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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 23
New CEG\'er
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OP
New CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 23 |
... As I was poking around today trying to isolate a noise I noticed a sticker above the cooling fan that says that the fan may run even when the engine is off. There's nothing unusual about the sticker, it's always been there, I've always known it was there, and it's on every other electric fan cooled engine I've ever worked on...
But I got to thinking that I've seen quite a few cars overheat in the past (including my 98 Mystik), and none of them has ever run the cooling fan with the engine off (even though there'd be a reason to do so in an overheat situation)
So, has anyone actually seen this happen? Is the warning there to cover Ford's liability "just in case" (ie: the wiring shorts out, relay sticks, etc) or is there really some logic burried somewhere in the PCM that could someday jump out and say "hey, I'm bored, and today would be a great day to fire the fan up".
Maybe I'm just weird to think about such things.. :)
-- Steve
98 2.5l 5-spd Mystik
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,395
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,395 |
Ha! Ford told me that, my fan would stay on after I turned my car off, I said it was the relay, the guy insisted its normal (even after I told him even after engine ran for like 10-15 minutes) I did what he said.... Then came to my car a few hours later and had a dead battery, I called ford and demanded them to jumpstart my contour because of their advice, gave me a bunch of BS and never did give me a jumpstart.... I think its just a liability sticker, You leave the battery in, fan shorts out and starts, you get injured, your fault... They should put that on Laptops "Caution, Bottom of laptop may be hot!" No lawsuit there! 
Former owner of a 1995 Ford Contour GL w/ 2.0L ATX
Proud owner of a 2005 Ford Taurus SE 3.0L V6 Vulcan 
--Looking for Commodore stuff (Drives, Units, Amiga, games, etc)If anyone has any of this laying around and wants it gone, lemme know --
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,017
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,017 |
Your not weird this is in my service manual!
Cooling Fan, Electric
WARNING:
THE ENGINE ELECTRIC COOLING FAN MOTOR MAY COME ON AT ANY TIME WITHOUT WARNING,
EVEN IF THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING.
The fan control system consists of:
a fan blade.
a two-speed cooling fan motor attached to a fan shroud located behind the radiator (8005).
-- Vehicles with 2.0L engine have a single cooling fan motor and fan blade system.
-- Vehicles with 2.5L engine have dual cooling fan motors and fan blades.
The cooling fan motors are wired to operate only when ignition switch is in the RUN position, thereby preventing cooling fan motor operation after the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position.
Now if the 2 items i put in bold aren't contradictory I don't know what is!  
1996 2.5LT V6 Contour ATX My Tour+help/info pics
E0 rims, Gutted Pre-Cats,CTA Custom Exhaust & Intake, Diablo Chip.
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,714
Scourge of the Master Debaters
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Scourge of the Master Debaters
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,714 |
A friend of mine used to have to pull the negative battery cable on his Neon (snicker) because the cooling fans would never turn off. I'm guessing it was some kind of short or bad relay, but he didn't want to pay to have it checked out.
Beer is my Gatorade.
Hooray Beer.
'98 "Sport" Pacific Green
'98 E0 SVT Silver Frost
Pictures
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 5,600
Addicted CEG\'er
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Addicted CEG\'er
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 5,600 |
my moms saab and my yamaha 4wheeler both have fans that sometimes stay on for maybe 30sec. to 1 min. after the engine has been turned off. they only do it when they have been run hard, or if its real hot out. either way, they are supposed to do it.
not quite what you are saying but some cars are built to do it, though i do not think contours are supposed to.
#4559 of 6535 born on Feb 17, 1998
Black 1998.5 CSVT
FOR SALE [cleaning house]: SVT rear swaybar. Reasonable offer and its yours!
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 682
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 682 |
Originally posted by Dirt Farmer:
none of them has ever run the cooling fan with the engine off (even though there'd be a reason to do so in an overheat situation)
So, has anyone actually seen this happen?
On a '86 Prelude Si. Not on my SVT or any other car that I've owned.
98.5 Contour SVT
"Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country"
--US President George W Bush
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 154
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 154 |
My 96 Mustang did this for a couple days - fan basically would never shut off, at any temperature (and I had to disconnect the battery when parking). Turned out to be a bad relay that the dealer somehow repaired but warned me might eventually fail. I imagine it's mostly a liability thing, a fan almost NEVER comes on/stays on by design with the engine off, but if the battery is connected, they can't guarantee it won't take on a life of its own and fire up despite their best failsafe designs.
caveat emptor,
-Peter
04 Mazda 6s V6 MTX, in service 10/28/03 
02 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 165HP 4cyl auto AWD
former: 95 Mystique LS V6 MTX [11/14/94-5/19/04]
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 294
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 294 |
When it's really hot out my dad's S80 T6 fan fires up when it's in the off position for a few minutes.
'04 Cobra Convertable!!
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 21,653
I have no life
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I have no life
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 21,653 |
Originally posted by KTPdave:
When it's really hot out my dad's S80 T6 fan fires up when it's in the off position for a few minutes.
Don't those cars have some climate control system that keeps the car below a certain temperature even when the car is off? Are you sure it's not that turning on? Anyways, very nice/fun car.
98.5 SVT
91 Escort GT (almost sold)
96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve)
FS: SVT rear sway bar
WTB: Very cheap beater
CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15
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