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Ford Escort cooling fan - overheat problem

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24

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  • Sirbendy
    Sirbendy Posts: 537 Forumite
    500 Posts
    edited 12 June 2009 at 4:46PM
    On a R plate (or most newish cars), that'd be the aux belt - "fan belts" as such have been out of use for years. CVH for sure is an aux belt.

    Some aux belts drive the waterpump..I had a friend with a Sierra that happened to. Lost the alternator and pump, and engine driven fan (1.8 in-line), kept driving it to me for help, 5 miles on a dual carriageway...got to me with the misfire from hell (imagine a VERY ill subaru Impreza, and it's close), and an engine rumbling fit to explode and belching steam from the bonnet...he jumped out of it and ran for cover. :rotfl:

    Changing a belt on a cooked engine by the light of a torch at 11pm on my drive is always funny. Bunged in more water , retightened all the hoses, kicked it in the guts..sweet as a nut.

    I fitted him an electric fan after that though, on a switch in the dash. :rolleyes:

    Rad fan switches normally live in the radiator...the ones in the engine block are usually for the instrument gauge. Easy things to fix, if a tad messy when the water starts to come out. Usually just twist/unscrew out, and reverse to put a new one in, then connect it back up with the plug, job done.
  • flang
    flang Posts: 1,094 Forumite
    Sirbendy wrote: »
    On a R plate (or most newish cars), that'd be the aux belt - "fan belts" as such have been out of use for years. CVH for sure is an aux belt., retightened all the hoses, kicked it in the guts..sweet as a nut.
    Hehe my 1993 bmw e36 has an viscous coupling which runs off the fan belt!!
    Old skool all the way!!! yet never overheated!
  • goldspanners
    goldspanners Posts: 5,910 Forumite
    Bowdyjan18 wrote: »
    find the fan switch unplug it from the sensor and croos the two pins with a split pin or a bit of wire...need the ignition on btw...If the fan comes on then the switch is goosed :)

    if the fan does not come on the fan is goosed or you have a blown fuse.

    good advise here, but also before you go bridging out the switch wire try just leaving them disconnected, i know on some cars if you disconnect the temp switch in the radiator the fan will come on full speed, if nothing happens then and you have checked all fuses then try bridging the wires for the temp switch.
    ...work permit granted!
  • Premier_2
    Premier_2 Posts: 15,141 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    flang wrote: »
    Hi newlywed,

    A new fan motor is around £10/15 from a breakers or £40/50? new, No more than an hours labour.
    If its just the switch £10 new 30mins/1 hours labour.
    Both are an easy DIY

    I think a new one would probably cost about £150 as I think it only comes as a fan & shroud assy.

    It may also be necessary to remove the front ARB to provide access to remove the assy, but that might all be possible within the hour labour estimate (unless water pipes also have to be disconnected to allow access ... then the'll probably flush & refill with new antifreeze too)

    OP - also check the relay when checking the fuse (and all wiring). Hopefully you wont need a new fan. :)
    "Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 2010
  • newlywed
    newlywed Posts: 8,255 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 13 June 2009 at 3:19PM
    Hi all....

    Thanks so much for all your help. I check the haynes manual for the fan switch and its on the thermostatic housing apparently :p Anyway, pulled it off, stuck a bit of wire down both bits of the plug and turned the ignition....

    And the fan came on :D:D

    That means its the same switch bit that we replaced before - but when we went to get one, they didn't call it the fan switch they called it something else :confused: and there were three options for our car :rolleyes:

    Anyone got any ideas what they might call it?

    And now that goldspanners has posted..... am I meant to go take out the bit of wire and leave the plug off to see if it still works, or leave the bit of wire in until next week when I can buy a new thingy for it? :confused: Which is better???? If I take the wire out, should it come on straight away?


    It looks like some coolant has leaked slightly over the switch (which is what we thought happened before) because the tube above that switch has pink gunk round the edge of it where the jubilee clip is.
    working on clearing the clutterDo I want the stuff or the space?
  • Premier_2
    Premier_2 Posts: 15,141 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 13 June 2009 at 3:30PM
    newlywed wrote: »
    ...That means its the same switch bit that we replaced before - but when we went to get one, they didn't call it the fan switch they called it something else :confused: and there were three options for our car :rolleyes:

    Anyone got any ideas what they might call it?...

    It's either called the 'cooling fan thermostatic switch' or the 'cooling fan temperature control switch'. Some suppliers may use the term sender rather than switch.

    The switch is different I think dependant on the type of engine. Give the supplier the type of engine (and when first registered) and they should know which one is required.

    Or better still, get a genuine replacement from a Ford main dealer who will know which one you need just from the registration number of the car. :)
    "Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 2010
  • newlywed
    newlywed Posts: 8,255 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 13 June 2009 at 4:33PM
    Premier wrote: »
    Or better still, get a genuine replacement from a Ford main dealer who will know which one you need just from the registration number of the car. :)

    Thanks.... I've been to our local ford dealer though and the parts department were a bunch of stroppy gits who got really harsey with me :p and I was only collecting a bit that my dad had already ordered so not like I was asking stupid questions or anything!
    Might ring them for a quote though, and they are near work.

    Is there a chance the pukka ford bit would last a bit longer?
    working on clearing the clutterDo I want the stuff or the space?
  • Premier_2
    Premier_2 Posts: 15,141 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    The genuine Ford replacement part would be produced to Ford specification. Hopefully it'll last longer, ... but not if it gets covered in leaking coolant regularly.

    Have a closer look at the leaking hose and if split, get a new one of those too. If it's just leaking from the connection to the thermostat, try tightening the jubilee clip a little but be careful not to overtighten it as it will cause the hose to split.
    The original Ford retaining clip would not have been adjustable.
    "Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 2010
  • newlywed
    newlywed Posts: 8,255 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    newlywed wrote: »
    And now that goldspanners has posted..... am I meant to go take out the bit of wire and leave the plug off to see if it still works, or leave the bit of wire in until next week when I can buy a new thingy for it? :confused: Which is better???? If I take the wire out, should it come on straight away?

    Anyone know? If I leave the wire in, is it going to drain my battery all the time, or just when the ignition is on? :confused:
    working on clearing the clutterDo I want the stuff or the space?
  • goldspanners
    goldspanners Posts: 5,910 Forumite
    newlywed wrote: »
    Anyone know? If I leave the wire in, is it going to drain my battery all the time, or just when the ignition is on? :confused:

    it should be fine to leave the wire in as long as the fan isnt running when the ignition is off.
    ...work permit granted!
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