Has anyone done both mods?

Any reason not to do both?

 

I'm not sure why you would want to.... I started to do the normal fan mod, however, when I used the ECU wire it didn't turn on the fans for me (even have the switch mounted).

I could have at that point done the Disney Fan mod, but at that point I figured I would do the Miata Switch. I'd rather have something more "automatic" personally, so that one fits me better. Now I just need to find something to do with this useless switch I have mounted.

 

as a note to the miata thermo-switch, the ford probe does NOT have the same connector. the earlier model miatas have the same connector, but i actually got my connector off a 626. you can get a terminal and rig it, but i wanted it to look stock.

i've thought about putting a toggle switch to the fans so i can cycle the temps down before shut off, but i have yet to see that its worth it, dont want unecessary switchs and it seems like overkill.
the miata switch and popping the hood at shut down is what i'm sticking too

 

if i were to do one i would do the therm-switch...manually turning it on is a PITA and as someone pointed out blow air while the coolant isn't circulating is not that useful.

i asked a while back if the ecu on the newer models in japan are set to turn on the fan at lower temps than ours, and the reply was no, so i'm thinking after all these years if mazda is keeping the temp same why should i bother with it. the previous owner didn't do any modifications and his engine has lasted 105k miles.

 

The cooler my car runs, the better. It's nice to have some control. That's why most of us prefer to have a manual tranny.






Any air cirulating thru the engine after shut off will help to cool it. Air going thru the radiator at 200 degrees is much cooler than the air around the exhaust and turbos. In addition, I don't generally like to leave my hood open when I go out to dinner or the movies, or any where.



I'm not saying that the Miata thermoswitch is a bad thing. I'm saying that the fan mod has advantages.

Anyone else think that I don't get it?

 

The only thing is can possibly do is run the fans for a few minutes after you turn the key off. If those few mintes are going to supercool your motor and turbos by blowing heated air in, great.

In case you missed it the first time Miata thermoswitch: Screws in place of original sensor in coolant neck. Connects with one wire. Easy. Stock. Simple. Elegant. Works without you having to instruct it to work. Won't forget to work. Won't forget to turn on or off. Does not require you to modify your interior.

 

my fans come on all the time by itself, especially if i leave the car "idleing" after a drive and they stay on after i turn the car off. so i don't really think i need to do the fan mod. i'm also getting the dataloggit in another 2 weeks and i'll just use that to turn them on.

 

Yeah, what he said

 

Once again............. I don't think the Miata thermoswitch is a bad thing.

If you had bothered to read the thread that I attached, you would have found that some people did a lot of testing of underhood temperatures after shutdown of the engine. By running the fans for 10 minutes after shutdown, underhood temperatures were significantly reduced. This is significant because of all of the rubber under the hood. Reducing under hood temps after shutdown will significantly extend the life of all of those vacuum hoses that get brittle and fail.

The fan mod doesnt do anything out on the open road. Neither does the miata switch. If I am driving in stop and go traffic, I can turn on the fans and keep the engine temperature under 185. With the miata switch, the engine will go to 205. Some people would prefer to keep it lower.

I think I am going to install the Miata switch, and keep my fan mod. It sounds like a good combination.

Adam

 

ditto

 

Sounds like a good idea to me.

on a side note, when the fans are running after shutdown, the air will only be warm for a fairly short period of time (around a minute IIRC). once the coolant in the radiator cools (it doesn't take long, especially with the negligable volume of the stock radiator), the fans will blow cool air through the engine compartment. This could, arguably, be better than opening your hood due to the amount of air moving with the fans vs. the convection that will occur when opening the hood.

just my $0.02

 

hmm....

I just kick on the A/C for a minute when I'm in stop and go. The temps drop right back down to 185-190F fairly quickly. After a hard drive (or stop-and-go), I idle the car for a minute with the A/C set to 3. This runs the high speed fans and cools the car down to 185F pretty quickly. I have checked the temp after shut down, from 185F, it will heat soak back up to 200-210 F. No big deal. FWIW, my aftermarket water temp gauge sender is mounted in the thermostat housing.

BTW, I have the stock radiator with 66k miles.

Also, on MY car, I can turn the key to the ON position a few minutes after shut-off and the fans will kick on low if the temp is above 195F or so.

I'm with DamonB, I see no need to perform the fan mod. When I get a Power FC/datalogit later this spring, I'll just set the fans to come on at a lower temp and then I won't even have to mess around with the A/C.

 

It takes me a while to get around to things, maybe I'll get around to it, but I'll probably be popping my hood till I eventually get a pfc+.

 

FYI: my 94' Touring Fan Mod wiring was a bit different then what any of the sites said to do for the Fan Mod. With help from FDJunkie we figured it out. full control with car running or not. But no 10 min. countdown - which is no biggie.

 

I don't have the fan mod.....But have always done about the same as Rynberg....

 

I'm also with DamonB. I don't see any point in doing the fan mod when you can just put in a Miata thermoswitch. The FD is not such as POS that you need to pop your hood or blow air across the engine after you shut down. Come on guys, this car is not *that* fragile. And no matter what you do, the underhood plastic is going to get baked. I can't help but laugh when people say that they pop their hood everytime they park. Whats the point?

 

The fan mod was done on the car when I bought it from the previous owner. It works well, and I'm happy it's done. I also pop my hood whenever I can, when parking, whether it's necessary or not. It doesn't hurt at all, but when I get my vented hood, I probably won't be doing it as much.

 

Ummm...

Ward, cycling temps before shut off keeps heat soak to only 190F. Allows superheated coolant from turbo housings to get mixed in and cooled. Ersrwhile, heat soak up to 210, which is more than I like.

Disney mod here. I'm a control freak, so it fits ME better. I will say that the fan mod is not useful on the freeway... UNTIL you run into accident traffic. Flip it on, and the temp doesn't go over 180, rather than 205 to 195 and back again. Too paranoid about temp am I? You bet. Temp kills our motors.

I side with adam, but then I'm like that and stuff..

 

A lot of FD owners are concerned with engine compartment heat. The cooler, the better. I have not done the "vacuum hose" job on my car, and I hope I will never have to. Keeping the engine compartment as cool as possible will keep those hoses in better shape.

 

WHAT YEAR MIATA THERMO-SWITCH? WHAT PART #

 

Exactly what I was thinking.
I thoroughly disagree with all of you that say that the miata thermo is better or equal to the fans being on.
How is it better to have your car at 205 for a few seconds and then go back down to 180 than always having it at 180?

I mean the miata trick will work pretty well and it's convenient to have it be an automatic thing but why not just do all you can to aviod problems with the car? As we know, trying your best to keep this car healthy sometimes isn't even enough.

I guess this is my opinion but it seems like fact in my head.

 

Malloy Mazda
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Talk to Ray Crowe, he'll hook you up with exactly what you need.


As for the the fan switch mod vs the Miata thermo switch, here's my take:

If you don't have an aftermarket temp gauge where you can see exactly what's going on, then do the Miata thermo switch. Guessing when to turn the fans on isn't going to do any good.

However, if you have an aftermarket temp gauge (or linearized the stock gauge) where you can see exactly what's going on, the normal or Disney Fan mod is an ideal choice (or use an aftermarket ECU to control the fans).

 

Apexi Power FC is programmed for the rad fans to run at low speed at 86 C (187 F), and high speed at 87 C (189 F). FWIW, I noticed my fans blow hot air OUT of the engine compartment (not IN). During this winter, dead solid 85 C (185 F).

Opening the hood is the best way to cool the engine, running the fans without the coolant circulating does nothing. If you have an electric water pump, then yes running the fans is useful...

 

I thought having air passing through the engine bay, regardless if off, and with the hood popped, could only help. Circulating air is always better than nothing IMO.

 

Ways to cool the engine properly: enlarge the oil and coolant passages during an engine re-build, run a large core radiator, do the fan mod (however you do it), use high water content coolant mix, and add an extra oil cooler if you do NOT have an R1.