I just ran my ground to the battery ground and the positive to a switch in the car and then back to the positive battery for power. Fan on/off with the switch. Very easy.
at the very least, even if only operated by an on/off switch, i would use a relay. no need to have all that juice going all over the car. and if you get a short or chafed wire, you will be smokin in a different way than when listening to the radio.
simple spdt relay makes life easy. also a must for using a thermostatic switch. to do it right, i would tap into the a/c circuit so that the fan comes on with the a/c. just me. good luck, Ryan
I run mine through a thermostatic switch I bought at autozone. It has a sensor that mounts in the radiator. I use the sensor to ground a relay that is wired directly to the battery. Very simple, and the fan runs after the engine shuts off to cool the radiator. I have a spal fan so it only runs about 20 seconds after I turn my car off. I know this doesnt cool the engine, but at least it has cooler water running through it when it starts back up.
Mike, sorry man, i wasnt trying to bash. i have done the same thing on an old italian car i have that uses a neg trigger (we are talking major grounding going on). you are right, it does work.
but since Ryan is having problems with his and asking, i like the relay idea. Cam man hit it on the head. very easy to do. and if the wire going through the firewall ever gets nicked, no biggie.
No worries man. The relay is safer but my way works to. I love mine at the track. I can leave it on for 20-30 min. in between rounds and the motor is as cool as ever.
I wouldnt pay that much for one. I got mine out of a dump truck at a junk yard for 15 bucks. Its a 16 inch. Look around your home town in the junk yards...most newer cars have them and brackets can easily be made. Or just spend the money...after all its your money.
But they are way overpriced...find a taurus or something like that. You might get lucky and find one for cheap like did.
Whether or not you need a relay really depends on the fan that you are goign to be using. My friend has used little nissan sentra fans that draw minimal power, needless to say that he doesnt use a relay. If your going with a mark viii fan, you better get yourself a relay, and a big one at that
HISSIN...what relay would u recommned for a taurus fan, and how much do they run?... now where on mikes circuit would u pop in a relay if he wanted one? between the switch and battery right? cause i dont see where alot of power is running...i guess once the fan goes on it pulls amperage? thanks
and if anyone knows...i know that teh taurus fan is 2 speeds..and has like 4-5 wires coming out of it..does that mean there are 2 power wires? one high and one low? thanks for any help
For a taurus fan, you could probably use something in the 35ish range. Thats just a guess though. If he was going to use a relay, it would basically become his power source. . Youd have a constant 12 volt supply, like from the battery on one of the larger posts. On the other one, youd run the power wire to your fan. Then on the two smaller posts, youd run a switched 12v source and the other would be grounded. Its really simple to do and once you actually have it in your hands and begin the install, you'll pretty much know what goes where. Thats assuming you have some idea of what you're doing
Go to the auto parts house and get a relay. Follow the instructions. Make sure you get your power for the switch from a source thats only hot with the key on, that way you cant forget the fan and drain your battery. I did mine wrong, but I havent forgotten it yet. It really makes me watch the temp gauge too! I put the switch right in front of the ignition on the dash. I flip the switch when I take the key out. It became a habit quickly.
dunno, i got my fan from sumit.direct factory replacement for the 5.0L comes with wires and temp probe goes on anywhere from 180 to 290(you controle that) and you basicly hook it up and 4 get about it. you also can put a switch on it as well that can be used as an always on. it also taps into the a/c so when you turn on the a/c the fan goes on. Basicly takes care of all of your needs, street use and track use. best fan i've ever seen/had