So my '98 civic has had some problems overheating recently and I found out that the radiator fan wasn't turning on like it should. I replaced the fan switch and that helped it turn on sometimes but it would still only turn on randomly and the car would still try to overheat sometimes. So I put some copper wire in the plug to make the fan stay on all the time but a friend was telling me I might burn it up if I drive with the fan on at high speeds. So far it's kept my car from overheating but I'm worried about driving on the freeway now. Should I just make a toggle switch and turn it off on the freeway or will I be ok just leaving it on all the time?

 

Check your coolant fluid, or switch out to another fan switch, it can be faulty

 

I am having the same problem, cooling fan won't run, i checked the switch at the thermostat housing with a test light, the fan came on, release the test light, the fan shuts of, can anyone tell me what the problem might be or where i can look to start testing, thanks: Nathan1

P.S.......I also done a continuity test at the switch at the thermostat while unpluged, got nothing

 

One fan should go on as soon as car comes on. The other fan should only come on after engine gets hot enough. I had to let my car idle for 15-20 minutes before it would come on. Atleast this is what I believe the car should act like I have a '94 Civic.

 

^^Well, that is wrong, unless you have your A/C turned on all the time.

You have one radiator fan, it turns on at like 195°F or something like that. /story. The second fan (driver side) should only turn on when you engage A/C.

 

Yeah on 1992-2000 models the engine cooling and the A/C are completely independent systems.

The radiator fan is activated by the temperature of the coolant leaving the radiator, not the temperature of the engine. When it gets to about 160 the fan comes on because that shows the radiator is not shedding enough heat.

 

Thanks! Do you think the problem could be the sending unit at the thermostat, cause i couldn't get any continuity.

 

What part did you replace then? The thermal switch on the thermostat housing is responsible for starting the fan. You can remove it and test it in hot water, but sometimes they are intermittent and might test good once. Also consider that the plug may not be making good contact, a new plug may be needed. Running the fan all the time is not good because the motor will wear out prematurely and it's about a $150 part.

 

i always wire my fan up direct, for peice of mind. never had problems with fan motors burning.