AC Delete = No Fan?...

[Shelbyz26]

So I tanked a deer with my 88 Shelby Z about two weeks ago. Had to replace bumper cover, light assembly, and unkink my hood and fender. While I had the front clip off I was eyeing up all that open space in front of the bumper and visualizing the big NPR I picked up a couple years ago sitting nicely in there. Long story short I ended up just leaving the stock setup in there but I did decide to yank the AC system that has just been dead weight for the past seven years. I asked around the boards before to see if this would affect the cooling system/fan cycles at all and was told numerous times it wouldn't so I pulled everything. Got the car back together and took it for a drive but after 25 mins or so the temp is steadily creeping up and my fan isn't kicking on. So I brought it home and parked it, check the codes and I have a 22 and a 33. I don't have power to the fan at all. Also earlier the car was surging when we first started it up so we put a little jumper wire in the AC pigtail on the harness to just loop power through it since it was just hanging out and this seemed to fix the surging but it may be causing more problems.
If anyone has any suggestions or experience with doing an AC delete I'd appreciate the input. Thanks

Matt

[turbovanman²]

Removing the A/C won't affect the fan unless you remove it. Code 22 is your coolant switch is reading low, THIS will stop the fan coming on as the computer will never see it as running hot, this will also make it surge. Disconnect the coolant sensor with the engine running and if the fan comes on and sets code 21 I believe, replace the sensor.

[Shelbyz26]

I forgot to mention I saw about unplugging that sensor in another thread and tried it but the fan still didn't come on. I also switched AC relays with my other Z which runs fine and nothing changed. I'll try the sensor unplug again and see if that works though. Thanks

Matt

[turbovanman²]

I forgot to mention I saw about unplugging that sensor in another thread and tried it but the fan still didn't come on. I also switched AC relays with my other Z which runs fine and nothing changed. I'll try the sensor unplug again and see if that works though. Thanks

Matt

Well then check for power at the fan, it could be you removed the fan relay by accident. If no power then check the fusible links, they tend to blow, over by the drivers strut tower.

[JeremyL]

Check the relay and fusible links. I had a problem a couple years ago with the fan AND the A/C not kicking on, and it was the relay on the strut tower. That one relay controls the cooling fan AND the A/C.

[Dave]

Back probe the coolant temp sensor and see what the voltage is while it's in operating temperature.

But if you unplugged the CTS and the fan still didn't come on, I'd say your fan motor could be shot. Agreed with Simon, check fan voltage with the CTS unplugged. It could be so low that it can't spin the motor.

Also, this doesn't apply to our cars since we have a cylcing clutch system, but if it were the newer systems that cylce the fan, I'd say this "could" be the problem. But they, most of the time, have an independent fan on the condensor with no relation to the radiator fan.

[Shelbyz26]

Well I tried pulling the coolant sensor again with no result. Also tried swapping the AC relay from my other Z and this still did nothing. I ran a wire from my pos terminal to the fan and it works fine so now I'm not sure where to check. I did a quick check of all the fusible links I could see and they seem fine too. Any suggestions? Thanks

Matt

[turbovanman²]

Well I tried pulling the coolant sensor again with no result. Also tried swapping the AC relay from my other Z and this still did nothing. I ran a wire from my pos terminal to the fan and it works fine so now I'm not sure where to check. I did a quick check of all the fusible links I could see and they seem fine too. Any suggestions? Thanks

Matt

You've got a blown fusible link that supplies power to the rad fan relay. Sometimes the links look fine when there really blown.

[Shelbyz26]

Thanks man. It's pourin here now and I don't have a garage so if it lets up at all tomorrow I'll get that fixed.

Matt

[Dave]

Or if youre lazy just run a toggle switch from a 12v power to a switch then to the fans power wire. ;)

[turbovanman²]

Or if youre lazy just run a toggle switch from a 12v power to a switch then to the fans power wire. ;)


Not really a good idea but an ok temp one.

[Shelbyz26]

Haha...well to be honest I did think of doin that for awhile before I asked you guys since my other Z has a bad power wire to the starter and has to be coast/push started and is my DD. If car problems didn't come in multiples I wouldn't know what to do with myself...

Matt

[Shelbyz26]

Well you guys definitely called it...fusible link. Found it about an hour ago, stripped the wire ends and it promptly started pouring again. Oh well at least I know where the problem is now. Thanks again guys.

Matt

[Dave]

Way to call it, Simon! Glad to see you found it. :thumb:

[Shelbyz26]

Hmm....well I have an unfortunate update. I eliminated the fusible link last night. Test drove the car and the fan cycled on fine and the overheating problem was gone. Drove the car for 2 hours with no problems. Woke up this morning, started the car, drove about half a mile and smelled burning wires. By the time I pulled off the car had shut off and smoke was pouring out from under the hood. All the wiring into both the A/C and fan relays is torched and it goes the entire way to the fan and A/C pigtails. Sooo my car is out of commission once again.....the saga continues

Matt

[JeremyL]

Check the amperage draw on your fan & on your A/C clutch, I bet one is pulling too much current. I had that problem with another TD of mine one time. Luckily it just melted the plug at the relay & about 3 inches of wire. I changed out the fan for another one I had and spliced in a new section of wire & plug & the problem went away.

[Turbodave]

Sounds like something is either shorting out or drawing a ton of current like Jeremy said. Fusible links don't usually blow unless something else in the system is messed up.

[turbovanman²]

Hmm....well I have an unfortunate update. I eliminated the fusible link last night. Test drove the car and the fan cycled on fine and the overheating problem was gone. Drove the car for 2 hours with no problems. Woke up this morning, started the car, drove about half a mile and smelled burning wires. By the time I pulled off the car had shut off and smoke was pouring out from under the hood. All the wiring into both the A/C and fan relays is torched and it goes the entire way to the fan and A/C pigtails. Sooo my car is out of commission once again.....the saga continues

Matt

I know you know this now but NEVER delete a fuse or fusible link, you see what happens. I would venture to say your fan is fubar and drawing way to much amperage.

[Shelbyz26]

Haha well yeah you could say that....where would I go about getting another fusible link?

[turbovanman²]

Haha well yeah you could say that....where would I go about getting another fusible link?

Autoparts stores, electric supply places. You usually get it by the foot, something like $3 a ft or something silly.