Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (May 2013, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Sun, 19 May 2013 15:45:29 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: New Youtube video about radiator fan resistor
Comments: To: george jannini <georgejoann@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CA+So782S9kXJaKgYXkFH7HedXMv6=ocBDvzmNON36Xe-cdmnvA@mail.g
              mail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 12:47 PM 5/19/2013, george jannini wrote: > Should I put mr. resistor on my list of "spare crap I always need to >carry with? :-)

The fan in an A/C 2.1l Vanagon has three speeds:

a) Low speed from the rad thermoswitch (paralleled by the A/C relay) through both parts of the resistor to the fan.

b) Middle speed from the A/C high-pressure switch through the A/C fan relay and one part of the resistor.

c) High speed from the rad thermoswitch through the rad fan relay straight to the fan.

As long as the thermoswitch AND (either both sides of the fan resistor OR the relay) are working you've got a radiator fan. If the thermoswitch dies you can fake it by turning on the A/C with temp set to maximum.

Normal A/C operation sequence:

a) Radiator fan runs at low speed whenever system is on, A/C ups it to second speed if the high-side pressure rises too far.

b) Compressor clutch will engage if ambient temp >/= 5C/41F AND rad thermoswitch first speed not active (indicating that the first-speed fan can't keep up with the load and the system is heading toward high-speed operation).

There's a good deal of redundancy. I don't think you'd need to carry a spare normally. But the backstop spare would be the radiator fan relay for the high speed, if you were going to carry one thing.

Note: this doesn't take the A/C system itself into consideration. There's no high-pressure shutoff on the compressor, only the mid-speed fan. Perhaps the answer is inspect the resistor and replace if it's deteriorating.

Yours, David


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.