Troubleshooting your car’s radiator fan
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Your car’s radiator fan is a key component of the cooling system, helping to regulate engine temperature by drawing air through the radiator. When it’s not working properly, your engine can overheat, leading to potential damage and costly repairs. Troubleshooting a faulty radiator fan can help you identify common issues early, whether it’s a problem with the motor, a blown fuse, or a failing sensor. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the basics of diagnosing radiator fan problems and what to do to keep your car running cool and efficiently.
If your car is overheating, don’t lose your cool—nip into Natrad. We’re experts on the cooling systems of all modern cars, trucks, 4WDs, performance vehicles, and heavy machinery. We operate Australia’s largest network of workshops specialising in cooling system repairs and supply a huge range of radiator fans, radiators, and other cooling fan parts.
Why is my car’s AC radiator fan not working?
Electric radiator fans are essential for maintaining proper engine temperature, but when they fail, your vehicle’s cooling system can suffer. Here are the most common issues and their potential causes:
Faulty fan motor
The motor is the heart of the radiator fan. Over time, wear and tear can cause it to fail, leading to the fan not spinning or running inefficiently. Cooling fan not working? Here’s how to check:
- Symptoms: The fan doesn’t activate, or it operates intermittently.
- Causes: Motor burnout due to prolonged use, debris blocking the blades, or poor electrical connections.
Blown fuse
A blown fuse is a common reason for electric radiator fan failure, as it disrupts the electrical circuit powering the fan.
- Symptoms: The fan won’t turn on at all.
- Causes: Electrical surges, short circuits, or an overworked system.
Faulty relay or wiring issues
The fan relay is responsible for sending power from the battery to the fan motor. If it fails, the fan won’t function properly.
- Symptoms: The fan doesn’t engage when the engine reaches operating temperature.
- Causes: A damaged relay, corroded wiring, or loose connections.
Sensor failure
The car radiator fan relies on temperature sensors to activate at the right time. If a sensor fails, it can prevent the fan from turning on or cause it to run continuously.
- Symptoms: The fan doesn’t activate, or it stays on even when the engine is cool.
- Causes: Malfunctioning engine temperature or coolant sensors.
Addressing these issues promptly is crucial to avoid overheating and engine damage. If you’re experiencing any of these problems, visit your nearest Natrad store. Our expert technicians can help you check your radiator, diagnose issues and help you find what you need to keep your car running cool and efficiently.
How to repair your radiator fan motor: troubleshooting an electric radiator fan
Warning: Electric radiator fans may come on unexpectedly even if your car’s engine is not running, so keep your hands and tools away from the fan blades at all times.
1. Fan check
As a first step, ensure that the fan is definitely the cause of your overheating problem. Open your car’s bonnet, start the engine, set the air conditioner to its highest setting, and allow the car to idle until the engine reaches operating temperature. (Keep an eye on the temperature gauge to ensure your overheating engine doesn’t get dangerously hot.)
If the fan does come on, then the fault lies in some other part of your engine cooling system. Check your coolant level (once the engine has cooled), and if that seems correct, the problem could be a faulty radiator, thermostat or water pump. Bring your vehicle into your nearest Natrad workshop and let one of our qualified technicians take a look for you.
2. Fuse check
If you have established that your electric radiator fan isn’t working, checking the fuse is a good place to start troubleshooting. Use your owner’s manual or repair manual to establish where your car’s fuses are and which one controls the cooling system.
If the fuse is blown, replacing it should fix the problem. If it blows again after being replaced, this suggests a problem with the radiator fan motor.
3. Fan wiring and power supply
Check your fan’s wiring and power supply to see if the fuse is OK. There should be two wires providing positive and negative feedback to the fan. Unplug the lead from the fan and check the terminal and lead for signs of damage, corrosion, or bad connections.
Using a voltmeter, ensure there is a DC current present. If no power is supplied to the fan even when the engine is at operating temperature, then the problem may lie with your fan relay or temperature sensor.
If there is voltage being supplied to the fan but it’s not turning, this suggests your fan is faulty and needs to be replaced. If you don’t have a voltmeter, you can confirm this by running DC power directly to the fan.
4. Buying a new radiator fan
If you need a new electric radiator fan or any other parts for your car’s cooling system, make Natrad your first port of call. We carry a massive range of cooling system parts, from electric fans to radiators and water pumps, thermostats, tanks, and related parts such as belts, hoses, and fittings.
We supply industry-leading fan brands, including Spal, Maradyne, and Davies Craig. Our range includes electric fans for radiators and condensers, oil and transmission coolers, evaporators, heaters, intercoolers, and ventilation blowers.
If you intend to replace your car’s radiator fan yourself, ensure that the replacement part has the right CFM rating for your vehicle. Speak to a Natrad technician, as we have all the parts you’ll need for the most popular passenger vehicles and for aftermarket, upgraded and high-performance models, with fans of up to 3100 CFM.
5. Custom cooling systems for modified cars
We also supply custom cooling systems for street cars, classic cars, race vehicles and motorbikes.
If you can’t find the cooling system parts with the performance and dimensions you’re looking for, we can order custom radiators, oil coolers, charge air coolers, and other parts on your behalf. Speak to us to learn more.
Natrad provides professional radiator fan replacements
If you don’t have the time or equipment to fix your overheating car yourself, bring it to Natrad. We’ll not only check how your radiator fan works but also examine your entire cooling system for you.
Our workshops have the latest diagnostic equipment, and our fully trained technicians have an average of 10 years of industry service.
We’ll identify any issues, determine which parts may need servicing, replacing or repairing, and then discuss this with you before commencing work.
Natrad is Australia’s only national network of radiator replacement and repair specialists that can provide a true, manufacturer-supported 3-year nationwide warranty on selected parts. Contact us today.
