2.3L Electric fan not turning on!!

GT5.0L · Jan 8, 2004

87 2.3L Electric fan not turning on!!

I noticed my fan is not turning on, and it`s killing my water pump.
I`m not to sure what to check or what I should replace, so I thought I would ask here. This is my first 2.3L so I`m not to sure if I should replace the hole electric fan or is there a thermast? maybe the valve is stuck open?? maybe replace the temp sender?? and is there a temp sencer on these engine`s??

Thank`s.
Mike.

140cilx · Jan 8, 2004

Under your lower intake on the '87 model is a (I believe) yellow wire that plugs into a threaded collection. This is a ground wire, when it grounds the fan kicks on. This is a water temp sending unit connection. The wire connector cover is red, easy to spot. I'd take it off and ground it to something. If the fan immediately spins, everything is working properly except the tempature sending unit and you'll need to replace it. OR, you can run a switch up under your interior and manually turn the fan on/off when you want it to run. The fan hardly ever turns on on its own. Engine has to be really hot. I think on my LX it's only kicked on of it's own accord about twice in it's 16 year life. I use a switch now on both cars.

mr_woodster · Jan 8, 2004

GT5.0L · Jan 8, 2004

140cilx said:
Under your lower intake on the '87 model is a (I believe) yellow wire that plugs into a threaded collection. This is a ground wire, when it grounds the fan kicks on. This is a water temp sending unit connection. The wire connector cover is red, easy to spot. I'd take it off and ground it to something. If the fan immediately spins, everything is working properly except the tempature sending unit and you'll need to replace it. OR, you can run a switch up under your interior and manually turn the fan on/off when you want it to run. The fan hardly ever turns on on its own. Engine has to be really hot. I think on my LX it's only kicked on of it's own accord about twice in it's 16 year life. I use a switch now on both cars.

Thank`s alot I`ll check that out.

GT5.0L · Jan 9, 2004

I changed out the coolant temp sencer, And holy crap that was not
easy to change that stupid little sencer, and I figgered out that it`s the altanater that`s shot not the water pump, it`s sparking and making a lot of noise. And than the coolent hose that goes to the heater core sprung a leak. I`m having a very hard time to fined the 2 hose`s, I got the top hose but I can`t fined the lower hose . Well I`m going to try a cupple place`s to get this lower coolent hose, so I`ll see what happen`s.

351wcoupe · Jan 10, 2004

140cilx said:
Under your lower intake on the '87 model is a (I believe) yellow wire that plugs into a threaded collection. This is a ground wire, when it grounds the fan kicks on. This is a water temp sending unit connection. The wire connector cover is red, easy to spot. I'd take it off and ground it to something. If the fan immediately spins, everything is working properly except the tempature sending unit and you'll need to replace it. OR, you can run a switch up under your interior and manually turn the fan on/off when you want it to run. The fan hardly ever turns on on its own. Engine has to be really hot. I think on my LX it's only kicked on of it's own accord about twice in it's 16 year life. I use a switch now on both cars.

Did you use teflon tape when you put the temp switch in? Cause that might effect it?
I posted once before that I didn't think those fans worked from the factory. Until I had the SVO idling here for a while and it turned on for the first time in 2.5 years.
When I grounded the temp wire her fan still wouldn't come on and the components worked.
I ended up using an aftermarket temp probe that was wired through its own adjustable T-stat. $20 and it works great.

GT5.0L · Jan 10, 2004

351wcoupe said:
Did you use teflon tape when you put the temp switch in? Cause that might effect it?

Nope, And it does not leak. The car run`s like a dream now after
all the work I did. And the temp gauge work`s now too If you ever change the altanater, but in a 75amp it make`s a BIG diffrence. I`v done mostly everything now to make the car run good, now just need to put in a cap and roter and some more coolent hose`s, and it will be good to go, and I hope it does`nt leave me on the side of the road agian.

MSM0075 · Jan 11, 2004

ah! 2.3 fans. dont get me started with heating/cooling.

My '88's radiator has a hole in it, and when it gets up to temp.. were talking 3/4's of the way, the fan will start going crazy, i'll hear all this clicking under my dash. Other than that, my fan dosn't really come on either...

With my '93 The fan and cooling system would work properlly, but I would get NOOO heat out of the vents. I got so fed up I flushed the radiator (not the complete system), Replaced the t-stat and STILL had the same problems. Also when I flushed the rad, the coolant was clean as a gallon off the shelf at pepboys.

GT5.0L · Jan 16, 2004

MSM0075 said:
ah! 2.3 fans. dont get me started with heating/cooling.

My '88's radiator has a hole in it, and when it gets up to temp.. were talking 3/4's of the way, the fan will start going crazy, i'll hear all this clicking under my dash. Other than that, my fan dosn't really come on either...

With my '93 The fan and cooling system would work properlly, but I would get NOOO heat out of the vents. I got so fed up I flushed the radiator (not the complete system), Replaced the t-stat and STILL had the same problems. Also when I flushed the rad, the coolant was clean as a gallon off the shelf at pepboys.

O really, wow. I`m still having problem`s with my fan too
I changed out the fan sender switch and I still does`nt work. The engine
got really hot the other day,and it was above the N close to the red line. I still think the fan moter is toast, well it`s 17 years old so I would`nt be surprised. Do you know what else I could check???

GT5.0L · Jan 16, 2004

OK so, I grounded that sender switch wire and the fan turned on right away,
I was a little surprised that it work`s. So I can`t figger out why it won`t
turn on when when it should, I got the temp up to 240* almost to the red line
and the fan still did`nt come on what`s up with that?? It should come on at least around the N or O! And I`v changed all the sencer`s. Any idea`s??

GT5.0L · Jan 16, 2004

Does the sencer fan switch have a temp rating??? I wonder if I can get a more senceative sencer, because I want the fan to turn on at 190* that`s when it should turn on.

140cilx · Jan 16, 2004

maybe the replacement you purchased is bad, maybe there's ton's of corrossion around it and it's not getting good flow through the waterjacket, dunno. Did I mention a manual switch? That works awesome.

sorry about your luck.

GT5.0L · Jan 16, 2004

140cilx said:
maybe the replacement you purchased is bad, maybe there's ton's of corrossion around it and it's not getting good flow through the waterjacket, dunno. Did I mention a manual switch? That works awesome.

sorry about your luck.

Yup that`s what I thought too, so I returned that one and got another one
And I`m hoping this one will work witch I`m sure it will. If not then I will go the manual switch route. And also I`m tolled that the sencer will ground at 210*to 215*

kiddiccarus · Jan 16, 2004

For those of you that use the Manual Switch on the fan. At what point do you turn it on? do you personally monitor his from temp, duration of driving, or something else.

I am thinking of doing this myself and was wondering on the best way to regulate it because I dont want to wait for it to become too hot personally.

andrw · Jan 17, 2004

my fan kicks on at about the half way point. which, unless im parked, i never reach.

andyedmondson · Jan 18, 2004

Over heating

Overheating prolly caused the hole in the heater hose .... be carefull with fan not comming on it can toast a heater core real fast PITA to replace. I checked my fan by grounding the connecter to the block the fan came on but turned very slow.... fan went bad ( pully too many amps) burnt up the relay under the dash went to the J/Y most there were burnt also so just be carefull

rmkk · Jan 30, 2004

When I rebuilt my 2.3, the hole for the temp sensor in the intake was full of rust and gook. Since the fan works when you ground it, I would venture and say the hole is clogged not letting water get to the sensor.

2.3L Electric fan not turning on!!

GT5.0L

New Member

140cilx

mr_woodster

Active Member

GT5.0L

New Member

GT5.0L

New Member

351wcoupe

New Member

GT5.0L

New Member

MSM0075

Member

GT5.0L

New Member

GT5.0L

New Member

GT5.0L

New Member

140cilx

GT5.0L

New Member

kiddiccarus

The first widely accepted Tranny

andrw

New Member

andyedmondson

New Member

rmkk

New Member

Similar threads

2.3L Electric fan not turning on!!

New Member

Active Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

The first widely accepted Tranny

New Member

New Member

New Member

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency