SuperWade2 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 I've never seen my electric fan actually turn on (I don't know that it doesn't come on, but I've just never seen it spin, even when the engine was warmed up, but I could have just missed it), so while I had my airbox and junk out to fix my Vacuum lines, was wanted to take a look. There is one Connector with Red/Black Wire, similar connector with Yellow/Tan and then there is what appears to have been spliced an inline fuse (wrapped in electrical tape there in the middle). The Red/Black wire connector was connected before I took the pic. Which one should be connected, and what's the other pair for? Is the inline fuse OEM, or something one of the goofy previous owners might have wired up? Any ideas? Thanks SW2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 i believe on earlier models it only runs with A/C but i could be wrong. you could start by swapping the relay with something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 i believe on earlier models it only runs with A/C but i could be wrong. you could start by swapping the relay with something else Or I could kick on my AC (which I haven't touched in a LONG time since the coolant was low) and see what happens when it warms up...didn't think about that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Is the coolant sensor in the radiator plugged in? I believe that's what controls the fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 Is the coolant sensor in the radiator plugged in? I believe that's what controls the fan. uhhhh..... i'm guessing no... I don't have a clue where that even might be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Should be a couple inches above the lower radiator hose. I don't see it in the pic. Did you convert to an open system? The 91+ rads don't have that sensor, since the computer controls the fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Should be a couple inches above the lower radiator hose. I don't see it in the pic. Did you convert to an open system? The 91+ rads don't have that sensor, since the computer controls the fan. right you are, it looks like there is a plug in the hole the sensor goes in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 Should be a couple inches above the lower radiator hose. I don't see it in the pic. Did you convert to an open system? The 91+ rads don't have that sensor, since the computer controls the fan. umm...no I don't have an open system (as far as I know)... I still have the overflow tank, I don't have a rad cap, etc... I can't say that my rad wasn't replaced by the previous owner at some point...above the lower rad hose (on the driver side), there isn't any other port or anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 If nobody beats me to it, I'll snap a pic in the morning of what it should look like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 If nobody beats me to it, I'll snap a pic in the morning of what it should look like. So possible that someone replaced the rad with one that it wasn't setup for and so it doesn't have the sensor? So now the question is, how hard would it be to wire a switch so I could turn the fan on/off manually? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 If nobody beats me to it, I'll snap a pic in the morning of what it should look like. So possible that someone replaced the rad with one that it wasn't setup for and so it doesn't have the sensor? So now the question is, how hard would it be to wire a switch so I could turn the fan on/off manually? should be easy. all you will need to do is tap into the wire that latches the fan relay on the drivers fender. send power to that relay, it'll latch and in turn send power to the fan. the factory did most of the work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 I know most people would tell you to do it all correctly and crap with a relay, but I ran a wire straight from the acc spot on the fuse box, to a toggle in the dash, straight to the fan. That way I could turn it on/off, and being in the acc spot, it was fused and couldn't be left on when the key was out of the ignition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Should be a couple inches above the lower radiator hose. I don't see it in the pic. Did you convert to an open system? The 91+ rads don't have that sensor, since the computer controls the fan. umm...no I don't have an open system (as far as I know)... I still have the overflow tank, I don't have a rad cap, etc... I can't say that my rad wasn't replaced by the previous owner at some point...above the lower rad hose (on the driver side), there isn't any other port or anything Wade, if you do NOT have an open system, then you do NOT have an "overflow" tank. If you are referring to the plastic bottle on the passenger side of the firewall, that's not an overflow tank, it's a surge tank and it is under full system pressure. The cap to that tank is your "radiator" cap. The temperature switch that controls the aux fan should be in the driver's side radiator tank, just above the lower radiator hose. The sender has a pigtail that would plug into that connector in your photo. There should also be a standard relay on the driver's side inner fender that's part of the system. Since your radiator doesn't appear to have the sender, the simple solution for you would be to just find a matching connector and wire it to a toggle switch on your dashboard. You don't need to tap power, that's already there. Just run both wires to the switch to open or close the circuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 Wade, if you do NOT have an open system, then you do NOT have an "overflow" tank. If you are referring to the plastic bottle on the passenger side of the firewall, that's not an overflow tank, it's a surge tank and it is under full system pressure. The cap to that tank is your "radiator" cap. The temperature switch that controls the aux fan should be in the driver's side radiator tank, just above the lower radiator hose. The sender has a pigtail that would plug into that connector in your photo. There should also be a standard relay on the driver's side inner fender that's part of the system. Since your radiator doesn't appear to have the sender, the simple solution for you would be to just find a matching connector and wire it to a toggle switch on your dashboard. You don't need to tap power, that's already there. Just run both wires to the switch to open or close the circuit. You are correct Eagle, I was sloppy in my use of the terminology (which happens sometimes after a long day of work and a few beers). I Have the pressure/surge bottle, and NO overflow tank. There is a standard relay as part of that wire loom/system on my drivers side fender at well. And also correct, I have no sender or pigtail on my radiator (there is a circular plastic hole just about above the hose, but it's solid and blocked off 1/4" or whatever in, I stuck my finger in it last night) So it sounds like a quick trip to the parts store to find the right connector and I might finally have a use for one of the "dummy" switches I stuck in my dash to block holes left my the previous owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 So it sounds like a quick trip to the parts store to find the right connector and I might finally have a use for one of the "dummy" switches I stuck in my dash to block holes left my the previous owner. 10-4 One can never have too many toggle switches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 So it sounds like a quick trip to the parts store to find the right connector and I might finally have a use for one of the "dummy" switches I stuck in my dash to block holes left my the previous owner. 10-4 One can never have too many toggle switches. I was just thinking (a rarity for me)... do I really need a connector for that plug? Can I just snip it off and splice the 2 wires from it to the switch... not as "pretty" maybe, but seems like it would be more or less the same result? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakeman17 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 That is what I did. My fan was not wired up at all. Someone cut the wires. So i spliced them together ran through a relay to a switch in the cab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddzz1 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Oizarod is correct. The elec fan will only come on with the AC. My 89 doesnt have AC, so there is no elec fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Oizarod is correct. The elec fan will only come on with the AC. My 89 doesnt have AC, so there is no elec fan While it's true most of them without AC don't have a fan, the fan will come on without the AC. My first two XJs had AC, I hate AC so I never used it, and the fan would run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakeman17 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 My fan comes one when i tell it too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Oizarod is correct. The elec fan will only come on with the AC. My 89 doesnt have AC, so there is no elec fan No, that is not correct. There is also a thermal switch in the driver's side radiator tank that turns on the fan if the temperature gets above a certain level. I don't recall what the magic number is ... I think it's either 225 or 240 degrees. Might be ON at 240 and OFF at 225. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Oizarod is correct. The elec fan will only come on with the AC. My 89 doesnt have AC, so there is no elec fan No, that is not correct. There is also a thermal switch in the driver's side radiator tank that turns on the fan if the temperature gets above a certain level. I don't recall what the magic number is ... I think it's either 225 or 240 degrees. Might be ON at 240 and OFF at 225. that would explain why mine has never run ;) if you remember from WAY back, i did everything i could to get it to run at 210 and then figured out my gauge was reading 50* on the hot side :idea: so my truck was never near 225 or 240 before i wired it up manually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted November 5, 2009 Author Share Posted November 5, 2009 OK, I have a butt load of different switches... a bunch from different XJ/MJ panels and a couple really nice Carling Contura II's (which I'd prefer to use, cause they are nicer and newer)... I don't have a clue how to wire up any of them (or if any will work, although they all fit nicely into the switch blanks in the dash). Some of the Jeep switches have 3 terminals, some with 4 and the Contura's have 5 I think. Obviously I have a + and a - running from the Fan Switch wiring that I snipped the end off of, but beyond that, ???? Any wiring tips? I think this is a diagram of the Contura's I have, even though I don't really get it still... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geonovast Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Most straight up toggle switches will have three terminals. Positive Negative Second ground for a tiny light on the switch for when it's on. Usually the ground for the light is in the middle and the other two don't matter. But... every switch could be different. I ran my fan through a $2 switch I got at Wal Mart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Most "straight up" toggle switches have TWO terminals, and no light. I would use a factory switch, to maintain the stock appearance. Most of them are ON-OFF toggles with a third terminal for the indicator light. It should be easy to play around with the switch on the bench with a battery and a test light to see which terminal does what. One terminal is power in. One terminal is power out to the device. The third terminal is to ground, to complete the circuit for the indicator light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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