92RSStud

Hello everyone,

I just bought my very first car, a 1992 Camaro RS. It drives great and is in fairly good condition. The only problem that i found was not until i took it to my work and back. When I came home the engine coolent was boiling... pretty good. So I turn my car to on without having the engine on and my radiator fan doesn't come on. So i start my car, still the radiator fan doesn't come on. so here's my question, How do I fix this problem, or is it normal for the fan not to be on... because from what I know thats not suposed to be like that.. i thought the fan came on whenever you have the key turned to on. Any comments will help, I'm only 16... so I dont know much about my car yet but i'm in the learning process and I do not wish to take it to jiffy lube so they can put a $5 part in it and charge me $50. let me know.

Toehead

What does the temperature gauge say? The stock fan will come on at 220 degrees.
IF the coolent was boiling, and it was still under 220, check the radiator cap to make sure it holds pressure. Also, let the car warm up and make sure the hoses get firm.
If you want to see if the fan works, find the relay on the firewall closest to the drivers door. there will be a green wire with a white stripe. While the wire is still connected to the relay, run a piece of wire from that wire to ground. The fan should come on.

92RSStud

if that doesn't fix the problem, will replacing the fan with one that is always on when the car is on be good.. because I dont know what else would cause the problem

92RSStud

or even if i were to replace the radiator... and which radiator do you recomend?

camaronewbie

Unlkess the radiator leaks, or is clogged, there's no need to replace it. Start at the beginning, and work your way up - don't try and make it difficult.

1st - if the car has A/C, turn the key on, turn the A/C to MAX, and see if the fan runs - if it doesn't, the relay or the fan motor is bad. If it does, then....

2nd - Look under the hood, driver side, against fire wall and between fender and brake booster - there will be a square box shape metal holder attached to the firewall with a 10mm hex head screw on each side - there are two relays in there, 1 is fuel pump, and the other is for the fan. Replace both - they are cheap, and then there's no guessing - they are both the same part number, like $5 each, get from any parts store - see if that helps - if not ....

3rd - Jack up the pass side front of car. Look from under the car - there will be a single wire going to a plug on a sensor that is screwed into the head between the #6 and #8 exhaust ports - this is your fan switch - it turns the fan on when it gets hot enough. Unplug the connector by squeezing it and pulling. With the key on, take a piece of wire, and stick it in the connector, and ground the end somewhere - the fan should come on. If it does, then the fan switch is bad and needs replaced. If not, then the wire is bad, or the fan motor is bad.

The fan motor itself is easy to replace, and not that expensive if I remember (like $30 maybe).

You can trace the wire going to the fan switch to the relay mentioned - check it for continuity if you think the wire is faulty (not usually a problem, but a possibility).

If replacing the fan switch, try draining all coolant you can from the block by removing the lower radiator radiator hose first - when you remove the fan switch coolant will go everywhere (including in your face).

Everyone else may not agree, but..... I hate those damned fan switches, I never got any brands to work. If you determine you need a new fan switch, I would suggest getting an entire new fan controller - the kind with the probe that sticks inbetween the fins of the radiator - they can be had as low as $40 at some stores, and as high as $120, depending on the features. It would bypass the fan switch, allowing you to not even remove it and not losing coolant. Mine is from Flex-a-lite, cost $80, and works like a champ - just wire it according to the directions, insert the probe, and your done. Mine has the option of adding an always on and an always off switch inside the car, along with adjustable temp settings for the automatic on function. And, it works with the A/C system, making the fan come on anytime the A/C is on (like it was from the factory).

Let us know what you find.

92RSStud

Well I'm at my work.. so i could only perform number 1 as of the time being... and the fan came on when i turned the ac to max.... so if i wanted to i could just have the max ac be my "always on" switch. right?

I'll have to check numbers 2-3 when I get home later tonight.

Toehead

The fan comes on with AC max on to deal with the extra heat the air conditioner generates. If you have overheating problems before, running max a/c most likely wont make anything better.
Like I said, test the fan relay. If that works, then check the fan switch on the passenger side of the block.

camaronewbie

The only point in the A/C switch was to see if the fan motor works, to eliminate it as a suspect - so now we know the fan motor is good. But yes, you can leave the switch on to make the fan run until the real culprit is found - it just decreases gas mileage.

fitbmxseries1

my car boiled over when i first got it and always made the fluid real low after a few days, i just flushed it and put new coolant in and stopped. at the moment im only running one fan because of stupidity at the shop i work at my temp is usualy at 220 at stop lights.