Problems With the A/C Condenser fan RELAY... Pics Available!!!

[Cheks_Talon_TSi]

Two months ago, I notice that my car began heating up after I turn on the A/C. After checking everything I notice that the Condenser fan was the problem. When I turned on the A/C, the condenser fan also turns on but after some minutes (15-20mins) with the A/C engaged, the condenser fan stop working... ... I take a look once again to the wires and the fan assembly. Finally I took the A/C Condenser Fan RELAY out and I realized that terminals number 2 and 4 were in brown color, just as if they were burned. At that time I thought my problem will be solved by changing the relay... So, finally I found on ebay a good pair of used realys of this kind... I bought two of those realys... were also OEM relays from a 1G car that was being parting out.

After replacing the damaged relay, everything was working EXCELLENT!!! but after 1 month (more less), today I realized that my car was getting hot agian after sometime of having the A/C on... I took out the same relay and once again the orange terminals (2 and 4) becomes some kind of brown as if they were burned or melted.

I have one more good relay from those I bought on ebay but I don't want to change it again because it is almost for sure that in one month I will be having the same troubles with that A/C Condenser Fan...

So what can be causing the damage on the relays??? The Condenser Fan fuse haven't blown.. it is in perfect conditions so I guess I don't have any short circuit in the wires... I was wondering if it can be the Motor of the Condenser fan??' or what can it be???

Any help will be very appreciated...
Tomorrow I will get my camara to take some pictures of the relays so you can see what i am talking about

Thanks,

Sergio G.

 

[kscott]

I've heard that for fan motors in general, when they get old and the bearings are worn, the
extra friction makes them draw more current and can burn out the relay contacts. But I have
no idea if that could be the problem here. I'd sort of expect, if that was the problem, that
the contacts inside the relay should fail first.

I had a problem with my condenser fan relay once. I had it unpluged to check if the car's
wiring was really the same as how it's shown in the shop manual (it was). I was adding some
switches so I could manually turn the fans on, either low or high speed. When I put it back
together, the condenser fan didn't work. But, when I press sideways on the condenser
fan relay, then it works. I bought a new relay and that seemed to solve the problem, but there's
the nagging doubt that maybe the problem was really the socket that the relay plugs into.

The resistor mounted on the fans gives them low/high speeds. It might be that the resistor
is blown. There's a "fuse" right on the resistor (really a spring contact that's soldered on, I
believe soldered with low-temp solder), and it's common for that to blow. If that happens,
when you turn on the A/C, it first runs the fans on high for a while, and that still works, even
with the resistor blown. Then, after it's been running a while, it switches the fans to low. With
the blown resistor, the fans would stop working at this point.

However, the blown resistor won't cause your engine to overheat. If the coolant gets warm/hot,
the fans would automatically switch back to high, and start working again.

The resistor "fuse" could blow either because the solder is getting old, or because the motor
has excessive friction and is drawing too much current. So, maybe make sure the resistor
is good, and replace it once if necessary. Then, if it blows again, maybe the motor is at fault.

Another way to test this, without having to possibly replace the resistor twice, would be to
measure the voltage drop across the relay contacts. Measure the voltage difference between
the resistor and the battery positive. Measure this while the fans are on high for the most
stress on the relay. When they're on high, it won't matter which side of the resistor you use.
Wiggle the relay while measuring. If the voltage drop is ever more than 0.5 volt, then there's a
problem.

 

[Defiant]

Sounds like the terminals in the socket have gone soft. Another fine DSM trait. Replace, or if you're clever enough, shim. Try not to incinerate a loom.

 

[Cheks_Talon_TSi]

Thanks guy for the comments

I took a look on my condenser fan and seems to be ok, It is working on both speeds... The fan works properly before the relay heats up (about 15mins with A/C ON), after the relay gets too hot, the condenser fan stop working... It won't start again until it gets a little bit colder (or no TOO HOT)...

When fan is spinning (after some minutes of using AC), the relay get so hot you can't even touch it with your hand... ... After fan stops, the only way to make it work again is turning the A/C off for about 30mins or so. When relay get less warmer the fan works again

Yesterday I took the Fuse box out but I find it just ok. The sockete of the relay also looks to be in good shape, here is a picture of it:

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Just to give you an Idea of how does the relay looks like, please take a look on the next to pics

THE GOOD ONE

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THE BAD ONE

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I think maybe what is wrong are the bearing of the motor of the fan??? can this be burning my relays???

Any idea or suggestion will be apreciated a lot!!!
thanks in advance
Sergio G

 

[ddavisaf]

Try cleaning the socket. A dirty contact surface can cause it to arc and damage the prongs.