Fan Override Switch Position

[pricha38]

Hi just contemplating fitting a switch in the cabin for the new season as the old girl get’s a bit hot in the summer.
Just wondered where other Wedge owners have located their switches and type used.?
Might be useful to others thinking of doing the same?

[jock sproket]

I tracked down a heater fan switch and used this in spare switch space on centre consol

sproket

[Wedg1e]

jock sproket said:

I tracked down a heater fan switch and used this in spare switch space on centre consol

Annoyingly, despite my car also having a spare switch position, the previous owner or his agent bodged a big nasty pull switch into the cover that hides the heater duct, down by the driver's left knee...

[Danny Hoffman]

I've tiewrapped an old heated rear window switch (with a built in light) from a '70s Ford below the bonnet pull. It's far enough out of my line of site not to be annoying at night and still noticeable during daylight.

[Jack Valiant]

I have my switch just below the immobiliser port on the steering column along with an indicator 2 colour led up near the steering boss where i can see it, to show when in automatic, by the water temp sensor (green) or manual operation' switch, (yellow) of the fans.

Chris

[GV]

I used a spare hole in the switch panel shortened it then stuck a proper switch with a Green LED wired directly to the fan on the rad. It's easier to use ran than hoping the fan will cut in.

[jmorgan]

Ordinary on/off on a plate by the bonnet pull (to the otter wiring). Figured it was out the way of my knee and I did not want to bodge something on the dash, and the dash support frame provides a handy bolt for fixing.

[tweety]

Whats the easiest and simplest way to wire up a manual override switch in very easy to understand and basic terms, electrics aren't my strong point...

Cheers, Al.

[Danny Hoffman]

The switch needs to connect the two wires attached to the temp switch (otter switch) together.

[jmorgan]

^^^^
Aye. I changed the ordinary lucar connectors on the otter on the side of the rad to piggyback lucar connectors and ran two wires off the piggyback to a make/break switch in the cab.

Are there any Wedge cooling different to an otter that makes/breaks the circuit?


Edit. Just thought. Cannot remember if I re terminated the wires at the otter, but if stripped back they will probably be tarnished. If you are careful, splay out the strands and use some wire wool to gently stroke (calm down at the back..) the wires back to their gleaming glory. I tend to use brass lucars I can solder. When stroking (phnar phnar) tape a bit of card to the car near to the wire to make it easier.

Edited by jmorgan on Thursday 21st March 07:27

[utternutter]

i've used this switch of ebay..........Item: 271059364988 made my own bracket up and placed under dashboard right hand side of steering column, got a horn one placed beside it as my horn didn,t work and got fed up with messing around on the steering stalk

[Wedg1e]

jmorgan said:

Edit. Just thought. Cannot remember if I re terminated the wires at the otter, but if stripped back they will probably be tarnished. If you are careful, splay out the strands and use some wire wool to gently stroke (calm down at the back..) the wires back to their gleaming glory. I tend to use brass lucars I can solder. When stroking (phnar phnar) tape a bit of card to the car near to the wire to make it easier.

A quicker way if you have plumbing tools is to dip the bared copper in some flux and wave it in a blowlap flame...

[jmorgan]

Flux eh? Try to remember that next time. Unless I have forgotten some has told me before.

[SLB]

Having had the standard fuse and fuse holder melt before in another car, I decided to fit an over ride switch to my current 350i in a different way. I ran a separate circuit using 25amp wire (I think) direct from the battery to the fan itself. Fitted a 20amp toggle switch with a 20amp in-line fuse holder on a little bracket I made up by the bonnet catch pull. The fan actually runs slightly faster on the toggle switch than it does on the standard circuit showing it has less resistance. I feel a little happier knowing I can bypass the old wiring and fuse box now.

[Wedg1e]

SLB said:

Having had the standard fuse and fuse holder melt before in another car, I decided to fit an over ride switch to my current 350i in a different way. I ran a separate circuit using 25amp wire (I think) direct from the battery to the fan itself. Fitted a 20amp toggle switch with a 20amp in-line fuse holder on a little bracket I made up by the bonnet catch pull. The fan actually runs slightly faster on the toggle switch than it does on the standard circuit showing it has less resistance. I feel a little happier knowing I can bypass the old wiring and fuse box now.

I've done something similar with my headlamps; not only are the lights better but it stopped the CD player cutting out due to voltage drop!

As for the cooling fan, my car has two relays in prallel (factor wiring) running a single fan. Instead of the radiator Otter switch there's a Kenlowe thermocouple in the top hose, fitted by previous owner and using the Kenlowe 'stat to swith the fan directly, ignoring all the fuses and relays already in place .
I reconfigured it so that the Kenlowe 'stat now switches the twin relays and they feed the fan... the main reason for this is that due to the inductive load presented by the fan motor, it was likely that at some stage the Kenlowe's contacts would arc and burn out: using the relays to handle the current means that in the worst case I'd have a fiver's worth of relays to replace and not a £50 thermostat.