'Fan Running' LED, where should I put it?
Discussion
I'm planning to install a 'fan-running' LED (and an override switch), but I'm not sure where to put it?
The bezel on the LED I've got is black plastic so I was thinking of mounting it on the steering cowl. Any suggestions / experience? I'd like the car to look as original as possible and I don't fancy drilling the dash.
The bezel on the LED I've got is black plastic so I was thinking of mounting it on the steering cowl. Any suggestions / experience? I'd like the car to look as original as possible and I don't fancy drilling the dash.
I'd put it on the steering cowl i think,that way if ever you wanted to remove it you can easily get a replacement.as it's a Vauxhall part.
Incidently,will your light work only if the fan is running,or will it come on whenever the voltage is supplied to the fans,ie whenever the relay is switched ?
Incidently,will your light work only if the fan is running,or will it come on whenever the voltage is supplied to the fans,ie whenever the relay is switched ?
It's a good question but my temperature gauge is vague at best, if the fans died (blown fuse, bad otter, whatever) I couldn't be sure whether the high reading was due to a fault or just because the car was hot. By the time I was sure the car could have been very hot for too long.
The LED is just a diagnostic tool. Seeing it come on and off will make me feel better. :-)
The LED is just a diagnostic tool. Seeing it come on and off will make me feel better. :-)
Right, so let's recap... if we remember to turn them on, and can see them, and they light up, the fans might be running because there's juice getting through, or they might just be spinning due to airflow, or they might not actually be working 'though they're 'live'... but we'll be confident the car's cool just in case the 'unreliable' gauge is lying. Sounds great 
I've got various* extra warning lights on top of the steering column, just consisting of LEDs poked up through the gap between the back of the steering column shroud and the dashboard, with the wires folded forward through 90 degrees so the LED points directly towards the driver's face. My setup is functional rather than pretty, but it's reasonably unobtrusive. You can get prettier LED bezzles and housings if you want a better finish.
* fan x3, low oil strobe, low oil steady
* fan x3, low oil strobe, low oil steady
pupp said:
Right, so let's recap... if we remember to turn them on, and can see them, and they light up, the fans might be running because there's juice getting through, or they might just be spinning due to airflow, or they might not actually be working 'though they're 'live'... but we'll be confident the car's cool just in case the 'unreliable' gauge is lying. Sounds great
That's the plan! theaxe said:
pupp said:
Right, so let's recap... if we remember to turn them on, and can see them, and they light up, the fans might be running because there's juice getting through, or they might just be spinning due to airflow, or they might not actually be working 'though they're 'live'... but we'll be confident the car's cool just in case the 'unreliable' gauge is lying. Sounds great
That's the plan! Surprised TVR didn't fit this as standard... sounds perfectly in keeping!
victormeldrew said:
I may be totally off with this, but if you wired the led in series after the fan surely it would only light if the fan was actually drawing current - ie working - which would in fact make it a useful telltale.
I would have thought the current would be too high unless you also put in some resistors... but it's a good point. Maybe you could have 2 leds - one linked to a thermostat that came on when the fans were needed, and the other that said if the fan was actually on...
...or combine this all in the tri-colour LED
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff