Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Radiator Fan Not Functioning

1995 Contour
2.0L 4 cyl, AT, AC

Now that the temperature is warming up for summer, I became aware that the car temperature (according to the gauge) is running high. It climbs to the M in NORMAL at freeway speeds and never drops below. During stop and go traffic, or idling at stop signals, the gauge will climb to L or a little past (outside temp around 75). At home I popped the hood and let the engine run with the gauge at L for a few minutes and the radiator fan never came on.
Also, while driving, there are no clues that the fan has come on (fan noise, slight drop in engine speed, sudden drop in gauge temp, etc).
A few other things that may or may not have anything to do with the problem...

Heater works OK

AC blows air but doesn't cool.

When I popped the hood, the engine didn't seem to be over heated, but what do I know? (no shooting steam, no popping metalic sounds, no blast of heat when I opened the hood, etc).

Could someone give me a step by step troubleshooting guide for this problem (and please assume that I know next to nothing about working on cars newer than 1965)

Thanks

Measure actual temp first with an IR thermometer. A lot of time is wasted due inaccurate guages.

The fan should be operating in low-speed when the A/C is on.

The low speed dropping resistor is a common fault. Check it first.

Steve

I have the same problem with my girlfriends 98 Mystique LS 2.5L. The fuse for the fan blows at any given time if it is working extra than normal. I am not 100% sure if the setup is the same in both vehicles, but the fuse is located in the power distribution box located at the drivers side front engine compartment next to the battery (on mine). It is not a standard looking fuse but rather a large yellow (color could vary)box type with a see through top. On mine there is a clip at the front of the three bar fuse strip that you push and that unit raises up slightly. There is two bolts you would have to remove underneath that panel for fuse removal. If you have your manual still it will tell you where tolocated this power distribution box and the proper fuse. If it is the fuse mine ran about $3.00 at any Advanced Auto. As I said not sure if we have the same setup but hey it is worth a shot.

Rick

I had the same problem and it was the relay not working. I bought a new relay but the fan still would not come on so I bypassed the relay and the fan runs all the time now. but that's ok, it least the engine won't overheat anymore.

When dropping in my 3L's radiator and fan assembly, I noticed this:



I stripped the wiring back and found it was much worse than I though:



The wire covering litterally crumbled in my hands!

I stripped it back as far as I could and rewrapped them individually with fresh electrical tape.

It's most likely the wiring harness has corroded and is shorting out on itself. Check the wires and rewrap as needed.

Take a look at this topic, and I hope your wires are not like the ones above

Fans

Also, might want to check the waterpump, but I believe the fans will still run..