Camelwagon Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 How do you make 2nd fan come on continually? My GL is overheating and I want to make the 2nd fan run all the time also, like the main fan. Can I hook it up to the battery or what? Thanks lots... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 How do you make 2nd fan come on continually? My GL is overheating and I want to make the 2nd fan run all the time also, like the main fan. Can I hook it up to the battery or what? Thanks lots... I hooked mine up to a toggle switch on the dash. If you were inventive, you could probably splice it into a wire that only has power with the ignition on, to make it run whenever the ignition was on, and turn off when you turned it off to avoid accidentally draining the battery. But what I've found, is that if it chronically overheats (and the second fan works properly with the thermostat), that it probably needs a new radiator... Just keeping the fan on isn't going to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camelwagon Posted September 26, 2005 Author Share Posted September 26, 2005 You know, come to think of it, I dont know if the 2nd fan even works at all. So it should come on when? Thanks... i'll have to check that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syonyk Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 You should fix the problem rather than try to bandaid it. My 87 GL has no mechanical fan, and the electric fan has a bad bearing so it absolutely HOWLS when it comes on. I've heard it come on... maybe 5 times in the 6 months I've owned the car. Replace the thermostat first. If that doesn't fix it, replace the radiator. They're cheap. The EA82 is *not* a difficult engine to cool - it doesn't make enough power to have that much heat to get rid of. -=Russ=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1985GLWAGON Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 Hey Camel, my fan's like that too, never works, from other posts I've read I believe the thermo-switch that controls them likes to go out. Mine comes on for a second whenever I turn the key to On but then never comes on again, no matter how hot it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 You know, come to think of it, I dont know if the 2nd fan even works at all. So it should come on when? Thanks... i'll have to check that... I think it should come on when the engine is hot, and the ignition is on. Does anyone remember whether it stays on after you shut the ignition off on subarus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredrogers Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 I do belive the fan turns off when you pull the key. Just a side note; I am having a problem with my fan never turning on, but the +12 side shows power, it is like the ground is not conncected. Dose the thermast controled switch control the ground? -=fred=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebz Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 I do belive the fan turns off when you pull the key. Just a side note; I am having a problem with my fan never turning on, but the +12 side shows power, it is like the ground is not conncected. Dose the thermast controled switch control the ground? -=fred=- IIRC, the thermoswith on the radiator switches the ground to control when the fan turns off and on.. I installed a 2 row radiator and wired the second fan up to a relay so it comes on with the key. That keeps me running right around 190 degrees, or 2-3 degrees below stock specs (this is in TX heat and humidity) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 How do you make 2nd fan come on continually? My GL is overheating and I want to make the 2nd fan run all the time also, like the main fan. Can I hook it up to the battery or what? Thanks lots... the second (thinner) fan is the fan that came on AC equipped cars. it only comes on thewn the AC or Defroster is turned on (stock). I have both my fans wired to a dash switched relay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganM Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 I wired mine up with a relay and switch in the cabin. The relay went out on me and doubled the amount of wires for such a simple circut. Now I just have it wired directly to the battery and switch. Used a 15a switch and its holding up just fine. I carry a spare switch with me just incase. Only time I need the fan is when the car isnt moving. Even then it takes a while for the temp to creep up. Usually only need it when I'm at stop lights or grid lock traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camelwagon Posted September 26, 2005 Author Share Posted September 26, 2005 So how can i do it just to the battery without the switch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganM Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 So how can i do it just to the battery without the switch? It's almost too easy Take the ground wire, and ground it to some bare metal or the negative terminal on battery. Then stick the positive wire on the positive terminal on the battery. It will fire right up. I've had to do that lots of times in a pinch or testing. Be sure not to leave it on or you will drain your battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camelwagon Posted September 26, 2005 Author Share Posted September 26, 2005 Thats what i mean, how can I leave it on to the batt but only to run when I start the engine and not drain the batt. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1985GLWAGON Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 you'd have to rig up a relay that only operated when the ignition is on if you want it done automatically, like everybody else said your best bet would be just to rig a switch so you can control it manually without all the complicated wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganM Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 Thats what i mean, how can I leave it on to the batt but only to run when I start the engine and not drain the batt. Thanks. Wire it into the ignition switch circut so it only came on when the ignition switch is in the Run position. Pretty sure there's a post about it somewhere. I never botherd to do that and just have it on a maunal switch that I turn on/off myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1985GLWAGON Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 If you splice it into the regular ignition circuit won't it draw to much power and blow the fuse or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganM Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 If you splice it into the regular ignition circuit won't it draw to much power and blow the fuse or something? doubtfull; there's a lot of junk already pulling amps through it. don't think the fan will bump it over 15a... or is that fuse 20a ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 doubtfull; there's a lot of junk already pulling amps through it. don't think the fan will bump it over 15a... or is that fuse 20a ? Here's a way to do it. Tap into the parking light wire right next to the radiator. If you've got an '84 or newer car, it automatically turns on when the ignition is on, and off when the ignition is off (if you keep the headligh switch permanently on like I do). Zeke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyw Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 hate to state the obvious. go and fix the cause of the problem. I had overheating issues with my EA82, I did everything I could to overcome it, flushed radiators, replaced water pumps, wired up the fans together. in the end, I blew a radiator hose 200 kms from home. the cause? a radiator which appeared to flow ok, but was full of ************e. had I bit the big one and took it to a competent mechanic, paid the few hundred dollars to keep him in a job, I wouldn't have had the headaches, or made myself feel like a tool for not fixing it properly. by the way, I wired mine up to the spot lights wiring, disconnecting them, but it was an emergency measure which got me home. surely you could parallel them to the first fan without causing problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handtool Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 Here is a wiring diagram that skip posted. Wiring it this way will let the second fan come on when the first fan does or when you want it to with a dash mounted switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syonyk Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 Just to kind of make a point about the stock cooling system, I've run my 87 GL through mountains with 4 pretty good sized guys, a full toolkit, a rotary engine shortblock, a spare battery, and a bunch of other stuff in the back (all at once). Going up was basically wide open throttle in 5th, downshifting to 4th if needed. The temperature gauge didn't even move. The tiny little radiator, if flowing properly, is more than enough to keep the engine cool. It's also only $90 or so to replace it, and for around $150 you can redo the entire cooling system minus the water pump (radiator, hoses, thermostat, radiator cap). It's worth it if you're having problems. :-) -=Russ=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.