engine fan stopped working.converted fan to switch but wires overheat!!!

[raymmas]

I was stuck in Spain as the fan did not come on and we were pushing 35 degrees so checked out fan and it was fine,local garage helped by wiring a switch on the dash for me to carry on home it worked great but the wires even though heavy duty get hot.does not bother me back in the uk as the fan is not needed but going back to Spain soon and wondered if the switch will be OK?

[ron]

Did thet fit a HD switch?A sw that is not big enough can heat & cause resistance & overheat.alut:

[steve valentine]

As Ron says, make sure the switch is rated to carry the required current.

[Jed Clampit]

It never crossed my mind about the switch good point ron alut:

[ron]

It never crossed my mind about the switch good point ron alut:

That's why I'm in Monmouth & you're in Gloucester.:whistle::whistle:

[stuartinlancashire]

How did they wire it up? Idealy it should it switched via a relay rather than connected directly through the switch.

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[Ol'Jeffers]

If the wires leading to the fan are getting hot then that has nothing to do with the switch.
Either the wires can't cope with the current drawn by the fan motor or the fan motor is
drawing way too much current. (Partially seized bearing or shorted windings in the motor.)
If the switch was under-rated, only the switch would heat up and would fail in a very short time.
I would check the current drawn by the motor first. You can compare it with the fuse rating on the fan circuit.
Before the garage re-wired it did the fuse on that circuit fail? The fan should turn easily. If there's any undue
physical resistance and it feels 'tight' then it may well be worth having it checked. HTH

[raymmas]

Thanks for that,it is wired direct to the switch from the fan.I do remember the first switch they put on only worked for a few seconds then fell to pieces!they put another on then it worked but the switch and the cable got warm.. ?The fans all spin freely.and sound normal when switched on.thanks ray

How did they wire it up? Idealy it should it switched via a relay rather than connected directly through the switch.

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I can easily replace the switch... could I replace the switch with say one from Halfords in which case what would I ask for

It never crossed my mind about the switch good point ron alut:

That's why I'm in Monmouth & you're in Gloucester.:whistle::whistle:

[crickleymal]

The switch would seem to be fine. If the wires are getting hot then the wires are underrated like Ol Jeffers says. What you need to do if you are going to carry on using the present arrangement is to uprate the wires. Measure the current then go to somewhere like http://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/cables-wir...ted-cable/ and use the current rating there to get an idea of the cross sectional area of the cable you need.

Ideally of course, you need to work out why your fan isn't switching on when the engine gets hot. Maybe the sensor has failed or something.

[Gadgetman]

Which model engine do you have, and is it with or without AC?

I think the fan can draw as much as 5A, so I suggest fitting a relay if the fault can't be found easily.

Here's my post on 1.4i non-AC models:
http://www.berlingoforum.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=8297
There may be something in there that can help you...