I've been trying to resolve a radiator fan issue on my 2005 SRT6. Initially the issue was the fan wouldn't turn on at all, it was suggested to replace the fan and the fan control module. I did that and still the fan wouldn't turn on. I took it to my neighborhood auto mechanic and he said there was a bus fuse that had blown and that now the fan was coming on fine.

I thought great, that's finally fixed. Today I took the Crossfire into the city to visit a couple of customers, and when I drove home I was stuck in rush hour traffic. The car was running fine, and I glanced at the gauges on the dash and noticed that the temperature gauge was at about 90%....yikes! I turned on the heater and that helped drop the temp down to about half or so, and I was almost home so I decided to continue home. When I got home, I left the car running, and opened the hood thinking the fan wasn't on again, and it was on full blast, spinning so loud it was louder then the engine. Not only that, but it had gotten so hot, that it melted the front radiator grille, it melted it outwards. I was thinking that perhaps the fan was connected backwards, and instead of sucking cool air from outside to the inside to cool the engine down, that it was actually blowing outward, not cooling the engine and acting as a heat gun on the radiator grille and melting it.

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Any thoughts on what's going on? At least I know my fan is running, but clearly it's the engine is getting very hot. Is it possible the fan is backwards?

Thanks!
Brian

 

Holy Smokes Brian, that is the first I've heard of heat causing the front grill to melt! That is extreme heat for certain. Have you eliminated a failed thermostat, trapped air in the system, proper fill, etc.? I'm not certain, but I think it's possible for the electric fan motor to run in reverse if it's out of phase. Beyond that, I can't elaborate. Too bad you didn't notice the air flow when you opened the hood to check. On another note: I was just there today in Brentwood and got detailed at a place on Balfour! Came home tonight after a stay with the daughter and son-in-law off of Sandcreek. Wish I could be of more help, hope you can figure it out, let us know!

 

Start the car, turn the A/C on and the fan will run slowly, about 30-60 rpm. What do you observe? Is it backwards?

If so, the positive and negative from the FCM to fan is backwards - HOW that could be, I don't know, but that is all that explains it. DC motors like that one are very simple, they spin as to polarity of the DC source.

 

Mark, the DC from the fan control module is 2 pins in that big white multi pin connector, don't see how those 2 could possibly be reversed.
However, the fan connector by the radiator is 2 pins although keyed.
I suppose a very determined and equally stupid mechanic might be able to make that connection backward.

 

If he bought a new assembly, I couild see that two pin plug being wired backwards right from the manufacturer. A quick test would show the fan runs, but in the wrong direction - if the $9 an hour person doing the testing cares as much as most $9 an hour employees, then I can sure see it happening.

Care to hear about the stuff we've shipped wrong, out of "Wrong Beach, California"?

 

Didn't think of that. You are probably correct, a manufacturing defect.

 

That's funny. Sounds like a Chinese tourist looking for directions in L.A.; "Where Wrong Beach?

 

These grilles are made from ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate) and the temperature of a hot radiator is enough to cause the part to distort. Heat distortion temperature is what they call it. For this material it ranges from 180 to 220 degrees F.
That is one mess you have there, if the distortion was only on one side it would look like an Elvis Presley sneer.

 

You could always check the direction of rotation the way I did.

 

Well, since you paid the price, which way DOES it rotate ?

 

There will be an arrow on the shroud that points to the right on ours. It was spinning to the left. P.O. had not only flipped the plug but had switched the wires on the fan side of the plug. thankfully there is a #1 and #2 on both plugs to confirm correct wire and connector engagement. I made the correct adjustments so that another mechanic that is not as sharp as I will be able to re-connect.

 

And THAT'S why we need a $15/hr minimum wage. THIS would NEVER happen if you were paying more...

 

I'm all for the $15./hr. minimum wage, but those current $9/hr. numb nuts will simply be getting paid more. Or will they suddenly get smarter and care more?

 

I agree!! Just means the same dumbass getting paid more.

 

No one can survive on $9 an hour, the minimum wage is an insult and people are tempted to go on welfare.
We have the same thing up here too, not all of us are smart and able to cope with modern technology, the jobs these people did back the day have been given to the Chinese. Thank all the shoppers at KMart for the lost jobs.
Employers these days do not want to train anybody, if you do not know how to do the job you are out of luck, no training so the best that they can get is a minimum wage job, why should they care. The $9 an hour does not buy loyalty, they could be fired before they earn the next $9, so who can blame them? Not me . Treating people like that leads to crime.

 

An idiot is an idiot no matter what they are making an hour. You cannot legislate stupid out of people.




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I have said it over and over, with people going to WalMart (where the only reason to shop is the low price) you cannot expect manufacturers to not do what they can to compete - in the drive to the bottom in prices, it can be very easy to see why they'd want to utilize the cheapest labor they can find - to satisfy the cheap consumer.

EVERYONE blames someone else, but it is a consumer driven economy.