Fan Question
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Akron ohio
Fan Question
I have a 03 vette and was wondering if I need to keep the heat on in my car while while cruising on a hot day? so it wont overheat. just wondering if there is anything special i should do while driving on hot days.
Also I have noticed only one of my fans works and was wondering if its just one is a running fan while driving or is it actually broke.
Also I have noticed only one of my fans works and was wondering if its just one is a running fan while driving or is it actually broke.
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh Pa
I have a 03 vette and was wondering if I need to keep the heat on in my car while while cruising on a hot day? so it wont overheat. just wondering if there is anything special i should do while driving on hot days.
Also I have noticed only one of my fans works and was wondering if its just one is a running fan while driving or is it actually broke.
Also I have noticed only one of my fans works and was wondering if its just one is a running fan while driving or is it actually broke.
.
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,035
Likes: 1,156
From: Oregon
St. Jude Donor '14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22-'23
If you have only one fan running then you have a problem that needs to be diagnosed. When the fans run both run at the same time at either high speed or low speed.
With the AC on the fans (both) come on at low speed at 185 degrees. They both go to high speed at 194 degrees.
With NO AC running the fans come on at low speed when the coolant reaches 226 degrees. The both go to high speed at 235 degrees.
When the vehicle speed reaches 35mph the fans go OFF no matter what the coolant temp is. Air flow through the radiator is better with the fans freewheeling than with them running.
With the AC on the fans (both) come on at low speed at 185 degrees. They both go to high speed at 194 degrees.
With NO AC running the fans come on at low speed when the coolant reaches 226 degrees. The both go to high speed at 235 degrees.
When the vehicle speed reaches 35mph the fans go OFF no matter what the coolant temp is. Air flow through the radiator is better with the fans freewheeling than with them running.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,835
Likes: 302
From: Columbia SC
Your car is not working as designed. Both fans should operate in low or high speed.
Factory temp settings are low speed on at 226 degrees and off at 219 degrees. High speed on at 235 degrees and revert to low speed at 226 degrees. As stated both fans run at low speed and high speed and fans are commanded off by the PCM when the vehicle speed exceeds 35mph.
You can force low speed operation at 185 degrees by turning on the AC. High speed operation with AC on is still 235 degrees.
In low speed they work in series and in high speed they work in parallel. If you understand schematics I can post it for you.
Mr. Sam
Factory temp settings are low speed on at 226 degrees and off at 219 degrees. High speed on at 235 degrees and revert to low speed at 226 degrees. As stated both fans run at low speed and high speed and fans are commanded off by the PCM when the vehicle speed exceeds 35mph.
You can force low speed operation at 185 degrees by turning on the AC. High speed operation with AC on is still 235 degrees.
In low speed they work in series and in high speed they work in parallel. If you understand schematics I can post it for you.
Mr. Sam
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,258
Likes: 544
From: Appleton WI
As stated, your fans will turn off when driving over 35 MPH. Are you actually experiencing overheat when driving or just the temp seems higher than another vehicle you own?
You CAN run the heater in the car to help reduce engine temp in an overheat condition but should only be done for a limited amount of time because you should FIX the problem. If you actually overheat, you should shut the engine down and allow to cool. Then after checking fluids (don't open a hot radiator), you can use the heater on method to limp home. If you don't get heat from the heater, you're out of / low on coolant.
You should clean your radiator fins and check the overall health of your cooling system. You've already identified the fan problem.
You CAN run the heater in the car to help reduce engine temp in an overheat condition but should only be done for a limited amount of time because you should FIX the problem. If you actually overheat, you should shut the engine down and allow to cool. Then after checking fluids (don't open a hot radiator), you can use the heater on method to limp home. If you don't get heat from the heater, you're out of / low on coolant.
You should clean your radiator fins and check the overall health of your cooling system. You've already identified the fan problem.
Pro
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 670
Likes: 46
From: Indiana
I also removed the center black skirt underneath the car which is suppose to produce a negative air pressure which sucks the air up into the rad so I am still experimenting with this, but so far in the limited times I have been out it has worked great at moving air into the rad so you could give that a try as well and if you get a negative affect just slap it back on
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 67
From: Bahama North Carolina
I have an 04 and didnt like how hot it ran even though corvettes do run hotter than most cars. I put in an SLP 160 thermostat and so far it is amazing at keeping the temp down. Bought it from summit for $20something, slap that in and a little coolant and you will be good to go. I also removed the center black skirt underneath the car which is suppose to produce a negative air pressure which sucks the air up into the rad so I am still experimenting with this, but so far in the limited times I have been out it has worked great at moving air into the rad so you could give that a try as well and if you get a negative affect just slap it back on. now with your fan issue, you have 2 fans, 1 is low speed which comes on once your car comes up to temp, the other is a high temp fan which will only kick on when the temp gets to 234 or 243 I i forget which. The most common thing to do with this is to get a tune and go into the fan settings and adjust them so the first fan turns on earlier and the second comes on when the first one use too, this way both fans run more often and you get better cooling. hope this helps!
