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Electric fan question

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Old 12-04-04, 10:44 AM
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Electric fan question

I put an electric fan in my 84 gs and i wired it up to use with a toggle switch on the dash( i know nobody recommends this). I wanted the switch so that in the mornings i can leave the fan off and get the heater warmed up and working then switch it on when i drive. Anyways where can i attach the power wire to so that the fan will only work when the car is running? Right now i have to manually shut it off and i have no problem doing it but if someone else drives my car they wont............. The way its wired up now is direct with a fuse and toggle switch. I know better than to try to tie it into the fuse panel under the dash so that why i ask. Is there anything under the hood i can tie it into where it only runs when the car is running and i can still use my toggle switch to turn it off when im on the highway? Thanks guys, Karson
Old 12-04-04, 10:51 AM
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use a multimeter and turn the key to acc find a power wire then turn the key off if the power goes off then your good to guy i have mine wired to a wire on the driver side and it is working out just fine.
Old 12-04-04, 01:32 PM
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Most electric fans are controlled by a thermal switch, so that they only come on once a certain temp is reached. This would eliminate the need for the toggle switch and you wouldn't have to worry about turning it off when you get out of the car. What the hell do you need a heater for in Texas anyway????
Old 12-04-04, 02:14 PM
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$30 will buy you a universal thermal switch kit just like I used on my car and it worked fine. The fan wouldnt come on until after the car was warm, and shut down around 185° to keep it the needle where I liked it and the engine in the normal operating range. I had mine wired so that the fan would run even after the car was shut off until the water in the rad was cooled down. Mainly because I was too lazy to search for a wire to splice into :P

If you dont want to do that, do what someone else mentioned and use a multimeter to find a wire somewhere. The coil power wires only have power when the key is on (engine running basically).

~T.J.
Old 12-04-04, 09:31 PM
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I just have the fan wires jammed into the battery terminals........this is by far the pimpest setup for an e-fan.............







--Alex
Old 12-05-04, 01:42 AM
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Connect the + wire to any of the coils + terminal, then put a switch on the ground wire. But as usual, I prefer adding a fog lights relay so you dont burn the electric motor.
Old 12-05-04, 08:52 AM
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Originally Posted by dblboinger
Most electric fans are controlled by a thermal switch, so that they only come on once a certain temp is reached. This would eliminate the need for the toggle switch and you wouldn't have to worry about turning it off when you get out of the car. What the hell do you need a heater for in Texas anyway????
Yeah ! Why not like this ?
Old 12-05-04, 09:01 AM
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You can setup a relay inline with your switch. One wire comes from IGN, one from +12, one to the switch for the fan, and one to gnd. At least, I am pretty sure that's how it goes. That's what I would do if I wasnt going to get the thermal switch. When you shut off the car, the fan will turn off regardless of switch position.
Old 12-05-04, 11:34 AM
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Thanks for the help guys. I ended up doing what was suggested and wired the power wire to one of the coils and that took care of my question. The only thing i noticed is that when i leave the fan on and shut the car off the car doesnt turn off as fast....... Its like it makes a few more revolutions before shutting off.... And the tach plays a little game......... I dont plan on leaving the fan on when i shut the car off so im not too concerned.... but i wanted the added security incase someone else drives it.

dblboinger-What the hell do you need a heater for in Texas anyway????

Haha i understand yall northerners have alot more cold than us but ive got to leave for school everymorning at about 6.30 our time here and this past thursday it was 28 degrees outside so id like to think thats plenty cold enough for a heater..... We get cold here......... just not as cold as yall do. Its warmed up since then already and as a result im sick, i get sick everyyear around this time thanks to the constant temp changes. I was out washing bam bam in 34 degrees a couple days ago Now thats determination
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