Things to Check for Radiator Cooling Fan Problems The radiator cooling fan is one of the important components of the engine's cooling system. This fan helps to cool the radiator to stop the car from overheating. The fans are either located in front of the radiator which allows them to push air through its core or at the back of the radiator to be able to pull sufficient air.
Principle of working Most front-wheel drive cars use an electric radiator fan to assist in cooling the radiator and in turn cool the engine to prevent it from overheating. Basically, coolant from the radiator is pumped through the engine via the water pump, and the warm coolant then exits back into the radiator. The radiator fan cools down the warm coolant by passing cool air through the radiator. And then the cooled coolant is pumped back into the engine, and the same process repeats in a cyclic manner.
Types of radiator cooling fans There are basically two types of radiator fans: –Manual –Electric The manual radiator fans are mechanically driven and are attached to the car’s engine, meaning that once you turn your car on and the engine starts running, the radiator fan starts turning as well. The electric radiator fans include an electric motor and are more used in recent cars instead of the manual radiator fans. Electric radiator fans are controlled by a thermostat and are set to move only at certain temperatures, making them much more efficient when it comes to cooling your engine.
Symptoms of a bad fan assembly A radiator fan assembly consists of a mounting shroud and fan blade. In case of an electric radiator fan, the assembly will also include an electric motor. The fan shroud is a plastic funnel-shaped piece that surrounds the fan and helps cool the radiator effectively. It also keeps warm air from recirculating through the radiator. Some of the common symptoms of a bad or failing radiator fan assembly are: - The fan starts to become noisy. - The engine gets overheated when idling and driving in traffic. - A poor performance of the air conditioner.
Parts responsible for issues in the cooling fan A faulty radiator fan assembly can cause serious damage to your car. So, if you find that your radiator fan is not working properly, then it is important to find the correct reason responsible for the damage. Here are some of the common parts that affect the functioning of the radiator cooling fan.
Temperature sensor The temperature sensor determines when the radiator fan comes on by reading the cooling system temperature. When the sensor stops working, the fan won’t get started because it won’t know that the temperature is hot enough to require activation, which can frequently lead to overheating.