion tank does have the sensor and wiring attached!

Makes me wonder now if maybe it's had a new cluster fitted (if so, why, and would this reset the mileage display?) as mine is one of the early Scorpios...

Regardless of that, if I were to solder in the missing LEDs would that be it or is there likely to be more missing in the circuit? Incidentally it has a trailer indicator light in the panel - does anybody know how to make use of this?

Darren

Title: Re: Removing cooling fans
Post by sector-9 on Mar 26^th, 2006, 2:07am

I traced the tracks from the (non-existent) LEDs on the instrument cluster. There are some surface-mount resistors missing from the circuits. I'd have a go at soldering some standard resistors in place but I don't know what values I need.

Sod it, I'll do what owners of the newer ones do and just open the bonnet to check!

Darren