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my Taurus fan ate my relay box!


maussimo010

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I have not been here in a LONG while, but I am coming here for help to maybe get some ideas on a problem I am having:

ok, here we go...

the vehicle:

1994 2.3 Ranger with aftermarket a/c
WAS running a generic 1500CFM elec. fan on a manual switch, but
decided to go with the Taurus s-speed fan last weekend (fan was from a 1995 Taurus Wagon), the 2000CFM low/4000CFM high (CFMs correct?)

I found the donor fan at a salvage yard, along with a relay box with a 20amp relay and a 40amp relay, labeled 20AR and 40 AR, respectively.

That relay box plugged into the fan directly, then had another relay behind it, that is in a socket with a clear plastic cover on it, which i believe is a 30amp.

I purchased an electronic thermostatic relay kit from Advanced Auto Parts. it has the relay, the control box, and a potentiometer for adjusting between 160 and 210 degrees. According to the back of the back, the model I purchased is rated at 30 amps

here is a link to it:

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...pe=600&PTSet=A

the install went fine, here is where i connected my wires:

from relay box:

orange wire:fan low

blue wire: fan high

red wire: constant to battery

thin yellow wire: ignition, hooked it to the 60amp fuse in the fuse panel in the engine bay.

thin green wire: used a tap and ran it to the hot side of the a/c to tell the fan to kick on when the a/c is turned on.

thin black wire: ground to chassis

other black wire: ground to fan harness negative.

I DID NOT use the 20/40 amp relay box with the new setup, i figured the relay that was already in line with the fan in the harness i left on was fine.


This setup worked over last weekend, and all through the week, back and forth to school, bout 15 miles each way, city driving and highway driving both.

TODAY, the truck was running hot, but was ok cause it was a cool day in Tampa, so after i got home, I checked the system out, and the fan was not kicking on, high or low speed. checked the fan itself, straight to battery, works fine. checked to see if ti was getting power, it was.

turns out that the box that the relay plugs into, that the rest of the wires come out of, that has the potentiometer on it to adjust the temperature, more or less melted, and was causing the relay to not close and kick on the fan.

My suspicion is that:
A. this fan is a monster, and draws a lot of amps,
B. I wired something wrong (how i don't know; it was all pretty self-explanatory)
C. I SHOULD have used the 20/40 relay box (i still have it), but even it it is rated at 40amps, that's still higher than the 30amps my relay box is rated at, right?
D. all of the above.

Advanced Auto already replaced the kit, gave me a whole new packaged one with new relay, relay box, wires, etc...I do not want to wire it in until I find out what happened, so it does NOT happen again...

let me know if anyone needs pictures of parts or anything like that, will post them asap as needed!

any comments? thoughts? suggestions?

thanks a lot for any input!

Scott
 


Bob Ayers

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Suggestion - GO back to the OEM mechanical fan/clutch, it's proven out, and will be far more reliabile!!!!
 

maussimo010

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Id have to go buy one...its been so long since i had original on, i dont even have it anymore...
are there performance/lightweight ones?

i KNOW people say u cant tell the difference, but i have a lot more 'off the line' power and highway acceleration at speed between the efan and the block-driven one...
 

Bob Ayers

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Id have to go buy one...its been so long since i had original on, i dont even have it anymore...
are there performance/lightweight ones?

i KNOW people say u cant tell the difference, but i have a lot more 'off the line' power and highway acceleration at speed between the efan and the block-driven one...

If you can tell a difference, either your fan clutch is bad, or it's due to the Placebo effect.
 

Wicked_Sludge

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If you can tell a difference, either your fan clutch is bad, or it's due to the Placebo effect.
+1

the original fan clutch is very efficient and much more reliable than "one off" aftermarket additions.

maybe someone should point this post out to mjones.
 

mjonesjr

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Bob, he wired his using factory Taurus fan relays, not an aftermarket kit.

I got an idea Bob, how about the people who want to run an efan you keep your flabby ass comments to yourself. It isn't your vehicle, so get over it.
 

mjonesjr

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+1

the original fan clutch is very efficient and much more reliable than "one off" aftermarket additions.

maybe someone should point this post out to mjones.
maybe you should learn to answer peoples questions and leave you opinion out of it. If you don't like efans, that is fine, but answer the dudes question and leave your negative opinions out.

Not everyone likes the same things; efans happen to be one of the billions of things not all people like
 

Wicked_Sludge

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look out, maurice is getting mad! ;missingteeth;
 

TireIron

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Don't run the main power for the fan through the controller at all. Only use the controller to turn on a relay that will run the power from the battery to the fan. Maybe use the taurus relay box and run the controller to that and the battery power to that, have the controller turn on the taurus relays that way the 30+ amps that the fan draws at startup will not go through the controller and melt it.
 

Kenneth S

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Those fans use alot of amps, what I do is just use the low side with a 30 amp circuit breaker, with a 50 amp toggle switch that I operate myself, you don't really need to use the e-fan when your going over around 10 mph or faster. I don't never trust those thermostats, and controllers.
 
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