Testing: Condenser fan motor

Originally posted by wawazat??
hey, what are you thinking about getting for lunch? I'm thinking a BLT and some homemade soup at this little joint up the road. I'll take you there when you come out to MI.

Todd

I actually skipped lunch and went around to some exhaust shops. I did get some very good Fajitas for dinner though!!

Mike

[speedracer]

I thought i was very honest in my admitting that i know very little about the workings of an internal combustion engine. I don't have experiance in working on cars. I would like to and I ment for this car to be a second car, something that i could work on and have fun driving; anyway, things happen and this is now my only car. I am frustrated beyond belief because i don't know what is wrong or how to fix it. That is why i asked on here, because i know there are honest and knowlegable people on here, also people that enjoy what they do. I was NOT making a generalization about mechanics, i was simply making an educated estimation about this particular dealership. This is a fairly small city and there is only one suby dealership. My past experiance with this company leads me to beleive that, if the sales and management are less than honest, and not professional, why wouldn't they lie about having a tech that is trained on the SVX and knows it's querks, or even do something worse. I can't afford to find out. And i would really like to enjoy this car!

so, Beav, I am sorry if i affended you--and i certainly didn't mean to start an inmature argument about such a trite thing; but i did not see any advice on what i should do. after all knowledge not shared, is knowledge wasted. so in closing i appolagize for not knowing about fixing this car, and sorry to have wasted your time.

at the end of the line,
speedy

[Earthworm]

Good response Speedy!

I'm looking at the picture provided by Beav but, unfortunately, I'm getting lost in all the wires.

The only obvious thing is that pin 3 is the ground (neg). I don't know which pin you would provide the power (pos) to. Does anyone else think that there would be a problem supplying power to each of the remaining pins individually?

A somewhat related question: Would there ever be a condition in which only one of the fans would be turning under normal conditions?

The mechanic I go to with my SVX problems is definately a CROOK, and on top of that he has an oil abuse problems. Just a list of all the ways he has screwed me over.

1. Lets me keep my broke SVX at his garage (for close to 2 months now ) and hasn't charged me a dime in storage.

2. Has advised me several times that perhaps I should find a better choice of an SVX to restore so I dont throw away money.

3. Took time on his weekend to look over another SVX and charged me ....nothing, and I'm not talking about just a look over he put it up on the lift and gave it a real good look over.

4. I offered to pay him in advance for work we were planning then becuase of a family loan gone horribly wrong (don't loan money to family except maybe your kids, I'm sure someday I will)I wasn't able to follow up and he said, wow - that sucks.

5. He has taken some parts off my car...but i said he could and I thoght i was getting the other one he looked at.


This was all sarcasm just in case you couldn't tell.

[kuoh]

On both fans, pins 1 and 2 are supply pins, pin 3 is a permanent ground, and pin 4 is a switched ground common to both fans. I don't know the details of the fans, but from what I can see of the wiring diagram, I would guess them to be two speed fans. Each fan can be individually activated at one speed, and both fans can be activated at a second speed through the secondary supply and switched ground pins.

I believe one of the fans is also slaved to the climate control system, so if the climate control is active but the engine is cold, then only one of the fans would turn.

KuoH

Originally posted by Earthworm
Good response Speedy!

I'm looking at the picture provided by Beav but, unfortunately, I'm getting lost in all the wires.

The only obvious thing is that pin 3 is the ground (neg). I don't know which pin you would provide the power (pos) to. Does anyone else think that there would be a problem supplying power to each of the remaining pins individually?

A somewhat related question: Would there ever be a condition in which only one of the fans would be turning under normal conditions?

[Beav]

I'm trying to decipher what you think might be wrong and I'm assuming that you think that the cause of your radiator failure is due to the condensor fan not operating when needed, right? Let me offer this up first: the split upper tank is normally a result of age and heat, not necessarily from other problems. However anything that does increase heat and/or pressure would surely have negative impact on the tank.

That being said, this is the operating parameters for both of the fans. It will take a bit of studying. Watch and verify how your car responds to the various inputs. If you find something not operating properly make note of it and let us know. We'll be more than happy to help. http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/files/Beav/7806.gif

[speedracer]

I think the rad fan is not helping the quick fix from staying, yes. But i also noticed when it cracked initially and the car was running, the temp gauge went up almost to the red, and the fan never started... i have not heard the fan run, ever since i have had the car.

I am looking at this. It kinda makes sense. I do know that niether fans turn on. I think that top tank initally snapped due to age. Now that i have fixed it 4 times. I am thinking it is something else adding to the problem.

I have no idea what is wrong. or why it keeps getting so hot. could it be the water pump has gone out? I am waiting for a new thermostat to come in. I am going to replace that when the new rad. I am holding out on the radiator just incase i have to order the fan too... I would much rather the jb weld snaps, than a gasket or something else even more pricey.

So I need to start the car, and then hook up some wire to the battery, then touch the connectors? This should make the fan turn on at the selected speed?

Sweet! I will try this and see if it works.

Hmm.. Speedy.. any check engine codes at all? You seem to be on the right track. I'm thinking temp sensor...

[kuoh]

If you're just testing the fans, then there is no need to start the car, but you do have to test them out of circuit. It might be better just to measure the outputs with a multimeter instead. Lastly, it would be unusual for both fans to fail at the same time and given the other problems you've described, I think you would be better off seeking the help of a local professional. This is not a simple light bulb or fuse change. You did check the 25A fan fuses right?

KuoH

Originally posted by speedracer
So I need to start the car, and then hook up some wire to the battery, then touch the connectors? This should make the fan turn on at the selected speed?

[kuoh]

According to the second diagram, if the AC is on, then both fans have to be on at one of the three speeds regardless of the reading from the temp sensor.

KuoH

Originally posted by Boone
Hmm.. Speedy.. any check engine codes at all? You seem to be on the right track. I'm thinking temp sensor...

[speedracer]

the a/c fan (passenger side) i got 3 different speeds...

the driver side fan. the number 1 and 4 worked. but nuber 2 did not; all i got was a spark and no fan.

I at least know that i don't have to buy new fans... that's a load off.

is that hope i see on the horizon? i think so...

what is the temp sensor? and where is that?

Hmm.. Kuoh is right. There are 4 relays to put into the equasion in the underhood fuse box and the fuses also.

[Beav]

O.K., let's take this in small steps. Remove your radiator cap and start the engine. While it's idling look into the radiator for bubbles, a bubble here and there is probably o.k., but a constant stream of them may mean trouble. As long as the radiator is still full, place the cap back on, tightly. As the engine warms you may hear and/or feel knocking in the radiator, similar to a coffee pot. If the top hose is relatively cool at this point, your thermostat is stuck shut.

If the top hose gets hot without any knocking sounds continue to idle the engine. Monitor the temp gauge. If the needle nears the red zone and the fans have yet to turn on there is a problem with the fans, their relay(s), sensor(s), fuse(s), wiring or the ECU. You need to check these items closely and methodically, that's how you avoid wasting money on incorrect diagnoses. Let us know what you find.

Hmm... small steps. (the sign of a masta)

[Beav]

That's Mista Masta, thank you very much!