Radiator fans turn on every 20seconds at idle

[CorrupTTalon]

is my car trying to tell me something? the fans will turn on atleast once every 20/30 seconds at idle

 

[Eagle 5]

yes, your car gets warm, fans turn on to cool off, cool off enough, they shut off, car warms up again. as far as i know, EVERY car does this, unless you are thinking that it is happening too often

 

[CrazyNikko]

The fan problem you think you have might not actually be a problem. If its a hot/humid day the fan will kick on sooner then a cool night. As long as your fan(s) are not overheating/overcooling the engine then they are working just right. Take a look at your gauge when the fans go on. If the needle in somewhere in the middle, then your alright. Also you have to take in the consideration if you have your A/C on (has its own fan), ambient temp., how much your paint is obsorbing the sun, and if your driving or sitting in traffic.

 

[CorrupTTalon]

wow youre a smart guy eagle 5.....

anyways, its below freezing here and the car went from sitting for months in the cold to an idle.. nothing more..

from the start they were turning on, and they were turning on consistantly every 20 to 30 seconds, which cant be normal. it never got HOT according to the guage.

ive owned a probe and did a lot of work on the car and knew it inside and out. well jumping the GND and TEN pins the OBD2 connection would sigle the fans to turn on and off in patterns, relaying a error code message..

i figured it was a similar situation, as if my car was telling me somethig was wrong.

thanks for the help CrazyNikko

 

[asexton6969]

Bad Thermostat? I think that the ones that are more expensive will stick open when they break. That way your car doesnt overheat. Comes in handy actually. Its worth paying a lil extra to save your engine.

 

[Defiant]

is my car trying to tell me something?

It's saying, "Come onnnn, let's go somewhere!"

Replace the thermostat and radiator cap, and inspect your hoses.

 

[iggster]

My fan is always running. No one has been able to tell me why yet. As long as the car doesn't overheat I guess I am not concerned!

 

[CorrupTTalon]

iggster, have you put a code reader up to it yet?

and thanks for all the help

 

[asexton6969]

Replace the thermostat. I am almost positive thats your problem. Easy fix and is pretty damn cheap if it turns out not to be your problem..

 

[FourG63 97GST]

why replace the thermostat, the car is not overheating
the fans are doin there job

 

[asexton6969]

Some thermostats stick open to prevent overheating...let me talk with my dad....ok my dad said no, i would almost bet that that is what it is...It doesnt make sense. If i were you id still try it, you never know plus im sure your car could use a new one.

 

[FourG63 97GST]

not to be a dick but dont post info is you dunno what you're talkin about, its not really helpin anyone. you need to know what a problem is before you can solve it.

 

[Defiant]

why replace the thermostat, the car is not overheating
the fans are doin there job

From what he tells us, his fans are coming on far too often for this time of year. A thermostat that isn't opening fully could cause it, and is the fastest, easiest first-fix- but include a new radiator cap in that, as one that won't hold pressure at the levels specified will also let an engine run hotter than spec.

 

[asexton6969]

Thank you Defiant

 

[leakyfaucet]

I don't understand how the thermostat has anything to do with the fans coming on before the car is warmed up...

 

[iggster]

well both my fan and thermostat are brand new along with the radiator cap and it just runs constantly. Is there a relay switch I can look for in line somewhere?

 

[Eagle 5]

how long are your fans running when they do come on? Is this like a , they run for 20 or 30 seconds, shut off, they come back on 20 - 30 seconds later? Or do they run for a few minutes?

On my moms car, her temp needle will go up and the fan kicks on and it goes back down. then repeats. My car, the needle NEVER moves once it reaches the middle. The fan jsut kicks on when it gets warm enough, then off once its cooled down. I forget the exact numbers for when the thermostat is supposed to open partially and completely.

Do what the others have suggested, change the thermostat and radiator cap. If it still does it, you may not have any problem at all. OR, maybe your radiator temp switch or one of the coolant temp sensors on the water neck are going bad.

Sorry if I seemed like an arse earlier.

 

[CrazyNikko]

Ok i might be a little late on this post, but a thermostat only allows only a certain temp. for it to open fully. For those who dont know, the Fail Safe thermostats that stay open when they break do not keep your engine from overheating. What your gauge reads on the dash, reads the temp of the coolant. If your thermostat where to stay open, no heat from the engine would combine/blend/abosorb into the coolant. Your gauge would read cold, but in reality, your engine would be overheating

 

[Defiant]

Ok i might be a little late on this post, but a thermostat only allows only a certain temp. for it to open fully. For those who dont know, the Fail Safe thermostats that stay open when they break do not keep your engine from overheating.

They're supposed to fail "open". It seems in the real world that they'll fail whichever way they want to.

What your gauge reads on the dash, reads the temp of the coolant. If your thermostat where to stay open, no heat from the engine would combine/blend/abosorb into the coolant. Your gauge would read cold, but in reality, your engine would be overheating

Hm. Twilight Zone mechanics.

 

[leakyfaucet]

Hm. Twilight Zone mechanics.

Yeah, really.

 

[CrazyNikko]

There is a aftermarket brand that makes a thermostat called "fail safe" which stays open when it fails. About twilight mechanics, it wouldnt hurt to educate yourself about the problem, i went throught it. Im not trying to be rude

 

[leakyfaucet]

About twilight mechanics, it wouldnt hurt to educate yourself about the problem, i went throught it. Im not trying to be rude

Yeah, I guess I better educate myself. Because in my world, a car with a stuck open thermostat runs cooler than a properly functioning one. And the gauge would still be reading the coolant temperature.

Perhaps you can explain to my why I'm wrong.

 

[Defiant]

There is a aftermarket brand that makes a thermostat called "fail safe" which stays open when it fails. About twilight mechanics, it wouldnt hurt to educate yourself about the problem, i went throught it. Im not trying to be rude

"If your thermostat where to stay open, no heat from the engine would combine/blend/abosorb into the coolant. Your gauge would read cold, but in reality, your engine would be overheating"
This is simply bizarre. What's the deal, is the water going to tip-toe through the passages and not let any of its molecules get upset and absorb any heat?
If your temperature sender fails, your gauge will read cool. But it's not going to say "cool". There's no thermostat made -nor, for that matter, any water jacket so designed- that will allow so much flow that you don't show overheating on a functioning measuring system.

 

[marcmsj]

just for kicks, you might also want to check your fan relay

 

[HighPsi92GST]

It's saying, "Come onnnn, let's go somewhere!"

smartest responce in this thread so far