[happysails2you]

Has anyone else had problems with their engine fan not shutting off properly? We replaced the relay and it still happens sometimes (maybe 15% of the time). Usually (not always), if the fan doesn't shut off, I can turn the car on and off a few times, or push the AC button, and the engine fan shuts off. Today, in 40-something degree weather, my fan came on (odd, since I'd only gone about 25 miles) but then would not shut off, even with my above mentioned tricks. I just let the fan run and headed for lunch with friends, assuming it would shut itself off eventually.



It did, but only because it drained the battery and died. (I have been away for 2 weeks, so the battery may have been a bit weak too, although I have driven the car since my return.)



Thank goodness, I had recently read the posts about how to get into the trunk with no battery (thanks guys!) so I could dig out my jumper cables (which will now always be kept in the stowage cubbies) and jump started the car. As soon as we turned on the other person's car, my fan came on (along with the alarm system, requiring a quick turn of the key in the doorlock), and my 968 finally started after a few tries.



Other than taking the relay out altogether next time this fan problem happens, does anyone have any other suggestions for me about this fan problem? Do other 968's have this fan issue? (Didn't see "fan" in any of my searches here.) With the temp's today, I didn't see a need for the fan to be on at all....is there a sensor that may have gone bad? There seems to be no consistent pattern to the fan coming on or shutting off properly.



Also, flash, I remembered you said to remove the vent on driver's side to reach in to pull the trunk cable, but I couldn't figure out how to get the vent off. Thankfully, today, the rear seat back was loose so I could get into the trunk through that, but would have been hosed otherwise.



Thanks guys!

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[Anchorman]

If the relay is good (I had the "fan on all the time" problem several years ago and it was cured by replacing the relay), then I think it can only be a defective temperature switch. These are known to fail. I haven't had to replace mine, but I'm sure you'll get lots of expert advice. I do find that my fans come on at times that I don't expect them to, such as after driving for a little while in cool weather, so that part seems not unusual.



The vent on the driver's side B-pillar is held in place with a little plastic button in the center of either the top or bottom of the piece (depends on which way it was installed - and I don't know which way is "right"). Moving this button towards the main part of the plastic vent releases that edge from the body's sheet metal and allows the vent to be removed from the opening. Inside the cavity that becomes accessible is a looped of cable that, when pulled, releases the lock and opens the trunk lid.



If you don't want to fool with it, we can do this at Hershey.

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[Dean]

Yes, I had the 'fans on' problem recently.

I removed the relay to stop the fans & noticed it would click each time so I thought it would probably be the thermal switch that screws into the radiator's side tank that has failed. I replaced this switch before the relay as its a lot cheaper. Problem fixed <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Hope this helps

Dean.

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[RPM]

Yup, temp switch. Though, the new relay could also be faulty. To shut off the fan immediately you can just pull the fuse.

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[Harvey]

[quote name='RPM' post='33770' date='Apr 6 2007, 05:41 AM']Yup, temp switch. Though, the new relay could also be faulty. To shut off the fan immediately you can just pull the fuse.[/quote]



On my 928 it was a temp switch gone bad....ran the battery flat every time...and it was an intermittent problem.



H2

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[happysails2you]

Thanks guys! Sounds like the temperature sensor/switch. I'll have a look at that. We replaced the relay with a new one last month, but I still had the fan problem later during the day that I picked up the car, so my mechanic put my old one back in since it didn't seem to be the problem (and it was $125 part that apparently wasn't needed right now). So I'll have him check out the sensor and put in a new one. I kind of figured this is one of those 968 quirks, so it's good to know others have had this intermittent problem too. It's more of an annoyance than anything.



Anchorman, thanks for the tip -- I'll play with the vent today to be sure I can open it up for future reference. But you can still fool with my car in Hershey! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Harvey]

On my 928, the fan would come on an hour or so after I parked the car in the garage...and would run the battery flat. There are a couple of sensors on the 928 so it wasn't easy to track down. I've not had the problem on the 968.....yet.



Harvey

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[Ryan]

It is a cheap $23.00 part and made by VW. You can actually get one at any import parts place. They come in temp. ranges though. You can get one above or below normal temp trip range. So if your car has been running on the warm side you can get the one that makes the fans come on earlier and keeps thing cooler.

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[happysails2you]

Thanks for all the input. Problem fixed. New temperature sensor/switch did the trick. Seems to be working fine now.



Love you guys! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wub.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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