Electric Fan for AC
12-23-09, 06:28 AM
#1
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Electric Fan for AC
hey so i recently got my AC charged and the AC guy said i need a electric fan for my AC condenser cuz not enough air is getting there and if i run it too much i might kill my AC parts. So that being said, after searching for hours on the forums, i cant find anything. if anyone has a link to an older thread or if anyone knows what fan/fans i should be getting, can someone let me know, i want to use my AC now that i actually have it. by the way he said flex a lite should be fine, but i wanted to see if there were higher end fans or something that might work better. Also, an installation write up link would be cool if it exists. i couldnt find it.
12-23-09, 07:35 AM
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my car is still on R12, i dont know if it came with a fan on the condensor, but it doesnt have one now. do you know if it would work to try like a flex a lite black magic or something? he said fans would cost like 70-80 but the flex a lites are quite a bit more. im not sure what im supposed to do...
12-23-09, 09:20 AM
#4
How long has it been since you pulled the radiator and checked that area for buildup?
That small space between the rad and the condenser can/will clog up with leaves and debris quite easily.
Assuming that's OK, the stock rad fan should pull enough air through the rad/condenser sandwich.
If not, see if the foam sealing strips have degraded and are allowing air to be pulled from the sides instead of through the cores.
The stock "helper" fan for the condenser is somewhat of a joke.
It's not all that large and it's "pusher" configuration is not very efficient and blocks airflow when not running.
That small space between the rad and the condenser can/will clog up with leaves and debris quite easily.
Assuming that's OK, the stock rad fan should pull enough air through the rad/condenser sandwich.
If not, see if the foam sealing strips have degraded and are allowing air to be pulled from the sides instead of through the cores.
The stock "helper" fan for the condenser is somewhat of a joke.
It's not all that large and it's "pusher" configuration is not very efficient and blocks airflow when not running.
12-23-09, 10:29 AM
#5
The stock clutch fan will pull enough air if the radiator / condenser are in good enough shape and not full of debris, as clokker mentioned. S4 manual NAs never had that tiny aux. fan at all, but work just fine with A/C on. The aux. fan was just a turbo/automatic thing.
12-23-09, 02:45 PM
#6
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doesnt the stock clutch type radiator fan only engage when the motor is hot? i was told the fan wasnt pulling enough air or something when the motor wasn't hot. would switching to an e-fan just fix this? say a black magic 160 since its has like the most CFM? im kinda worried about trying to run the AC without another fan cuz its taken like 8 months to re piece back the AC system and i dont wanna have to do it again. Also, the radiator is pretty new because i bought the car with a rebuilt engine and he said its a new copper radiator 8 months new.
Another question i have is if i do need an aux fan, how long can i run the AC for per trip without killing any ac parts? will there be a sound or something that i can sense to tell me when to stop the AC? thanks for all the help everyone btw.
Another question i have is if i do need an aux fan, how long can i run the AC for per trip without killing any ac parts? will there be a sound or something that i can sense to tell me when to stop the AC? thanks for all the help everyone btw.
12-23-09, 03:01 PM
#7
The stock thermoclutch fan always spins but progressively "locks up" and pulls more air as the rad exhales hotter air (i.e., the engine warms).
If your part is original, it's certainly possible it's more or less just freewheeling and not locking up as it should.
Good luck finding a decent used one- in fact, I'd guess that the expense/difficulty finding a good one is probably a main reason so many opt for efans.
If your part is original, it's certainly possible it's more or less just freewheeling and not locking up as it should.
Good luck finding a decent used one- in fact, I'd guess that the expense/difficulty finding a good one is probably a main reason so many opt for efans.
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12-23-09, 03:41 PM
#8
Did the "AC guy" give you any reason why he thought the system needed more airflow? If the car doesn't overheat with the AC on, you're fine. The tiny aux. fan is not there to cool the AC condenser, it's there to augment the radiator fan and allow slightly more flow through the radiator. This is especially true at low RPMs such as idle. The stock clutch fan pulls more air than a black magic 160, so putting one in is not going to give you better cooling. You can overkill with something powerful like the Taurus fan, but then you also need a bigger alternator.
12-23-09, 07:51 PM
#10
You don't need an extra fan
Ok, let's break it down:
IF your A/C is charged with R12,
AND the system is in good repair, properly charged and a clean condenser,
AND your oem fan clutch is working properly,
AND you have the shroud on the oem fan,
THEN there is no need for the extra fan.
WHY then does the A/C guy seem to think you need the extra fan?
The *only* reason would be high head pressures.
Possible Causes of High Head Pressures:
Assuming you have high head pressures:
Your system could be overcharged-
Your system could be plagued by a dirty condenser-
Your fan clutch could be defective-
Your fan shroud could be missing-
Your system may contain contaminated refrigerant (air, moisture, R134a etc)-
Your system may contain pure R134a in instead of R12 (by your tech or previous tech) -
You could have a blockage in the highside line, (say at the condenser inlet or the expansion valve?)
If any one of these troubles exist they will cause a high pressure problem.
Now let's cut to the chase:
These are simple, MVAC 101 problems.
Do you see a pattern here? Your tech is recommending a band-aid that will NOT solve the problem. He should solve the problem, not band-aid it. Fix the problem and you don't need the extra fan. Don't fix the problem, and the extra fan won't help anyway.
Do you see a pattern here? Your A/C guy is incompetent.
IF your A/C is charged with R12,
AND the system is in good repair, properly charged and a clean condenser,
AND your oem fan clutch is working properly,
AND you have the shroud on the oem fan,
THEN there is no need for the extra fan.
WHY then does the A/C guy seem to think you need the extra fan?
The *only* reason would be high head pressures.
Possible Causes of High Head Pressures:
Assuming you have high head pressures:
Your system could be overcharged-
Your system could be plagued by a dirty condenser-
Your fan clutch could be defective-
Your fan shroud could be missing-
Your system may contain contaminated refrigerant (air, moisture, R134a etc)-
Your system may contain pure R134a in instead of R12 (by your tech or previous tech) -
You could have a blockage in the highside line, (say at the condenser inlet or the expansion valve?)
If any one of these troubles exist they will cause a high pressure problem.
Now let's cut to the chase:
These are simple, MVAC 101 problems.
Do you see a pattern here? Your tech is recommending a band-aid that will NOT solve the problem. He should solve the problem, not band-aid it. Fix the problem and you don't need the extra fan. Don't fix the problem, and the extra fan won't help anyway.
Do you see a pattern here? Your A/C guy is incompetent.
12-24-09, 07:01 AM
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sure, ill take the fan even though most people say i dont need it. it will mainly be for peace of mind, how much do you want for it? i asked a local part out but the people dont seem to know what im talking about so i think they dont have one on their fc's. pm about the fan please. also, its irritating seeing the idiot cluster light up with "cooling fan" i keep reading it as low coolant or something and freak out. but i do love my r12, i ran it today at medium to high speeds and its hella cold. you wouldnt happen to have the A/C vents that go in the s5 center would you? you know the place the radio and AC logicon go? i forgot what its called... if so pm me please.
