Castrol86GXL

ok i got a cooling fan from a 2nd gen escort i think and i wanted it for my rx7 but when i put it on it keeps frying switches and i put in a fuse for it 25 amp and it still does it HOW MUCH AMPS does that fan draw?!?!? on high setting only. what would i need to set it upto a switch for my rx7? because ive heard i needed a relay but a 45amp relay??? thats one huge relay. what do i need to do to hook it upto a 20amp max switch? please help quick my car always overheats

NZConvertible

No electric fan should be run by a switch. It should only ever be run straight from the battery via a fuse and relay. A generic 30A automotive relay from any autoparts store is sufficient. The relay should be controlled by a thermoswitch, NOT a manual switch.

Fingers

Get a bosch type relay. I will find you a wiring diagram, but in the mean time, GET THE DAMN RELAY. You should not use a switch anyway.

Kenteth

Diagram with instructions is on the way,just waiting for FP to finish uploading...

jgrts20

my suggestion is to connect a thermoswitch, therefore the fan will only work when needed(kinda like the new cars r setup)!1 im puttin an electric fan on mine out of a Saturn!!

Kenteth

http://www.sd-fc3s.net/mod-efan.htm
finished, wrote up a quick context too. note that this will run your fan whenever the engine is on, and is not switched by a temperature sensor. This is ok for summer, but if you're in a cold environment for winter, consider installing a temp switch later.

Castrol86GXL

well can i just hook it upto the original cooling fan wire??? because i spliced those off and wired them to my electric fan and all it does it burn the fuse

Capn' Wankel

I have an e fan installed from the junkyard off a turbo daytona.... I have it runnin to a 35 amp switch mounted on the side of the center console. Works great. There are many FAFracing members with an e fan and switch. Not a problem although you have to be pretty hardcore and always keep your eye on the guages.

On hot days (every day in Tampa...) I typically let the car warm up nad then turn the fan on and just leave it on for stop and go traffic. But when I get on large lightless straights where I get up to 50+ mph I turn the fan off. When on the expressway I turn the fan off as well. I would rather not leave the fate of my rotory to a thermostat and I don't mind having to manually switch the fan on and off.

-Lee

PS- I am pretty hardcore though and dont even listen to my radio while I am in the car anymore because I like to hear what my car is doing and am always aware of my guages and what they are telling me.

Kenteth

I believe the only oringal efan wire was for the ac fan. I doubt that circuit would be relaible enough to power a bigger efan. For that matter you would still need a switch for it because the ac fan only kicks in when the ac system is pressurized and running warm.

The total cost of doing this safely is about $6.00 and about 45 minutes, 15 minutes if you're experienced with wiring things.

Otherwise you are
1: blowing fuses ($4.00 for a pack for 4)
2: Melting wires ($2.00 for 4 feet)
3: Possibly causing circuits to short (min. 5 hours per circuit to track down and rewire)
4: Possibly causing a fire that eats your engine and entire car ($1000-$10000).

Also, few togle switches I have seen that you buy at radio shack or the like are rated over 5amps. This means when you run a 20amp efan, the 5 amp rocker switch will be running 15amps over par. Just enough for it to internaly combust shorting out your efan circuit, which if wasn't fused will cost you your efan, and possibly your battery.

If you are trying to find an easy way out of wiring, put the stock clutch fan back on.

Otherwise, enjoy the fact that you've got an efan thats set up properly. I still run mine off a relayed ignition and haven't had a bit of trouble. I'm by no means a genius or craftsman. If I could do this mod, and write a cheesy webpage about how to do it, theres no reason you can't.

j200pruf

iTrader: (4)

Hey all, could you hook up the fan to a thermo switch as well as a manual toggle switch, where even if the thermo unit died you could still turn it on with the manual switch?

Castrol86GXL

ok i bought a relay but it has 5 prongs to it it has a 30, 85, 86 ,87 and a 87a well i hooked it up and it only works with the 87 not 87a and 15 amp fuses wont take it i wasted 5 on it. secondly do you think i could jump to 20 amps because a 25 works in there. if i wire it fine then run the 87 back to the batt with a 20 amp switch with another 20 amp relay would that be fine??? with the 20 amp fuse going to the relay too. so ill have 2 fuses.

Scott 89t2

if you don't understand basic electronics or a relay and switch... you shouldn't be screwing around...

your fan is probably drawing 10-15 amps. a normal switch will take like 1-2... it'll draw more when it starts up. so I'd run a 25-30 amp fuse.

with the relay hooked up. your switch will only see 0.1 amps now. and I have no idea why you would have 2 fuses.

battery --> fuse --> relay ---> switch and fan.

relay needs 4 of the 5 prongs. power in (battery), ign in (power source with keys on), out to fan +, and one to switch and then from switch to ground.

and then ground the fan.

Castrol86GXL

someone please post where the ignition switch wire is because i cant find it.

Rob500

I don't know how your fan is rated but the Spal Fan rated at 2300 cfm draws 21 amps.

Rob

Kenteth

Had you read the webpage you would know where this is a ignition switched posetive.

And I stand corrected, I must have a very low amp fan. Use a 25 amp fuse. If it blows a 25 or 30 though, its probably a wiring problem.

and for reference

A fuse works like this

A fuse is rated by which amperage it will cut power at. A 15 amp fuse will cut the continuity when 15.1 amps are being pulled through it. If your fan motor requires 25amps to wind up, it will overpower the 15 amp fuse and the fuse will stop continuity. Using a 30 amp fuse will not stop contiunity and allow a full 25 amps to flow through it. However if 30.1 amp load is pulled, the fuse will stop the continuity. Fuses protect cars from fires, and keep you from frying things.

Now... remember that switch you had, maybe rated 5amps. If you were pulling25 amps through it, its 20 over par. A 5amp fuse could have been safely put in front of the switch to keep the switch from frying. But than also your fan woudln't work.


And on a final note, if you still want to use a manaul switch, wire it in with the ignition relayed switch. This will mean you will still have to be **** about remembering the switch, but won't kill your battery, or you can just leave it on all the time and turn it off on startups to save voltage and for faster warmup.

Oh, and for your relay having 5 prongs. It is a relay designed for headlights, or dual powering systems. instead of using 87a, you use 87.

Kenteth

and please tell me you used spades on the relay...

Castrol86GXL

spades???

NZConvertible

The auxillary electric fan runs anytime the A/C is switched on OR if the coolant temp exceeds 207degF.

Kenteth is right about the capacity if the stock e-fan's circuit. It should be left alone. It's designed to work independant of the main fan and works perfectly doing so. Don't hack it up to run another electric fan.

I'd really like to attach a wiring diagram (mine's a bit clearer than Kenteth's ), but the server won't let me.
I recommend using a thermoswitch (if you've read the other e-fan thread you'll know why), but I STRONGLY recommend against using a manual switch. No matter how clever you think you are, one day you will forget, and it could cost you an engine. Your cooling system is too important to be anything other that completely automatic in its operation. If you can't be bothered with a thermoswitch, wire the fan to run constantly. It's not ideal, but it's a lot safer than a manual switch.

Kenteth

NZVert you can send it to kenteth@xfury.net, ill just host it on the server. And mine is perfectly clear if you draw in crayons and you are good at guessing acronymns!

Kenteth

They are peieces of metal that slide right over the terminals on the relay. As opposed to... like trying to tape them or sodder them.

NZConvertible

OK, got it to work. Here's how you wire up the relay:



The A/C wire's only required if you don't have the stock auxillary electric fan in front of the A/C condensor, but it isn't absolutely necessary. A handy source for the switched ignition is the green 6-pin diagnostic plug next to the battery. Double check your fan's current draw when selecting the fuse size.

PPC-Racing

I can't beleive no ones mentoned that if castrol here apparently doesn't know the first thing about electrical wireing in a car.. ( as someones mentioned, fires are caused this way ) perhapos he should do some reading and learn about about the process before he runs off like a ricer with a new toy and blows himself and more importantly others up. Amazon should have some books on basic automotive repair and in particular electronics and wiring.
I don't know about the rest of you but I usually try to learn as much about something , before I go and do it..

and an escort fan is NOT, i repeat NOT going to draw enought CFM for a rotary. I work on them all the time, the first thing to upgraded in the cooling system when adding anything more then say 25hp is the FAN, it's the weakest link. poor chioce of fans... I think maybe a Vitz or Swift fan could be the only thing worse..

j200pruf

iTrader: (4)

Does anyone know if you can have both a manual toggle switch and a thermo switch that could both turn on the fan independanly(sp)?

thanks

SonicRaT

iTrader: (6)

Yes, just run two wires off the negative line, one to a switch, and the other to the thermoswitch, whichever one grounds firsts, wins and starts the fan.

NZConvertible

If you follow my diagram above, you'd need to run one wire from the switch to pin 85 and one from the switch to a 12V supply. This would give the relay's coil two potential sources of power, and which ever is switched on will operate the relay.