Topic: What temp for electric fan?

[Bounty Hunter]

I just finished installed a DC-control fan controller and I'm curious at what temp I should have the fan come on. 

My choices are: 180º, 187º, 194º, 202º, 212º.  Please explain the reasoning for your recommendation.

[blacknblue]

I run a jet stage 2 chip and 180 degree thermostat...not yet done the e-fan,  but I would say get it as close to your t-stat as you can.  180 sounds about right.  Totally offf topic here... Since I know you sell alot of 4.0 throttle bodies...I have seem to lost alot of pick-up in my 2.5 since doing the 4.0 tb, and spacer.  I run a stock intake so my guess is that it is not getting enough air to compensate for the larger bore.
It ran great a thousand miles after but now with alot more daily driving it is feeling sluggish to me.  Any ideas?  I have thought of doing design 3 19# injectors and adjustable map sensor.  I'm running stock gearing and 31's until I can put in new axles, lockers and gears in one shot.  After that I would like to swap in a 5.7 hemi, but we all have dreams.

[Bounty Hunter]

Try removing the pos. cable from the battery and touching it to the neg. side for about 30sec. to reset the computer.  It will then take the ECM 50 warm-up cycles to completely relearn the engine operating parameters so your performance/mileage may increase over time.

[Castr8r]

     I'd run the factory spec t'stat and run the controller at 202* or 212*.  I am currently running a Saturn fan wired thru a solenoid and switched at the dash.  I intend to put on a temp. controller soon and will set it up to come on at a slightly higher temp than the t'stat.  This winter, I have turned the fan on maybe twice.  The t'stat was part of the problem; I had a 180*, and it would not come up to a reasonable operating temp.  I went to the Chilton and Haynes, both call for a 195*.  Replaced the t'stat and started getting heat enough to keep the windsheild defrosted at -10*.  Idle improved and seemed like a little more pep.
     The cooling system is to keep the engine from overheating, warm up reasonably quickly, and maintain a fairly steady temp in the engine.  It seems to me that setting the controller too low will make it tough for the engine to run at design temps, which will effect driveability, mileage, and emissions the wrong way.  By setting the temp controller at a higher level, the fan will come on to prevent catastrophic overheating while allowing tha t'stat to do its job of maintaining an even temp.

[jfrabat]

Bounty,

Based on my own experience with this, I recommend the 180*, and let me explain why:

1. Keep in mind that the 180* setting is reading on the down side (as in the already cooled part) of the radiator, so if you set it at 190 or 195* (what the thermostats are ussually running), basically the coolant will enter the engine a little too hot (hotter than the setting of the thermostat)

2. From what I have found out in my own trial and error, if you set it too low (lower than 180*) the fan will come on a higher speed, meaning no soft starts and thus more amp draw.  This is because once the thermostat opens, the temp difference between the setting and the actual coolant will  be higher, requiring a higher speed.

3. Again, from my own experience, at 180* the fan will stay off when you are cruising (basically anything higher than 25mph) because the radiator is doing a fine job.  When you come to stop lights, it will come on, but will do so softly, and will not run very high speeds, keeping them amp draw low enough that I even ran it with the stock alternator for about a year.

For your reference, I did raise the temp once I was seeing the engine temp rise a little more than I would like (the reason actually was that my coolant was low!), and the fan would still keep off when cruising, but when it turned on, the actual speed was noticeably faster, and you could feel the engine RPM drop a bit and then catch up to supply the electrical power.

Felipe

[bestos]

what HE said, cause your sensor is in the LOWER part of Rad, where it is cooler, reading DCC website, that is what they say too for installation. 

[Torch_Ind]

I would like more info on the controller you installed. I installed a electric fan but just ran it on a relay and switch on my dash! give me a email about were I can get one. and how much they are?

thanks

edwardsbrad@hotmail.com

[Bounty Hunter]

The website is on the controller in the pic above.  I got the fk35, I think it was around $130.  Well worth it for me.

[Torch_Ind]

the site doesn't come up

[Bounty Hunter]

the site doesn't come up

Weird that it won't, but when you google it you get a link that works: www.dccontrol.com/0820.htm

[Torch_Ind]

thanks