The cooling fan is an element of the engine cooling system, the task of which is to ensure the forced passage of air through the main radiator of the cooling system, thereby causing more intensive cooling of the antifreeze in the engine system.
The rotation of the fan is carried out by a drive.
The drive comes in three types:
- Mechanical - the simplest type. It is a permanent drive from the crankshaft via a belt drive. The fan starts simultaneously with the engine turning on. It is worth taking into account that this drive reduces the power of the motor, as it spends a lot of energy rotating the fan.
- Hydromechanical drive type, unlike the previous one, the blades are connected to the pulley using a fluid coupling.
- Electric - consists of a sensor, an electronic engine control unit, an engine start relay and the electric motor itself. The sensor records the temperature of the coolant in the engine. If the temperature rises above normal, the sensor transmits a signal to the electronic control unit, which in turn activates the fan relay.
Signs when a driver needs to contact a car service.
- Increase in engine temperature
- There is no characteristic sound of the fan operating, which is located in the engine compartment in front of the engine.
When contacting a car service center, the main thing is to carry out diagnostics, since very often a non-working fan is a consequence of a breakdown of other elements of the cooling system.
The main reasons that can lead to fan failure
- Natural wear and tear of the fan motor
- Faulty temperature sensor
- Damage to electrical wiring
- Defective thermostat
- Defective fan relay
- Blown fuse
If the engine temperature rises and the fan does not work, then the following may be a temporary solution:
- turn off the air conditioner
- turn on the interior air blower at full power and the heater to the maximum heating position
With such actions, the antifreeze will begin to cool down in the radiator of the cabin heater; this temporary solution will help avoid engine damage in an emergency, but will not eliminate the root cause of overheating.
