Cooling Fan on '91 Festiva L has never worked?

[bobstad]

I've had my '91 Festiva L five speed, no A/C since '99 and it was a couple of years before I figured out the cooling fan was never running.(I'd wondered why since it was an electric fan it was never on after I'd shut off the motor like some cars is what got me curious though I now understand it is not supposed to run with the key off)

I've taken the fan out and tried it on the battery and it works fine.

I have both the Haynes manual and the larger Ford Factory manual and am well able to trout through their instructions to try to figure out what the problem is, but I'm wondering/hoping/praying, etc. that someone will know if there are some typical places to begin that might shorten the process?

Is there something especially problematic in the thermostatic switch, relay or wiring that I might want to check first, etc?

I appreciate that the Festivas run pretty cool, but a recent trip to Yakima, Bellingham and Portland from Eureka in over a hundred temperatures had the needle on the gauge pretty high and I know that heat is supposed to be one of the great enemies of longevity in any motor so I'd really like to fix this and not by running a switch and wire from the battery as has been suggested by well meaning friends, etc.(though which is a definite option and if reasonable is there any "best" way of doing that?)

BTW I did a search to see if I could find anyone else with this problem and was surprised I didn't come up with anything. "<cooling AND fan>"(could my search of been more imaginative?)

[oxbrain]

I had the same problem. The fan is controled by a switch that runs in next to the thermostat housing, you can trace the wire from the fan to the switch. To test it, pull the wire off the sensor, the fan should come on so watch your hands. If the fan comes on, then you need a new sensor, if not then you need a new fan.

The sensor failing must be rather common because I had to pull several from junkyard cars before I found one that worked.

[kabbage]

I had same problem, and didn't like it. So i just hardwired the fan to a switch I mounted in those nice empty fog light boxes on the dashboard, so I can manually control it. I like it.

[Cancer]

Just wire it to the ignition so it stays on all the time for maximum coolage 8)

[mechanicaldj]

Just wire it to the ignition so it stays on all the time for maximum coolage 8)

and minimum fan life :shock:

[kabbage]

Just wire it to the ignition so it stays on all the time for maximum coolage 8)

And less horsepower.

[miami man]

in the 80s i had a sunbird that overheated and warped the head. after the mechanic put a rebuilt head on it he took some wire and grounded out the sensor so the fan will run when the key is on. he told me to keep spare fan relays and a spare fan motor because they will eventually burn out but he pointed out that it is cheaper to replace them instead of the head or motor.

[bobstad]

I appreciate the advice

Thanks for all the good ideas. The fan is sitting on the floor behind the driver's seat where its been for a couple of years, but this has given me the needed encouragement to begin to attack the problem.

Having a manual switch to control the fan with seems a feasible idea as I keep an eye on the gauges, but wiring and electronics are my weakest suit. All I can think of is putting a wire off of the battery and making sure there is a fuse in the circuit as appropriately placed as I can think of, which seems logically to be as close to the hot side of the battery as possible.(positive?) I should probabley try to get more knowledgeable about electronics.*

I figure running nothing but Mobile One has probabley helped save me some problems so far, or at least has kept the motor much less fatigued in the long run.

In all but very hot weather or grid-lock the temp gauge is rarely above the middle of its range and I just put in a new radiator that is all metal and with a quart greater capacity.(CSF brand from RadiatorBarnDOTcom for $114) The old one had a leak along the seam on the bottom between the plastic tank and the metal core that I'd fixed with Alumaseal. I'd just felt I could not trust the old radiator but once I got it out maybe all I needed to do was beat around the crimp around the plastic bottom gentley with an appropriate tool on the aluminum to make the seal there less compromised. Though I wonder if running feasibley a little too hot at times had caused the leak in the first place?**

I also have an aluminum STILKO toilet paper oil filter that is supposed to help disipate heat, and I've seriously considered using the automatic transmission cooler portion of my new radiator as an auxilliary oil cooler(my car is a five-speed) and started a discussion about that here at fordfestivaDOTcom in the custom engine forum area.(by installing a donut type adapter such as sold by PERMACOOL that is between the oil filter and the engine block that routes the oil in an external circuit, etc.)

*Sparks terrify me, from working at Boeings with lots of static electricity we had to discharge by grounding huge aluminum contours for laying up fiberglass for 747 interiors using the backs of our fingernails and slapping the edge of the tool-I've seen foot long sparks and greater.(also MEK in liberal doses daily without skin or breath protection either, and a union rep named "Frank Koch" etc.)

**The IDLE SPEED CONTROL-BYPASS AIR sensor has tested faulty and I've been told this can be because they get clogged in the coolant passage but I haven't tried to remove it and clean it out yet as the car seems to run pretty good as is. Now with my new radiator I'm less worried some of the old Alumaseal might affect the device if I clean it out since I had the coolant system chemically and mechanically flushed just before putting in the new radiator-so I might see if I can get the IDLE SPEED CONTROL-BY PASS AIR senor working. I checked with Ford and a new one if they can even find it costs around $400.(ouch!)

[kabbage]

Don't wire it to your battery, that's asking for trouble. I overrode the fan relay with a jumper or something- I can't remember I have to pop the hood to remember. If your interested I can write you a short write up- the website might like it for their article section as well, if theres interest.

[Cancer]

Just wire it to the ignition so it stays on all the time for maximum coolage 8)

And less horsepower.

my teg still ran 14's lol, but i know whatcha mean

[bobstad]

kabbage

quote:
-If your interested I can write you a short write up- the website might like it for their article section as well, if theres interest.
unquote:

kabbage; if you'd like to do that I'd be thrilled and probabley get on the project once I knew what I was doing.

I also have an aftermarket J. C. Whitney "Tarzzan Yell-Horn" and a fog lamp I'd like to hook up.(on the back bumper to discourage tailgaters and people with high beams they leave on constantly, etc.)

I used to be really clever with accessorys on a '66 VW squareback I sort of lived out of for a dozen years, but everything in the Festiva electronically seems like from another planet by comparison. I know theoretically electronics are like hydraulic flow sort of, but thats about the level of my sophistication.

And is there anyway I can disconnect the damned buzzer for the seat belts and damned near everything else.(as long as you're up for such requests...though if I get my fan reliable that is kindly assistance enough)