Clarky3rdNut 13 Posted March 4, 2015 Hi all. So my rad fan decides that it wants to run at full kilter permanently. Even without the key in the ignition. I have done a little research and believe it could be related to the switch on the side of the rad. Can they be cleaned/repaired? Or is it a case of replacing? Disconnecting the battery every time I park is an inconvenience! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackherer 543 Posted March 4, 2015 It is either the switch in the rad or the wiring has been damaged somewhere. Unplug the switch in the rad and if the fan goes off the switch is at fault. They can't be repaired but replacements are very cheap and if you are fast you wont lose much coolant when you swap them over... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clarky3rdNut 13 Posted March 6, 2015 Thank you very much for the response. I'll have a look this weekend and hope it's a knackered switch rather than poorly wires. ..as for being fast, I'd better make sure I have a bucket to hand!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clarky3rdNut 13 Posted April 16, 2015 Finally got around to sorting this today. Fan switch just like you said so very grateful, and very little coolant lost. One thing though, took it out for a quick test this evening and it does get up to temp pretty quick. I'm talking within 15 mins. I know it's warm out tonight but it's not summer yet. The fan remained on for at least 15 mins after I switched off. Is this normal even in this climate? I checked the bleeds and had flow. It was all very hot, the gauge never went beyond half way (not sure if I can trust it though) and I was driving steadily without racing the engine or getting stuck in any jams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daviewonder 533 3 Cars Posted April 16, 2015 It's normal for the fan to stay on for quite a while after the ignition is turned off. I lost count of the amount of times people came into my work saying "The fan's stuck on on your 205". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hoodygoodwood 70 3 Cars Posted April 17, 2015 There are lots of different rad fan switches available for different models , they switch the fan on/off and different temperatures . The later type have a coloured band round the switch and sometimes the temp rating stamped into the brass body . GTI's are normally red and have the highest temps ( and a hi low setting - hence the 3 pins rather than 2 of the single setting ) The cheapest ones on Ebay tend to be lower temp range so the fan will come on sooner and stay on longer . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clarky3rdNut 13 Posted April 17, 2015 Thanks for the replies chaps. It's definitely the later style, it's got a coloured band and a blue 3 Pin in-line plug. It was quite a bit more expensive than the others too. I guess since the fan switches on and off by itself, I can't complain as the switch is doing its job. As for my cooling system, well despite a flush a couple of months ago, it could still be very inefficient and until I get round to my strip and rebuild, I'll keep an eye on the temp/fan activity and hope I don't blow up! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
