Date: Sun, 9 Aug 1998 09:25:49 -0400
Reply-To: "Timothy O. Crooks" <anc1cde@INJERSEY.INFI.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Timothy O. Crooks" <anc1cde@INJERSEY.INFI.NET>
Organization: InfiNet
Subject: Re: LOUD! cooling fan/91 Vanagon
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Do you have aircon? The fan does kick in at a higher temp at the higher speed.
THere is also a sensor in the aircon line that senses at higher refrigerant
pressure and will tell the fan to run faster. You should hear the fan run at
the low speed when your compressor is running with the aircon.
It is the circuit outside of the fan that controls this, not the fan. I never
knew of a 450 watt fan. Do you still have the old part # of your fan? How does
it compare with the new one?
Yes there are times I do not trust some VW dealerships as well. Mine tried to
insist on a different resistor for my fan, but the wiring was different. Turns
out they tried to sell me one for a Eurovan. The part is very simple to
replace.
1. Take off the grill cover.
2. Remove the right headlamp assy.
3. The relay is located behind the headlamp assy. Just spread the bracket a
bit, take out the tubular shaped resistor , and disconnect the wires. That's
it. My actual part cost me about $70 U.S.
Sounds to me like that is your gremlin, not the fan. If you have aircon, it is
not good to let it run without the cooling fan on the condenser. It will create
too much pressure.
Good luck,
Tim
Frank Goodrick wrote:
> Hi All-
>
> I just had what sounds like this problem on my Canadian 91 Vanagon (fully
> loaded).
> I keep this van in Europe for occasional 30 day trips.; all of a sudden it
> sounded like the radiator fan was "too loud".
>
> I took it to several VW dealers in Germany & Benelux, all of whom just said
> the fan needed replacing; none of whom could get the part expeditiously.
>
> Well, 4 weeks ago Fleischauer, a huge dealer in Koln, replaced the fan (900
> DM) ; when we returned to them a few days later, saying it was still loud,
> they said that it should be that loud, & that they had replaced the old "300
> watt" fan with a more powerful ( & louder) "450 watt" fan.
>
> >From reading these posts, I deduce that what I was hearing was the fan
> failing to come on at the lower (less loud) speed. When this lower speed
> circuit fails, I read that the higher speed kicks in, at a higher
> temperature ? Since we seldom heard the higher fan previously, we assumed
> that the fan was failing. Apparently most VW service centers make this
> assumption as well. I suspect there was nothing wrong with the original fan.
>
> My questions:
>
> 1) is it the fan, or a circuit outside the fan, that has the 2 speeds? IOW,
> if I replace this resistor, will the new fan kick in at the lower speed ?
>
> 2) would the resistor value be the same with a fan differently rated ?
> since they did not replace the fan with an identical substitute).
>
> 3) can I replace this resistor myself, if I bring it over from Canada ? (I
> have the service manual - over there - I'm back in Canada now). Is there any
> other part I should bring, just to be covered ? I'm not sure I want to
> trust a VW dealer.
>
> 4) Is it OK to run the van , as long as the high-speed fan kicks in when it
> is supposed to ?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Frank ( who just discovered this list, unfortunately, yesterday).
>
> (Camper Collection: 91 Vanagon; 95 Winnebago Eurovan.)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Timothy O. Crooks <anc1cde@INJERSEY.INFI.NET>
> To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
> Date: Saturday, August 08, 1998 9:55 PM
> Subject: Re: LOUD! cooling fan
>
> >Agreed. On my 90 GL last summer the fan sounded like a C-5 taking off. It
> >was a series resistor. Be sure to take in the old one when re-ordering.
> >The part number is not legible, but there is a visible difference. I would
> >give my part number but it may not apply to your 86. Mine is copper green
> >in colour, and has 3 wires. You will know if it is bad, it will crumble in
> >your hands to touch. Good luck
> >Tim
> >
> >Dennis Haynes wrote:
> >
> >> The low speed is not working. Possibly a bad resistor. The resistor is
> >> located behind the drivers side head lamp assembly.
> >>
> >> Dennis
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Terry Ziniewicz <terryz@OLYWA.NET>
> >> To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
> >> Date: Wednesday, August 05, 1998 12:42 PM
> >> Subject: LOUD! cooling fan
> >>
> >> >The cooling fan on my 91' Westfalia is driving me nuts. When the fan
> >> >comes on it shakes the whole van. When I checked the motor and fan
> >> >everything looked fine. Has anyone else had this prob?
> >> >
> >> >Terry Z
> >> >http://www.olywa.net/terryz/vw.html
> >
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