Radiator Fan Running all the time

[Softweigh]

Hi Guys

Just wondering if anyone in Australia has an M59 van?   When I bought mine (used) the guy said that all the ones in Australia have the radiator fan set to run continuously because of the hot Summers we have here ... Is this just "salesman excuses" or do the Australian vans have the temp sensor bypassed or even taken out? The manual says nothing nor does the Addendum that comes with the manual for Australia  ...  I have never seen any car that has a rad fan that always runs??

[Tomcat3]

Sounds like you have dodgy car dealers over there to, it sounds a load of boll###s to me.

[Sol]

The electric cooling fan will run continuously if the AC is switched on....

Otherwise, it's only on when required. The ECU monitors the coolant temp and turns on the fan as needed, it's one of the few bits under the control of the engine ECU and not the BSI. I did hear one member who had an issue with the AC not turning off, find it was related to a blown fuse on the heating system side, causing a weird cross feed to the AC system.

[Gryffindor]

Cold it be a bodge to cope with the combination of a hot climate and an unresolved/ignored overheating problem?

Try looking at another one near you if you can - owned by a mate or up for sale at a dealer's - that will immediately answer your questions.

[Softweigh]

Thanks Guys - Sounded dodgy to me especially since we have quite mild Winters .. Most cars here turn the rad fan on and off as required and yes with aircon on they often have a second fan that runs all the time the ac is on ... I'm looking for someone with a M59 but I will talk to the agents here ... maybe the temp sensor failed so they 'hot wired" the fan to run all the time. My temp with the fan running is pretty stable between 70 and 90 on the gauge and doesn't change really with AC on as it's already running.

[Gryffindor]

For the record, mine is even more stable, remaining within say 85 and 90 most of the time without the fan, summer or winter in our UK climate (mostly say around 10-20 degrees C here in the south of the UK, a few degs higher/lower in high/low season). The fan has never kicked in with my current Berlingo; it did once or twice with my last one, maybe when in traffic and the outside temp got above say 30 (rare here).

Just had a look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of...imate_data - the average highs and lows figures suggest your climate is a bit warmer than ours generally, and reaches more extreme seasonal high and low temps. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of...emperature

That makes me wonder how hot your last high summer was; if it was hot that might explain this bodge being done, and also maybe why (& when, in terms of season) the van was sold? It also suggests you need to find a fix within the next couple of months...

But at least you've been given clues now - the seller could have disconnected the fan before he sold it and you'd have been none the wiser until summer, and then have to sort overheating out on the fly.

[Softweigh]

Thanks Rasputin It get pretty warm here .. 30 C is still Spring temps and mid 30's is quite normal in Summer .. I'll need to check if the sensor has been bypassed first to see if it's been purposely done .. When I have a free day I might unplug the fan and drive around locally and watch the temp gauge to see what happens??

[Gryffindor]

I'm no mechanic but that's what I'd do - after all it should run fine without the fan most of the time.

[Sol]

It will soon shoot up. The fan is cutting in around 90 to ensure it can't exceed that number. With no fan there's no upper limit control. Better running all the time than never.

Once over 105 it will boil and make steam, then you have a big problem. Steam can't accept any more heat easily, and thermal runaway happens rapidly.

[Gryffindor]

Thanks for the correction Zion. Sounds a bit like Vesuvius!