Engine fan won't go off

[diver]

Once again I'm looking for a bit of help.

Drove home this evening, parked in the garage, got out of the car and the engine fan was still running, but only the one on the drivers side.

Thought that it might just be one of those electrical abberations we sometimes get so took it for another spin but the problem was still there when I got back.

I've done a temporary fix by removing the 30 Amp fuse, (managed to drop it and lose it in the hole for the accelerator too), but obviously this isn't an ideal solution.

Forgot to mention that it's been bone dry here and I haven't washed it for nearly 4 weeks (sorry, but in my defense I've been busy getting married) so there's no chance of it being water related.

Has anybody had this or got any ideas how to cure it, I'd like to try and sort it myself as the nearest dealer is 1,500 miles from where I am in southern Spain!

Thanks in advance.

>>> Edited by diver on Thursday 11th November 19:04

[andyvdg]

Could be the ECU temperature sensor failing (a dealer laptop would verify, but I believe the part is only £10).

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=116656&f=5&h=0&hw=temperature+sensor

Or there is a three way switch that can fail (connected to the air con). Does the problem go away if you turn the aircon off ?

Cheers,

Andy.

[diver]

Thanks for the suggestions, but I don't think that it's one of those two things:

The air-con is off all the time. I don't bother using it as it has absolutely no cooling effect what so ever, I asked the dealer who sold it to me to check it and re-gas it if necessary before I collected it, but now I'm beginning to wonder if it's actually fitted with air-con, is there any easy way of checking?

I'm guesing that it's not a sensor problem either because it's only one of the two fans that's staying on?

>> Edited by diver on Thursday 11th November 19:34

[apache]

If you have a seperate relay for each fan you'll probably find it's welded shut.

[mongoose]

diver said:

The air-con is off all the time. I don't bother using it as it has absolutely no cooling effect what so ever, I asked the dealer who sold it to me to check it and re-gas it if necessary before I collected it, but now I'm beginning to wonder if it's actually fitted with air-con, is there any easy way of checking? >> Edited by diver on Thursday 11th November 19:34

other than removing the bonnet and checking that you have a compressor fitted(belt driven and located at front of engine on same side as airbox and at similar height in front of it, and has two coolant gas pipes coming from it)the easy way to check if its working is to listen for the clunk of the compressor cutting in when you first switch it on.you may well have air-con fitted which does not work due to the gas having escaped,then the compressor will not cut in.its worth mentioning that many,if not all cars have the little blue air-con indicator light fitted which iluminates when the switch is pressed,even when no air-con is actually fitted to the car!!

[diver]

Thanks.

Apache - I do have two relays, I'll have a look at them in the morning when it's light. If I need to replace one are they TVR specific or can you get them anywhere?

Mongoose - I've never heard a clunk when I switch the air-con on, but I've usually be going quite fast when I've tried it. I'll try it at a standstill and failing that I'll whip the bonnet off and look for the mechanical bits.

Cheers.

[apache]

diver said:

Apache - I do have two relays, I'll have a look at them in the morning when it's light. If I need to replace one are they TVR specific or can you get them anywhere? swop the connections over to the fans to confirm it, and any autospare shop will sell em Cheers.

[diver]

Maybe I can another relay when I'm at the car accesory shop getting another 30 Amp fuse.

[MacTusc]

I had moisture get into the sensor during dry weather and 'between' car washes but it resulted in both fans lock on.... so that would help eliminate this as a cause

[andyvdg]

I had water in the temp sensor. Result was that the drivers side fan was on all the time......