As some of you know from the previous thread "I know this is long, but I could really use the HELP!", my 95 SE's cooling fans would not turn on along with a host of other problems! After getting advice from a number of kind CEG'ers, I had allready installed the new PCM & cleaned the IAC and that solved the drivability/ stalling/ no hot starting problems. But the fans still would not come on! Today I tested the wiring between the ECT sensor and pins 7 and 46 on the PCM connector and also traced out through the snap connectors on the side of the valve cover on passenger side. I had continuity on both wires all the way through!! This really suprised me as I figured this was the probable cause why my fans would not come on! Retracing my steps, I removed every ground to the body I could find (again!) wire brushed the terminals, bolts & washers w/ a Dremel tool, and used a rifle bore cleaning brush in my cordless drill to clean the mounting holes! I also replaced and/or soldered up a couple of the ring terminals that looked iffy. Sprayed them down w/ Caig DeoxIt D5 (great stuff, checkout Partsexpress.com!)and re- assembled. Cleaned the MAF while I had everything apart too!
I started the engine w/ the ECT connector removed and had 4.7 volts, so that was good! With the ECT sensor connector removed, the cooling fans came on as soon as I started the engine. That's normal as far as I can tell. I guess if the PCM sees no ECT signal at all, it defaults the fans on. Turned the engine off, reconnected the ECT, and started up again. I'd been down this road B4 after replacing the ECT sensor & cleaning connections, and fully expected to bang my head against the wall a couple of times and start from square one again! Lo and Behold, the friggin' fans came on when the temp gauge got to "L"!! This too had happened once B4; the fans came on once, never to turn on again! But they stayed on! Temp came down, fans off, temp up, fans on!!
Holy $#!^!!
Took a long test drive and everything seems to be working. The fans don't come on untill a much higher temp than they used to, but that seems to be changing. After my test drive, each on off cycle seems to be triggering at a slightly lower temp. First "L", then a little B4 "L", then "A", finaly started coming on around "M". (Maybe the PCM is "learning" and adjusting?) That's still higher than it used to be, but I'm happy for now!
So, all I can think of that "fixed" this fan problem is:
1. There was a bad ground somewhere that I corrected the second time around.
2. There was some minor corrosion/ oxidation I couldn't see in one of the connectors some where, and my repeated connects / disconnects cleaned it off.
3. The Good Lord decided he'd screwed with my head enough and taught "Mr. I can fixit" a lesson in humility!!
I'm happy I'm up and running again, (the wife too, since now she can have her car back!) But it irks the S!&^ out of me that I never nailed down the cause for certain!
Anyone have any thoughts?
(besides shut up and be happy!)
PS Many thanks to all of you that took the time to help me out.
