Radiator Fan Stops Working: 10 Common Reasons You Need to Know!

The engine must work at optimum temperature to ensure optimal performance and the radiator fan is important so that it does not overheat

The car's radiator fan is an essential part of the cooling system because if it is not working, the engine will suffer extensive damage from overheating. At automotive tips share with you the common reasons that cause your car's radiator to fail.

1. Fan Fuses

The radiator fan is located between the radiator and the engine, the fan blows cooling air through the car's radiator.

If the fan does not work. it is very possible that it is the fault of your fuse. The fuses may have blown or just fell out. In this case, what you have to do is change or replace the corresponding fuses.

You should always check the fuses first

2. Fan Wire

If your car 's engine starts to run hot and the fan won't turn on. the cable may be the cause. You can use a voltmeter to check if electricity is passing through the wire. The standard current is 12V. If you don't see the numbers on the voltmeter, you need to change the wires.

3. Temperature Sensor

The temperature sensor is the mechanism that determines when the fan should turn on. It does this by checking the temperature of the cooling system. In the event that this sensor does not work, the fan will not start working. You can find this sensor on the thermostat cover. Try reconnecting the wires to the sensor, it will probably work again. If not, you have to replace it.

4.fan Motor

If you've checked all the things we've already mentioned and still can't find where the problem is, maybe it's coming directly from your car 's radiator fan. You can check if it works by connecting it to another power source, a battery for example. If it still doesn't work, it's time to take the car in for service.

Symptoms of radiator fan not working

The fan has the function of cooling and keeping coolant cool when it is heated. It is positioned between the radiator and the engine and even if you have the impression that its function is not the greatest, you are wrong, this being very important.

A number of serious problems that can occur from a faulty fan start with the heating of the coolant which absorbs heat from the engine on its way between the radiator and the engine cooling chamber.

The fan prevents this and keeps the motor as cool as necessary for the correct operation of the parameters.

How do we know that a radiator fan is defective?

There are two most likely reasons for its failure. Excessive use and activity time. It can be damaged by intense use and keep in mind that nothing is eternal and its age can affect it.

When it breaks, it will show you specific signs and you will know if you need to repair it or simply change it.

1. Fan noise

There is a specific sound made by the fan, a sound that you are used to. This specific noise can be heard from both outside the car and inside, produced by the cooling fan motor driving the fan to run at natural speed.

If this noise is missing, you need to pay attention to the problem, thus preventing the appearance of more serious defects. A visit to the mechanic is one of the first things you should do.

2. Increase coolant temperature

An engine running hot can misfire and cause a serious problem. The problem that requires a lot of money and time.

To prevent this and protect your wallet, the fan needs to be serviced if the motor gets too hot.

The function of the fan is to cool as I mentioned and turning it off increases the temperature of the engine, the thermostat will run hotter and because the coolant does not cool it will show it on the car. Don't joke about this symptom. It is serious and can cause multiple failures.

3. The refrigerant disappears from the system.

If the temperature is not constant and is not maintained, the refrigerant evaporates. To prevent this and for the coolant to stay cold, the radiator must be working properly.

Among the reasons why something so unwanted happens is the radiator fan. The need to keep the radiator fan in good working order is one of the conditions that must be met to maintain an optimal level of coolant.

It may not seem that important that the car runs, but you are wrong. It's extremely important.

Test and repair radiator fan if necessary

A radiator fan is made up of three elements that make it work and give it power. These are in order the motor, the relay and the fan.

Any one of them if faulty can affect the entire system. The best way to avoid problems that may arise is to test its functionality before arriving with the car for service.

1. Radiator fan relay

In any car, for it to work, the fan must be on. This can only come from the car battery and is the part that will ensure there is the correct voltage desired at the correct amps.

Functioning as a fuse, due to electrical stresses or simply over time, due to wear and tear, it can break. Do not replace the fan completely until you are sure that the problem is not caused by this relay, the price to replace it is much less if it burns out.

2. Radiator fan motor

It is probably the most expensive component so you only trust the diagnosis made by a specialized mechanic. This motor is responsible for transferring electricity from the battery to the fan and is in charge during the entire operation of the fan.

Being extremely used, it is prone to wear. Due to a malfunction, the fan stops or operates at such a small capacity that it fails to cool the coolant.

As I was saying, a diagnosis by a specialized mechanic is necessary because otherwise the labor will be expensive.

3. Radiator fan resistor

Engine performance is greatly affected by this small part. Allows the fan to run in configurations with more than one speed.

All the problems that arise due to the heating of the motor are overcome by the efficient operation of this resistance.

It is clear that all three components need to be carefully reviewed and maintained. If they need to be repaired, there is no other solution than the one where you go to the service and pay.

How much does it cost to replace the fan?

There are several situations. Naturally, such a repair should not be expensive because in the end an electrical circuit is repaired.

The big problems arise when the fan blades are damaged and the motor with its resistor is still burned out. Depending on the manufacturer, a resistor can cost between 200 and 300 lei, but if we talk about the motor, it is obvious that replacing it is much more expensive, being the largest of the components.

Such an acquisition and replacement can cost, depending on the car you own, the year of manufacture and the model, between 200 and 500 euros.

A problem that you may encounter in such a situation may be quite trivial. If you own an old, rare car, finding the right part will be a problem.

The same can happen in the case of an expensive car and here you should know that the prices also differ towards the maximum.

And to these costs add the labor that probably costs between 50 and 75 euro.

If you are lucky and only need to replace the relay, you can easily change it and it costs 25-50 euro at most.

When we talk about the radiator blade, things change and depending on the material they are made of (metal or plastic) they are a bit more expensive. In general, in this replacement, the choice falls on metal due to its resistance over time.

Thermocouple check. What is the role of malfunction symptoms?

The first is the first. What is it and what is the role of the thermocouple. Thermocouples are often used in the automotive industry to monitor and manage a wide range of temperatures to ensure increased engine performance and protection. The data transmitted by the thermocouples is used to adjust the exhaust gas readings, to adjust the function of the spark plug, the performance of the brakes and the condition of the battery.

The thermocouple is a sensor that has the function of measuring the temperatures of different surfaces, components or substances. Thermocouples must have at least two wires of two different metals, which when touched form a circuit and create 2 different electrical junctions. The first is located where the temperature is unknown and the other where the temperature is known.

The difference between the two temperatures creates voltage within the circuit and the current generated is subsequently used to measure the temperature of the unknown point.

The symptoms of a thermocouple can be the following two.

Does the motor fan no longer stop?

When car fans run continuously and do not stop even when you turn off the car, the thermocouple may be faulty. The fans run continuously because the engine (ECU) receives incorrect data. He believes that the coolant is at a temperature that actually differs from what is transmitted to the ECU. Believing that the temperature is higher than in reality, he orders the fans to run until he receives other readings, with the refrigerant in the parameters.

Try disconnecting the thermocouple. If the fans stop, you just discovered the problem. Replace the faulty thermocouple and you have solved the problem.

Car fan won't start

The situation is similar to the previous one. The variants are the same plus a possible lack of fan power. Test fan power. If it's not enough, take the car to an electrician. If the fan still has power, check the thermocouple.

Reasons why radiator fan is not working

Radiator Fan: 4 Common Reasons It May Stop Working

The engine must work at optimum temperature to ensure optimum performance and the radiator fan is important so that it does not overheat.

The car's radiator fan is an essential part of the cooling system because if it is not working, the engine will suffer extensive damage from overheating. At Auto tips  we share with you the common reasons that cause your car's radiator to fail.

1. Fan fuses

The radiator fan is located between the radiator and the engine, the fan blows cooling air through the car's radiator.

If the fan isn't working, it's very likely your fuse is to blame. The fuses may have blown or just fell out. In this case, what you have to do is change or replace the corresponding fuses.

2. Fan wire

If your car 's engine starts to run hot and the fan won't turn on, the cable may be the cause. You can use a voltmeter to check if electricity is passing through the wire. The standard current is 12V. If you don't see the numbers on the voltmeter, you need to change the wires.

3. Temperature sensor

The temperature sensor is the mechanism that determines when the fan should turn on. It does this by checking the temperature of the cooling system. In the event that this sensor does not work, the fan will not start working. You can find this sensor on the thermostat cover. Try reconnecting the wires to the sensor, it will probably work again. If not, you have to replace it.

4. Fan motor

If you've checked all the things we've already mentioned and still can't find where the problem is, maybe it's coming directly from your car 's radiator fan. You can check if it works by connecting it to another power source, a battery for example. If it still doesn't work, it's time to take the car in for service.

What happens if your radiator fan stops working

Car radiator fan: the most frequent reasons why it may stop working

The car's radiator fan is an essential part of the cooling system and its proper operation ensures the correct temperature, but if it does not work, the engine will suffer great damage from overheating.

The vehicles fan has the task of creating air to pass through the radiator, towards the engine and keep these two from overheating.

All internal combustion cars have a fan that should activate when the engine temperature exceeds approximately 203ºF. Otherwise, the engine can be seriously damaged and repairs can be very expensive.

The fan is necessary when the ambient air is not sufficient to cool the liquid in the engine radiator, or when the engine is stationary.

So if you see the temperature of your car rising and the fan not turning on, you should get the car checked immediately and have the repairs done. Here we have gathered some of the most frequent reasons why it may stop working.

1.- Fan motor

The fan motor may stop working and you will need to replace it with a new one, to fix the problem and not risk it failing.

2.- Fan fuses

If the fan stops working, the first thing to check is that the fuses are not blown or loose. If they are burned you should change them for new ones.

3.- Temperature sensor

The car's fan is just behind the radiator, where the closed-loop cooling system begins. This closed circuit is where the coolant circulates and the operation of the fan is based on a thermostatic switch, which compares the temperature of the motor and the outside temperature to activate or deactivate the rotation of its blades automatically.

In the event that this sensor does not work, the fan will do its job. You can find this sensor on the thermostat cover. 

4.- Fan cable

If the car heats up and the fan does not move at all, the cable in charge of feeding it with standard 12V current may be damaged and not pass electricity for it to turn on.

Radiator fan not working when ac is on

Radiator Fan Turns Off When AC Is On, Why?

Answering questions from several people who complained that the radiator fan wouldn't turn on. However, they said when the AC was on the radiator fan was off.

Current cars have such a design, the fan will turn on when the temperature is high (above the working temperature), and will turn off when it reaches the working temperature again. From this we know that the radiator fan works to keep the engine at working temperature.

If the AC is running, whether the engine has reached the working temperature or not, the fan will rotate along with the condenser fan. There are several cases that occur, namely the car without turning on the ac and when the temperature is high the radiator fan does not turn on. What do you think caused this to happen?

One of the causes is the temperature sensor or water temperature sensor. Usually we know as ECT sensor or WTS sensor.

The temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the coolant radiator circulating in the engine.

When the engine has reached a certain temperature, the temperature sensor will send a signal to the ECU and then the ECU orders the radiator fan to turn on.

When this temperature sensor is damaged, the fan will not turn or turn on under any conditions.

Although it does not spin at high temperatures, the radiator fan is not actually damaged (fan motor). So when we turn on the car air conditioner, the fan will continue to spin. In this case, as long as the ECT sensor has not been replaced, the AC should always be turned on to keep the engine in a safe condition or there will be no engine overheating .

Not only is the ECT sensor damaged, but the electrical circuit leading to the sensor also affects it.

How do i fix my radiator fan not working

How to automatically repair a dead radiator fan doesn't even have to be taken directly to the workshop. Previously you can check the source of the cause of the dead fan and fix it.

You can see how to fix it and what causes the radiator fan to die here.

Kinds of How to Automatically Repair Radiator Fan

The main function of the radiator fan is to remove heat from the car engine. Problems can occur at any time with this component especially if the fan is too old.

Once the fan is off you have to fix it immediately so that the heat from the engine can be removed immediately. There are several ways to auto repair the radiator fan that you can do as follows.

Improving Fan Motor Relay Performance

Checking is an important activity to determine the condition of the radiator fan. When you check, look at the relay that functions as an electromagnetic switch according to the ECU command.

So if the ECU instructs the fan to spin then electricity will flow to the relay. And vice versa when the fan is ordered to stop, the relay will cut off electricity.

This relay check can be done with the Avometer tool or it can also be done by exchanging the relay from another car engine. If the relay is still working then the problem is elsewhere.

It's different if the relay that you try doesn't turn, it means you have to replace it immediately. Just turn on the radiator fan, it will immediately spin.

Provide with Electric Current from Battery

How to automatically repair the radiator fan can also be with an electric current. You can wire directly to the fan motor. It could also be with a radiator fan relay foot socket jumper to the fuse box.

This amperage test will show you that the fan motor is still running when power is applied. You can tell whether or not the radiator fan is of course by turning.

If the fan is on then there is no problem in the electrical circuit. It could be that the problem is with the car battery that turns out to be soaked so it can't turn on the radiator fan.

Repairing Radiator Fan Fuse

How to automatically repair the next radiator fan can come from the fuse. This component serves to disconnect and connect the current. If there is a short circuit, the fuse will blow first.

Well, a broken fuse can't turn on the radiator fan completely. So you should check whether the source of the damage is in the fuse. If so, replace the fuse with a new one.

Physical Repair of Motor and Radiator Fan

The damage that is quite visible is on the physical side. Especially for the radiator fan, there are two things that must be checked, namely the engine or the radiator fan. Due to the heat that can not be lowered then this fan can quickly melt.

Especially if you are using a radiator fan not from an authorized spare part. When any part of this fan melts, breaks or cracks it will create a sound from the hood.

So if you hear this sound, it never hurts to check the condition of the radiator fan. Make sure after being replaced with a new one, the fan rotation does not feel heavy and looks normal.

The way to auto repair this radiator fan is mostly to replace damaged components. Because in this system the material used is prone to damage, so you have to replace it regularly.

Replacing the Radiator Fan Carbon Brush

The next improvement is to first check the carbon brush on the radiator fan. This carbon brush is located in the fan engine whose function is important to transmit electric current from the stationary motor to the moving motor.

The replacement can be done yourself at home as long as you are experienced. The way to check if this carbon brush is damaged is when the extra fan is still on but the radiator fan is off.

The trick is to remove the fan from the motor and then when the carbon brush is up, you can replace it immediately. Solder all the fibers to the plus and minus wires and don't turn them upside down.

Another characteristic when the carbon brush is used up is usually the fan often spins or not. So you can check it first.

Causes Radiator Fan Easily Turns Off

How to automatically repair a radiator fan is not too difficult because you can replace the damaged components directly. This also makes it easier for you to detect which components should be checked first.

In order not to be wrong in repairing, here are some causes of damage to the radiator fan that you need to watch out for.

1. There is a Broken Component

Replacement or connection needs to be done when a radiator fan component breaks. This happens very often considering the fan will always run when you drive.

The more often you drive a car, especially on bad roads, it's easy for components to break. There are three kinds of components that can break. First is the drive belt radiator.

This drive belt should be dry and will work turning the fan. However, oil is often splashed into this section so that the damage occurs slowly. In addition to oil, the heat from the belt can make it brittle and eventually break.

The second is the radiator fan cable which can be caused by mice gnawing at the cable and must be connected immediately. The third is a blown radiator fan fuse. This fuse is usually blown due to an unstable electric current.

2. Radiator Fan Motor That Is Not Working

The next cause is because the radiator fan motor is damaged so it can't work again. A faulty radiator fan motor is usually beyond repair and must be replaced with a new one.

The price of the radiator fan motor itself varies greatly depending on the quality, but it is recommended to use the original radiator fan motor from the car manufacturer.

3. Untight Socket Installation

The last is because the fan socket is broken or not tight enough so you have to fix it. The age of the socket that is too old can also be the cause so you have to replace it.

There is no need to delay repairing the radiator fan if you already know that the fan is off. Instead of repairing it yourself, you should take it to the nearest authorized auto repair shop so that it can be directly handled by a reliable technician.