The one w 1 wire next to the tstat housing or the one south of the coil w 2 wires? Fan works when ac is on but not when temp gets to 240. Then I turn on the Ac n it cools down a wee bit. I got a new temp gauge(current one no workie) and installed at the tstat housing. Now I can see the temp. Next will be the fuel gauge
The single wire connector by the thermostat neck is the fan switch. It has a green wire with white stripe.
There's a simple test you can do to make sure the wiring is OK. Use a paperclip or something similar to ground that wire to the engine block. The radiator fan should turn on. If the fan comes on with the A/C, and comes on when you ground that wire, then the fan switch is bad.
Also, since you're replacing the switch anyway, you may want to look into Rodney Dickman's 210°F fan switch. It lets the engine get up to proper operating temperature, but doesn't let it "almost overheat" before turning on the fan.
Awesome u guys rock! I will check it out, maybe I can get the stock gauge working again. So the other sensor by the coil has 2 wires, one for the gauge n whats the other one do? If I ground one of those wires the gauge should peg right?
I shorted the green wire and the fan came on so I have a bad temp switch. I grounded the other wires on the the coil side sensor w the ignition on and the gauge didnt move. So I have a bad temp gauge. Ill get a new fan switch and move my new gauge sensor to the coil side temp sensor
Fan works when ac is on but not when temp gets to 240.
quote
Originally posted by shemdogg:
I shorted the green wire and the fan came on so I have a bad temp switch.
How are you determining that the coolant temperature has actually reached 240°? You can't go by the temperature gauge, even one that seems to work properly.
Yeah, I should have mentioned that earlier. It would be a good idea to take temperature readings using something more accurate than the dash gauge. Once you've determined that the radiator fan doesn't come on when the coolant temperature reaches 240°F, using an accurate thermometer, THEN you can definitively say the fan switch is bad.
But you know what? If it were me, I'd get Rodney's fan switch anyway.
[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 05-08-2017).]
ive let it get a bit past 240 on the new gauge then hit the ac, dont wanna blow the head gaskets. Ill get rodneys switch. Theres no thermostat in it right now. Driving on the freeway around 60 the temp barely rises, should the motor be cooling off? Ive seen some threads about water pumps taking a crap. Mine looks original
Those running rodneys fan switch, do you guys get the higher or lower setting one?
I use Rodney's 210° on and 200° off fan switch in any Fiero I drive (along with a Stant SuperStat 45819 195º thermostat). I never liked needing to wait until the coolant reaches the surface temperature of Venus (235°) before the stock switch turns on the rad fan.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 05-09-2017).]
In my experience, the 210°F fan switch and stock 195°F thermostat are a great combination. This lets the engine get up to proper operating temperature, then keeps the coolant within a fairly narrow temperature range. Both of those things are good for your engine. The downside is that in stop-n-go traffic, your radiator fan will cycle on and off more frequently. If your radiator fan is iffy, this might hasten its demise.
As for the water pump, that's really your call. But personally, I'd wait until the new fan switch and thermostat are installed, and see what happens.
[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 05-11-2017).]
In another thread I related my first real test of the 200-210 fan switch, yesterday. Both tubes are slightly crushed. Enough that they have caused heating problems.
With temps nearing 80° yesterday, I sat in stop and go traffic for about a mile and half. It never overheated. I left the ac off so the switch had total control of engine temperatures. I am running a 195° thermostat, too.
As Blacktree suggested, replacing the fan motor would give added protection. I had replaced mine last year due to the old one failing.
