I believe the high speed fan turns on with the A/C, but no, the fan will not turn on unless the a/c system is functionally correctly. If you have no a/c refrigerant or no a/c system, the fan will not turn on in relation to the HVAC settings.
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