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Engine Cooling Fan elec connector melted > P/N please
2011 GS
Well, my engine is overheating. Come to find out that the radiator cooling fan is not running at all (no matter how hot the engine is). I pulled apart the 3-wire electrical connector going into the fan and it's all melted plastic.
My Corvette is the only car I am driving now, so I really need to fix this ASAP.
Where are you folks buying that replacement connector ... Amazon Prime? ... Anyone have a P/N for the connector.
Last question ... For you folks that have needed to replace the connector, was your fan motor also burned out? ... I have no idea as to whether or not my fan motor is damaged or not ... I think there is also a "fan Module" in this circuit that could possibly be damaged ?
Now I am wondering if I should just do away with the electrical connector altogether and just hard-wire (solder) the wires going into the fan (not using any actual connector at all)
BTW ... I got 50 views of this thread already with no replies, so I am thinking none of these folks have had this problem with there C6 ... But after doing a search, it looks like this is pretty much a common problem with the C6 (not just my car).
I’ve been watching your thread Ron. As I haven’t had this problem yet, but when I do, I’ll be hardwiring/soldering to bypass the connector.
I have had my fan run time altered with my last tune, during cam install.
So I suppose I’ll be dealing with a melt down soon myself.
I know the connecter is toast. I just wonder if the fan motor itself is shot too. And then you also have a fan module that I guess could be fried.
You would think that the fan's fuse would blow prior to the connector melting like it did ... These fuses are suppose to protect the various components.
I know the connecter is toast. I just wonder if the fan motor itself is shot too. And then you also have a fan module that I guess could be fried.
You would think that the fan's fuse would blow prior to the connector melting like it did ... These fuses are suppose to protect the various components.
Oh well ...
hey there- I had same thing happen twice to the connection. My fan module ended up fine.
a buddy who knows car wiring switched my connections using heavy duty spade connectors, which we then heat shrink wrapped. I didn’t want to hard wire for when I work on car and need to remove fan.
When the fan starts from 0rpm the current draw can exceed double what the wire, connector and relay is rated for.
Low voltage compounds the problem, to turn the electrical motor at lower voltage will draw more current, more heat, more melted parts, if it turns the same flow rate.
Avoid stock and small connectors. Use a large double-rated connector. I use 65-80amp connectors and wires. I also double up on relays, 2x 40 amp relays per fan or a big single 65-80amp relay.
Its common even for high quality aftermarket fans to melt their connectors and relays.
Mine melted years ago and I've been running hardwired connections since then with no issues. It is easy enough to cut and re splice wires in the future if it is in the way.
Been through this twice. The first time I replaced the connectors with new MetriPack 630 parts. When they melted a second time, the wires were spliced together. No trouble at all after that, and my fan is programmed to come on a bit earlier and stronger than stock.
But, if you want to keep a connector in the wiring so you can remove parts without cutting wires, here's a post from a guy who replaced the stock MetriPack connector with a nice Anderson Power connector rated at 75W.
Well, today Rob ('C5 Diag') who is a Moderator and Tech Contributor here on the Corvette Forum came over to my house today and re-wired my coolant fan for me. Also used some sophisticated 'Snap-on' scanning software to make sure all my electronics were operating normally.
Really nice have a true Diagnostic Technician that really knows automotive electronic systems help you with your Corvette.
A BIG thanks goes out to Corvette Forum username 'C5 Diag' . . .
Hey Ron !!...glad we got that fixed today so you'd at least have the car running. As you can see in the 2 pictures that connector (ground wire) was pretty "nuked" !!...as I've read on the C6 Forum this issue is pretty common for you guys...I normally solder and use shrink tubing but these 2 wires of the 3 which are heavy 10 gauge wire would be pretty hard to accomplish because of the location so we opted to use heavy duty butt connectors with the big ratcheting butt connector pliers...if we had more time I would have liked to have used the connectors we use in the aviation business (last picture) but we had to make due with what we had...I didn't check how much current this fan draws at its max 90% duty cycle or what its "inrush current" (will have to check that with the scope) may be but it must be maybe 5-10 amps or a little more and with those OEM connectors any of those 2 terminals that have poor "terminal tension" will result in increased resistance which increases heat which results in a melted connector...we were dealing initially with a P0116 where the AC shuts off, cooling fan runs and a few other DIC messages...looked at what sets the DTC and it looks like the ECM is looking for the IAT to decrease a certain amount and driving over 25 MPH for a little over 6 minutes...now Ron has his IAT sensor located on his aftermarket supercharger and the OE IAT sensor wires were depinned from the MAF sensor and relocated there...he had no issues for a couple years and I don't know why all of a sudden this DTC has popped up...the ECT, IAT, and the ambient temp in his garage was checked and the ECT after sitting for over 12 hours was 86 degrees...IAT was 62 and the garage temp was 77 degrees...both of these sensors were changed with OE sensors before I had a chance to check them with the scan tool or resistance check of the sensor...now my question is that the ECM's strategy was written for a stock LS3 with the IAT co-located with the MAF up front and this car has a tune so I don't know if this ECT vs. IAT bias was altered or if this is even used...maybe some of you tuners may know that reads this post and if that is something you check...to diagnose the DTC all 3 temps should be within 11 degrees of each other per SI which they were not so these new sensors will have to be checked for accuracy and also have to make sure that these 2 thermistor type circuits have a good 5 volt reference and a good "low reference" ground (may have to check the ECM grounds)...my C5 is normally within 2 degrees of all 3 temperatures of each other after sitting overnight...another thing the Ambient temp sensor was reading 32 degrees and never budged even driving down the road for a bit so I'm going to have to check and see how often the temp is updated by the ECM...now that sensor is one of the few inputs for the AC to come on but it did...let me know if anyone has ever come across this P0116 DTC...sorry Ron BUT I HATE TUNED CARS !!...LOL !!...SO everyone have a HAPPY NEW YEAR !!
...if we had more time I would have liked to have used the connectors we use in the aviation business (last picture) but we had to make due with what we had
Speaking of the electrical connectors used in aircraft, I have always liked "Cannon Plugs" ...
This may not be your issue, but I tend to see that melting happening if the tuner had the fans come on 100% duty cycle to often. It either burns out the fan, or melts the wiring going to the fan.
Hope that helps
After Rob rewired my fan wires I checked my current tune with HP Tuners ... At the higher coolant temps, the fans were set to run at 100% speed.
I looked at the stock tune and the fans are set to 90% speed, so I reset my fans to come on at 90% at the higher coolant temps too. Hopefully I won't have this problem again.
Ron, I’d like to check your fans current draw and duty cycle with the scope under all operating conditions just to make sure it’s not running at 90% at all times for some reason such as ECT and the AC Pressure Sensor which will vary that duty cycle and let’s see if that P0116 comes back…maybe even repinning the IAT back to the MAF sensor…your IAT didn’t vary much with the scan tool going down the road…the ECM is expecting to see that cooler air being drawn past it in its original location which will set that DTC.
Had some issues with hyperflash and wiring cleanup , also got a replacement fusebox with the car and it ended up that some previous owner had issues with cooling fan connections , so check the fuse box also. melted cooling fan wire in fusebox melted fuse 60amp that was soldered together
After Rob rewired my fan wires I checked my current tune with HP Tuners ... At the higher coolant temps, the fans were set to run at 100% speed.
I looked at the stock tune and the fans are set to 90% speed, so I reset my fans to come on at 90% at the higher coolant temps too. Hopefully I won't have this problem again.
Very good. I do increase the fan duty cycle to come on at a higher 10-15% rate in that 198-215 range, but leave the upper tables that are pre-set to 90% like that. I tend to agree with GM where if 90% of the fans usage isnt cooling the problem, The other 10% wont help.
I wish I had Ron closer to me.
Last edited by Tampa Tuning; 01-03-2023 at 12:36 AM.
12-30-2022, 02:47 PM
Engine Cooling Fan elec connector melted > P/N please
What he said.
