84 turbo fan not working.

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bdub_mkg

Member

Jan 29, 2026

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3

13

Michigan

Jan 29, 2026

#1

• Jan 29, 2026

• #1

Howdy everyone. This summer i picked up an 84 turbo 2.3 all original other than a bad paint touch up on the hood.
This summer we did a cruise in and the car started getting hot. Too hot for my comfort. Diagnosed it to two potential problems, the sending unit and the relay box under the dash. The plastic clip was melted so that was replaced but still not kicking on.

Is the relay box a generic one that I can get off ebay or do I have to find one with the same code thats on mine now.

Ive only needed the fan to work once since ive had it, and that was during this cruise while I was in traffic. That said, is it worth it to get the new relay box or just bypass it with a standalone relay kit that would come on around 180 or so?

 

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AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Founding Member

Oct 28, 2001

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Jan 30, 2026

#2

• Jan 30, 2026

• #2

Have you verified the wiring is good? So you are getting 12V+ to the relay and that the wire going to the fan is good? Have you verified that the fan itself is good? The connector got hot for some reason.

 

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bdub_mkg

Member

Jan 29, 2026

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13

Michigan

Jan 30, 2026

#3

• Jan 30, 2026

• #3

AeroCoupe said:

Have you verified the wiring is good? So you are getting 12V+ to the relay and that the wire going to the fan is good? Have you verified that the fan itself is good? The connector got hot for some reason.

Click to expand...

Yup. ran power directly to the fan and it kicks on. Wiring looks good, no frays or exposed wires. 12v going to the relay. My thinking is the fan is getting old and causing a spike in resistance when starting up which may have caused the issue.

I have two thoughts with fixing this: 1, replace with a standalone unit. 2: replace the fan, get a new control relay and see how it goes. that said, I'm not a fan of how hot it gets before the fan kicks on. from what I've found, it kicks on in the 190's, right before it overheats. I'm wondering if i can replace the factory temp sending unit with one that kicks on a little lower to keep me covered a little better. Seeing that it's a ground activated switch, i can't find a reason why it wouldn't work.

 

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Founding Member

Oct 28, 2001

5,862

3,992

183

Claremore, OK

Jan 30, 2026

#4

• Jan 30, 2026

• #4

If it was me I would punt the stock fan and just use a Contour or Focus fan setup with a stand alone controller like a DCC but that is just me.

Multispeed Controllers and Accessories

There are other controllers out there and I have tried a couple but both my cars run Mark VIII fans with DCC's.

 

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bdub_mkg

Member

Jan 29, 2026

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13

Michigan

Jan 30, 2026

#5

• Jan 30, 2026

• #5

I ran the contour fans and the dakota digital controller in my 69. Worked great but want to keep this as original as possible. 95% of the time the temp never climbs enough to even need to kick on the fans as the motor runs pretty cool. But then there's that other 5 that I need to get it figured out

 

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Founding Member

Oct 28, 2001

5,862

3,992

183

Claremore, OK

Jan 30, 2026

#6

• Jan 30, 2026

• #6

Then replace the fan motor on the original fan and get a known good OEM relay box.

 

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bdub_mkg

Member

Jan 29, 2026

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13

Michigan

Feb 1, 2026

#7

• Feb 1, 2026

• #7

My original question was in those relay boxes. There are original ones on ebay but the SN are not the same as what I pictured. So do they have to be the same or no?

 

G

GOvert

15 Year Member

Jan 27, 2007

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north central Tennessee Valley

Feb 2, 2026

#8

• Feb 2, 2026

• #8

@AeroCoupe Is this the type of Contour fan that you were speaking of?
Contour fan

 

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Founding Member

Oct 28, 2001

5,862

3,992

183

Claremore, OK

Feb 2, 2026

#9

• Feb 2, 2026

• #9

Thread 'Contour Fans - What you need to know'

Apr 3, 2022

I am starting this thread as a compilation of bits of information I have shared in a number of different threads with the hope that compiling it will help answer most questions new members ask. Hopefully it is worth of the How-to Index. Please wait a day or so before replying as I will need multiple posts to get all pics I feel are relevant added. I will edit this opening statement when done.

What to get

I will start with what pieces can be had at the wrecker or pic-a-part. These can be found on 96-2000 Contours and Mystiques and 99-01 Cougars. Some of the later cars have a...

• KRUISR
• Replies: 34
• Forum: 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-