I drive a '95 Accord LX which has recently acquired the very bad habit of turning it's cooling fan on when it isn't hot. A few times on cold mornings I've come out and heard the fan running. It comes on at random times and runs until it drains my battery.
Here is my dirty engine compartment:
Right now the battery is so low it can't run the fan. It just makes the relay (2) flutter. If I unplug the fuse (1) the noise will stop. If the fan were running I could shut it off by pulling the relay or the fuse. I have swapped the relays (there is a twin right beside it) and the problem is still there. I have pulled the connectors off the thermal switches (3 and 4), and it doesn't stop the noise. I thought they were supposed to be the controls for the fan, but I guess there is more to it than that. There is a coolant sensor hidden by the distributor. I pulled the connector off, and the relay keeps buzzing. I'm stumped.
It's hard to keep remembering to pop the hood and pull the fuse. Anyone know how I might fix this?
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
check the fan relay..
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
I did swap the relay with an identical part and it does the same thing. Something keeps sending juice to it.
Posted by Dawud Shaheed (Member # 5719) on :
make a sign and pay a mechanic. It's quicker for me to do that, than to try to learn to fix my own car. Unless it's something really easy, which...if this is that easy for you, then commence to disregard my post.
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
Dawud, it's getting to that point. I have saved a lot by fixing my own cars, but this problem might be too tough. If I can't fix it, I'm going to be tempted to use it for target practice.
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Russ...Having seen some examples of your talent, Dawud is correct.
You can make more per hour than your mechanic can charge.
I used to screw around trying to fix my own vehicle probs too...only took about 20 years to figure out that doing what I knew how to do and paying a mechanic to do what he knew how to do worked out well for both of us.
*edited to add*
Just had a thought..why ask an automotive question on a signmaking website???
[ October 26, 2008, 11:07 PM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
Posted by Harris Kohen (Member # 2139) on :
Russ I will look into your problem tomorrow and get back to you. At this time I believe you either have a shorted connection somewhere or possibly your ECM is faulty.
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
quote:Originally posted by Dave Grundy: Just had a thought..why ask an automotive question on a signmaking website???
Because signmakers tend to be good at working with all kinds of things. There is so much experience here in all things mechanical, it seems fitting to give it a try. Also, I consider the majority of you my friends, so it's a comfortable place to pose a question. How's that? Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
do u have the wiring ladder? trace it back to each place it could be finding a power source. worn wire etc..
I would guess it has to do with the controller that makes the fan run when the engine is hot even after you turn off the car..
I would check that relay too.
[ October 26, 2008, 11:42 PM: Message edited by: Curtis hammond ]
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
Curtis, I know I have a book somewhere that should have the wiring in it. I'll take a look at it.
Harris, thanks for checking into it. I appreciate any help I can get.
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Don't you love it when a customer comes in with a battered hunk of ply roughly coated out with a broom, and says:
"Look, I saved all this money painting the background ... how much to letter it?"
Like Dave I quit fixing cars after I figured my time was worth more than the mechanic. Besides, one look in the engine bay of a brand new Honda VTec engine was daunting to say the least!
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
Somewhere along that maze of relays and switches is one that sends power to the fans when the engine reaches a certain temperature. It may be around the thermostat housing (if you can find that)...possibly called a coolant temp sensor. If you've got a wiring diagram in a manual, it may help; but you may need a mechanic.
Also, Google "Honda Tech Help" or something like that. I'm sure there are many Honda mechanical sites on-line that could deal with it.
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
QUOTE: "Anyone know how I might fix this?"
Call CAR TALK - Let Click-n-Clack figger it out! they'll probably say you have a sticking thermostat/relay/modualtor-actuator . . .
LOLOL
Maenwhile, gy'a Russ . . . have you ever seen under the hood of a 78 Chevy pick-up? Do you realize you have NO where to crawl in there and work?! That accordian vehicle was made to be worked on by people under 4.5 ft tall, who weigh 90 lbs and have little hands . . . like . . . oriental elves . . .
I obvoiusly have no useful info to provide, but can't I break up the broodingly-serious, automotive-headache with'a lil' satire??
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
I'm not so sure that people should *tweak* Russ for his OT automotive posts.
I don't see that as any different than posting topics dealing with "look at my new car" or "check out my new hot-tub."
There is nothing wrong with wanting to discover new things and work on them yourself. Russ might think that working on his car in the evening is a good hobby whereas he doesn't want to work on another sign at night when he's been doing it all day long.
I have personally discovered that the diverse crowd here can help out with almost any conceivable topic - and I would post here first rather than a "automotive" forum because you generally get almost *instant*, knowledgeable replies from the kind folks here.
It's the help your neighbor mentality.
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
I agree Todd. 'sides, he DID lable it an OT topic. By the way, this is a curious thing when people click on an pre-stated OT topic and complain about it actually BEING an OT topic. Maybe people don't know what OT means. At any rate, in my own defense, I'm only 'tweaking' Russ in fun.
We are all mental and therefore the 'help your neighbor's menatlity' may be quite subjective, relating only to this forum in terms of 'subject & creativity' with alphabeltical letters in the form of written words to soothe with humor if not other moral support. Posted by Joe Golden (Member # 6870) on :
[ October 27, 2008, 06:51 PM: Message edited by: Joe Golden ]
Posted by Sam Staffan (Member # 4552) on :
Russ I can't help you with the car but this post did bring up something I did years ago when money was a little tighter.
Fall was here and my house sets on 4 lots of oaks and maples. I hired a lawn crew to come in to clean out the leaves. I came home from work and my wife Kim said to me " Why did you hire a lawn crew? we could have done it ourselves this weekend?"
I told her it took 5 guys with rakes and blowers 3 1/2 hours to do all of that for $150.00.
It's Friday night and I still have to etch a champagne bottle and the full wedding parties glasses for a wedding tomorrow, it's going to take me 45 mins to an hour to do the complete set and we sold it for $225.00 Now how long do you think that yard would have taken me and you?
Probably all weekend and still not complete.
That hour of etching will pay for the lawn crew and guess what? We have the weekend free, and didn't you say you wanted to take a long walk through the hiking trails?
She got the picture. Haven't raked or mowed my lawn since.
[ October 27, 2008, 08:46 PM: Message edited by: Sam Staffan ]
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
I have to say....
When I mentioned Russ's abilities allowing him to earn more per hour than a mechanic, I was serious.
When I added the part about "asking for automotive advice on a signmaking site", I intentionally added several emoticons to indicate a joking addition to my reply.
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
I wasn't offended Dave. I was smiling as I typed out my answer. I consider you a good friend even though we haven't met in person yet.
Posted by Donald Miner (Member # 6472) on :
Russ, if you can locate the temp sending unit for the fan, remove it and clean the end with some steel wool. Sometimes these get all gunky from coolant and other minerals in the radiator. This can mess up the senders ability to function properly. Definitely worth a shot.
Posted by John D. Heller Sr. (Member # 8712) on :
Hi Russ! I agree with going to a mechanic that you can trust. There are to many possible causes for a problem like this and you need the proper equipment to analyze them. The biggest mistake people make is to start replacing parts just to find out that was not the problem. You have to understand that all of your sensors and relays communicate with each other. If one is going bad it will send out a bad signal and in turn it will cause the rest of your sensors and relays to get bad information. You might be looking at what you think is the problem but in reality that's not the problem at all. I am retired after 40 years in the automotive industry as a Auto body shop owner and as an Icar Collision Mechanical Instructor at Ohio Technical College. If you can make it to Cleveland Ohio I will fix it for you and buy you a cup of coffee.
Posted by Dan Beach (Member # 9850) on :
This is caused by a bad sender 99% of the time. I bet a new one is fairly cheap, so it isn't going to hurt you to just go ahead and replace it.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Yo Dan.... just noticed your biz name... that's cool!
Posted by Dan Beach (Member # 9850) on :
Thanks.
I think you're the first person to not ask what it means . . .
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
LOL... well, I assumed it meant your designs A.) pack an extra 'punch' B.) have a creativity that isn't 'stock' C.) are outside the mundane and norm.
Something of that nature?
Or does it relate specifically to automotive type graphics?
Ok...I thought it just sounded cool and conjured up an image of 'powerful design'..... but now ya got me wondering...."What does it mean?" hahaha.
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Most of the time, I take it to the mechanic. He can troubleshoot and do what needs to be done much faster than I. But sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. A few months ago, the power steering pump went out on my Tahoe.....in my front yard. It was either call and have it towed 25 miles or have the mechanic come out to the house. So I bought a steering pump kit, borrowed a puller from the auto parts store, took the thing off and rebuilt the pump right there in the front yard. We had a gig that night, over 100 miles away and I mangaged to get it all back together in time. So it's nice to be able to do stuff yourself when necessary.
Russ, I called my mechanic; he said either the relay or sending unit on your fan is stuck open.
Posted by Dan Beach (Member # 9850) on :
Haha, yeah all of that!
I'm a big gearhead, so it was a little from column A and a little from column B. Plus it sounded catchy.
I know alot more about automotive related design and painting, but I'm learning more and more every day from you guys about other sign work.
So keep learning me!!!
quote:Originally posted by Todd Gill: LOL... well, I assumed it meant your designs A.) pack an extra 'punch' B.) have a creativity that isn't 'stock' C.) are outside the mundane and norm.
Something of that nature?
Or does it relate specifically to automotive type graphics?
Ok...I thought it just sounded cool and conjured up an image of 'powerful design'..... but now ya got me wondering...."What does it mean?" hahaha.
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