ATTN: Tom Dewitt. Help?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 936
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa OK
ATTN: Tom Dewitt. Spal PWN Controller help?
Or anyone else that can help, for that matter.
I need some input/help in troubleshooting the PWN controller on my dual Spals. The fans have been working great for a couple of months now, but driving into work last week, I noticed the temp was pushing 230 rather than the rock steady 190 it's been staying at. The fans weren't kicking on.
I checked everything over and just figured I had a bad crimp somewhere, so I redid all the crimps with solder and heat-shrink on the wires running down to the starter and tried again. They still wouldn't come on.
I checked the fuses, they were good. I used a test light to make sure there was power across both fuses. They lit up on both sides of the fuse. I rechecked all the grounds and they all looked solid. The controller is grounded to the engine ground on the firewall. The relay is grounded directly to the frame.
So I decided to try reprogramming the controller. I unhooked the fan harnesses and ran the engine temp up to the first on point and held down the Low button. No lights. Tried the High. Nothing. I can't get any kind of response from the controller at all. No lights, no nothing.
Is there something that I need to do to reset the controller? Have I missed anything? Could it be a bad controller?
I need some input/help in troubleshooting the PWN controller on my dual Spals. The fans have been working great for a couple of months now, but driving into work last week, I noticed the temp was pushing 230 rather than the rock steady 190 it's been staying at. The fans weren't kicking on.
I checked everything over and just figured I had a bad crimp somewhere, so I redid all the crimps with solder and heat-shrink on the wires running down to the starter and tried again. They still wouldn't come on.
I checked the fuses, they were good. I used a test light to make sure there was power across both fuses. They lit up on both sides of the fuse. I rechecked all the grounds and they all looked solid. The controller is grounded to the engine ground on the firewall. The relay is grounded directly to the frame.
So I decided to try reprogramming the controller. I unhooked the fan harnesses and ran the engine temp up to the first on point and held down the Low button. No lights. Tried the High. Nothing. I can't get any kind of response from the controller at all. No lights, no nothing.
Is there something that I need to do to reset the controller? Have I missed anything? Could it be a bad controller?
Last edited by Xakk; Jun 11, 2006 at 12:01 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 936
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa OK
Orange wire is plugged into the Aux port on the fuse box and the orange wire from the relay is Scotch Locked into the orange wire for the controller. I tested the wire with a test light both at the fuse box and at the Scotch Lock and they lit up fine. I'm at a loss now. I've checked all the power and ground connections and everything tests out.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 439
Likes: 0
From: Mukilteo Washington
Phil
Nice looking Vette. I'm not an expert but I have had problems with my controller. I'm surprised Tom hasn't posted on this but you may want to e-mail him at Tom@dewitts.com, he has always answered and helped me when I did this. Your problem sounds bad, I have had bad hook-ups and a bad sending unit but I always had lights, when things got real strange he had me call the Spall trouble shooting line (1-800-454-7725) toll free number, ask for Mark, he is really good and will help you. BTW my fans are working great now.
Nice looking Vette. I'm not an expert but I have had problems with my controller. I'm surprised Tom hasn't posted on this but you may want to e-mail him at Tom@dewitts.com, he has always answered and helped me when I did this. Your problem sounds bad, I have had bad hook-ups and a bad sending unit but I always had lights, when things got real strange he had me call the Spall trouble shooting line (1-800-454-7725) toll free number, ask for Mark, he is really good and will help you. BTW my fans are working great now.
Former Vendor
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,593
Likes: 631
From: Brighton
Originally Posted by 77 vette
Phil
Nice looking Vette. I'm not an expert but I have had problems with my controller. I'm surprised Tom hasn't posted on this but you may want to e-mail him at Tom@dewitts.com, he has always answered and helped me when I did this. Your problem sounds bad, I have had bad hook-ups and a bad sending unit but I always had lights, when things got real strange he had me call the Spall trouble shooting line (1-800-454-7725) toll free number, ask for Mark, he is really good and will help you. BTW my fans are working great now.
Nice looking Vette. I'm not an expert but I have had problems with my controller. I'm surprised Tom hasn't posted on this but you may want to e-mail him at Tom@dewitts.com, he has always answered and helped me when I did this. Your problem sounds bad, I have had bad hook-ups and a bad sending unit but I always had lights, when things got real strange he had me call the Spall trouble shooting line (1-800-454-7725) toll free number, ask for Mark, he is really good and will help you. BTW my fans are working great now.
It sounds like the control bit the dust. With power verified and no lights at all, I can't think it would be anything else.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 936
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa OK
I talked to Spal support and the only suggestion they could offer was to hook a power source up to the blue AC wire and see if it kicks on. I'll give that a shot and see what happens.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,503
Likes: 2
From: Raleigh NC
Originally Posted by Tom DeWitt
It sounds like the control bit the dust. With power verified and no lights at all, I can't think it would be anything else.This is why I hate electric fans--more stuff to go wrong on a C3.
A Dewitts aluminum radiator and a nice new GM fan/clutch--keep on driving ---------------->
