Cooling issue (Fan - I think)
05-17-2016, 04:10 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Arizona
Posts: 9
Cooling issue (Fan - I think)
Hey Guys,
To start off - I'm new here and new to Mustangs as well. I did search the forum before writing this and did find some threads that covered some similar, but not mine exactly. However, if you know of a thread that does, which i have missed, just point me to the thread.
Car history: I just bought a 96 GT convertible. 149xxx miles. The guy I bought it from put a lot of after market parts on it - mostly in the suspension: coil overs, caster & camber, bump steer, tube control / a-arms, rack & pinion, 17' bullet wheels, frame rail supports, etc - but a few motor items as well: Aluminum 3 row radiator, CAI, and what I think is an after market electric cooling fan which has 2 fans. I should also mention, I just got it out of the shop where they put in a new intake manifold.
My issue: My car is running hot. Mainly in stop and go traffic and when I have the AC on. It stays within normal range, but the needle gets to in between the A and L in "Normal". I live in AZ and its already in the upper 90's / low 100's and only getting hotter, so I need to figure this out.
I have replaced the thermostat and added more water to the coolant / water mix and that didn't do much. When I got home just now I left the car running with the AC on and looked to see if the fans where moving and it looks as if only one fan is turning. The one on the driver's side. I would think both fans should be going when its that hot? I thought I read on this or another forum that with the two fans, one will run constantly when the AC is on and the other will only kick on when the car gets hot enough to need it. Is that correct? If so, how would I test to see if the other fan works at all? I'm guessing that either the fan motor on the left side is burnt out, or coolant temp sensor isn't working correctly?
Any advice on trouble shooting this issue?
Thanks in advance for your time and any helpful advice.
To start off - I'm new here and new to Mustangs as well. I did search the forum before writing this and did find some threads that covered some similar, but not mine exactly. However, if you know of a thread that does, which i have missed, just point me to the thread.
Car history: I just bought a 96 GT convertible. 149xxx miles. The guy I bought it from put a lot of after market parts on it - mostly in the suspension: coil overs, caster & camber, bump steer, tube control / a-arms, rack & pinion, 17' bullet wheels, frame rail supports, etc - but a few motor items as well: Aluminum 3 row radiator, CAI, and what I think is an after market electric cooling fan which has 2 fans. I should also mention, I just got it out of the shop where they put in a new intake manifold.
My issue: My car is running hot. Mainly in stop and go traffic and when I have the AC on. It stays within normal range, but the needle gets to in between the A and L in "Normal". I live in AZ and its already in the upper 90's / low 100's and only getting hotter, so I need to figure this out.
I have replaced the thermostat and added more water to the coolant / water mix and that didn't do much. When I got home just now I left the car running with the AC on and looked to see if the fans where moving and it looks as if only one fan is turning. The one on the driver's side. I would think both fans should be going when its that hot? I thought I read on this or another forum that with the two fans, one will run constantly when the AC is on and the other will only kick on when the car gets hot enough to need it. Is that correct? If so, how would I test to see if the other fan works at all? I'm guessing that either the fan motor on the left side is burnt out, or coolant temp sensor isn't working correctly?
Any advice on trouble shooting this issue?
Thanks in advance for your time and any helpful advice.
05-17-2016, 04:20 PM
#2
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: wisconsin
Posts: 2,260
the 96 gt should only have 1 fan, sounds like you have an aftermarket dual fan setup, its possible that both those fans need to be running to equal the single stock fans air flow, some afttermarket fans flow poorly.
05-17-2016, 05:14 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Arizona
Posts: 9
Okay- so here's a little update....
I just went out and started her and with the A/C on the passenger side fan comes on and stay on. If I turn the A/C off, and the car is getting hot, the driver's side fan will kick on, but the passenger side fan turns off. So it seems only one fan runs at a time, which is odd.
Does anyone have any experience with these two fan setups and is this how its supposed to work? Is there any way to get them both to go at the same time?
I just went out and started her and with the A/C on the passenger side fan comes on and stay on. If I turn the A/C off, and the car is getting hot, the driver's side fan will kick on, but the passenger side fan turns off. So it seems only one fan runs at a time, which is odd.
Does anyone have any experience with these two fan setups and is this how its supposed to work? Is there any way to get them both to go at the same time?
05-17-2016, 05:15 PM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Arizona
Posts: 9
Quick Update:
Okay- so here's a little update....
I just went out and started her and with the A/C on the passenger side fan comes on and stay on. If I turn the A/C off, and the car is getting hot, the driver's side fan will kick on, but the passenger side fan turns off. So it seems only one fan runs at a time, which is odd.
Does anyone have any experience with these two fan setups and is this how its supposed to work? Is there any way to get them both to go at the same time?
Okay- so here's a little update....
I just went out and started her and with the A/C on the passenger side fan comes on and stay on. If I turn the A/C off, and the car is getting hot, the driver's side fan will kick on, but the passenger side fan turns off. So it seems only one fan runs at a time, which is odd.
Does anyone have any experience with these two fan setups and is this how its supposed to work? Is there any way to get them both to go at the same time?
05-18-2016, 06:10 PM
#7
5th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: kentucky
Posts: 2,241
Btw, if you are going by the factory water temp guage, its in reality a "dummy gauge." It may not being getting hot as you think. It will show operating temps steady while the actual temps will be flucuatting (spelling I know). Once the temps gets outside the deemed range, it will show hot or cold.
05-18-2016, 06:19 PM
#9
5th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: kentucky
Posts: 2,241
Be quite honest, on a mild setup, I have never heard of a properly working coolant system and fan give anyone trouble. You could rewire the secondary ac fan to come on with the other also but depending on what exactly you have, its hard to know if it will cool properly.
05-18-2016, 06:54 PM
#10
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Arizona
Posts: 9
Btw, if you are going by the factory water temp guage, its in reality a "dummy gauge." It may not being getting hot as you think. It will show operating temps steady while the actual temps will be flucuatting (spelling I know). Once the temps gets outside the deemed range, it will show hot or cold.
when its cool out - it never goes past the middle of the gauge, but when its hot like in the afternoon 80's, 90's, 100's. The gauge creeps up to the L in normal. It also go back down if I turn on the heater or drive at highway speeds, which is why i'm thinking that the current fan set up just isn't cutting it.