Radiator fans not turning on!?

[Disruptz]

Chur, Iv'e finally got my car back up in running with a new radiator...that's all good.

But, my radiator fans arn't tuning on?, I let the car run for 5 mins and it got up to temp, but the fans never turned on... So I shut the car off before it overheated... I checked the fuses in the engine bay and they seem fine, Doesn't look like any damage or blown fuse there.

Turning the A/C on cold or hot full, 1,2,3,4 doesn't signal the fans to turn on either like it should... How ever If I plug in the diagnostic cable (the two green ones on the drivers side) the fans will cycle on.

Please help, needa get to work on monday lol.

[Guest boostin]

Well as long as you keep moving (20kph+) you don't need fans.

Are you sure they were working before you had the radiator out??

Was the temp gauge above halfway when you shut it off? It may just be the low speed fan circuit not working. That's what the A/C circuit uses.

[Disruptz]

Yeah the fans were working before the new radiator and they still spin if the diag cables are connected up, but when I dosconnect the diag cables they won't spin on there own.

Yes it was sittin on half way, I left from the garage and they couldn't figure it out either, so I drove him, was only 1km down the road. The temp was sitting on halfway and the radiator was very hot.. The fans had never turned on. even after letting the car idle for 5 mins, still nothing.

#My AC condensor was damaged during the crash aswell, & I don't think there is gas in it. but that shouldn't effect the rad fans will it?

[Guest boostin]

I reckon you're not letting it run long enough. With the bonnet open a lot of heat is lost and the fans take much longer to come on.

[Disruptz]

mmm, But I drove back on friday afternoon, pretty darn hot.. n traffic wasn't moving much... Guess I can take it for a light drive?, chuck it in diag mode if the temps start rising a bit much n the fans arn't still on?...... or just don't go there?

But shouldn't the A/C fan turn on regardless?

[Guest boostin]

Nah I would just leave it idling, but keep a close eye on the temp gauge. If it starts to rise past halfway then shut it off.

[Disruptz]

Been idiling for the past 20 mins and it's just sitting at normal operating temp... no change,

[Guest boostin]

Yeah they take ages.

Unless it damaged the fan wiring, I can't see why they wouldn't work. But then it works in check mode....

[Disruptz]

Yeah, coz if in diag mode the fans will both cycle on & off....Iv'e shut the car off now, seemed a bit ridiculously long for the fans to come on, especially sitting at idle.

[Guest boostin]

They take ages, believe me. I been working on these things for years. There's just so much surface area to lose heat from. Try leaving the bonnet closed. You'll feel the heat flow out under the car when the fans switch on.

[Disruptz]

Shouldn't they turn on when you push the A/C button tho?, ...

[Guest boostin]

Only if your A/C is working.

[Disruptz]

...mm, been searching another suby forum and a guy said after installing a dual core radiator the fans didn't turn on untill after a 3 mile trip...

Is it possible the t-stat isn;t working?

[Guest boostin]

I can't see what that has to do with it. The ECU switches the fans on at ~96^oC and then off at ~91^oC. If you're doing over 20kph they won't turn on, unless you're doing more than 20kph and it hits 100^oC and then they will.

[DRFVDR]

it makes me laugh really

Boostin who works for a subaru dealership and has done for years says how it should be but still people either dont believe him or go searching other places for the answer they want not the answer they get given by him ....

If he says a blue subaru is a red subaru then it is red

[Guest boostin]

Even if the thermostat was faulty, the fans will still come on.

[Disruptz]

Well I went for a drive around town to get thigs heated up.. I let the car sit there for 30 mins just idiling while I listended to music and the fans still didn't turn on lol, so I drove around town and after a while of sitting in traffic they finally turned on.. But after pulling over to check it out, it was pretty darn hot under there... My new radiator does almost look like it is twice the size of factory unit, So I guess it takes alot more then.

[Ryan]

Yep takes freakin ages, mine never goes when just idling unless I've given it a thrashing before hand.

[nztintin]

ok so to save making another topic

how are the fans controlled? is one a\c and the other for the radiator? i've found wiring diagrams but they just confuse me because it's all run via the ecu and both fans are interlinked at some point. I'm just wanting to make both fans run for cooling as i no have no a\c ($800 to fix a\c that i only used occasionally vs rice weight saving)

[Guest boostin]

Both switched by ecu.

[nztintin]

so with no ac control both will still run when cars hot?

[Guest boostin]

Yes.