fan motor won't shut off...

fan motor won't shut off...

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Discussion

dom_911

Original Poster:

141 posts

277 months

Monday 9th December 2002
quotequote all
Has anyone had any problems with the fan motor which is activated from the dial on the centre console by the handbrake (3.2 Carrera)? Mine has decided that it won't switch itself off, even with the ignition off - it's spinning away as I type...

It's my only car and I'm not looking forward to a flat battery in the morning. I've pulled out every fuse (and probably every relay) in turn in both the luggage and engine compartment, but still it whirrs away. Any ideas? Please?

danny hoffman

1,617 posts

275 months

Monday 9th December 2002
quotequote all
Assuming you are referring to the one in the engine bay, there is a multi plug on the wires that go into the fan - just unplug it.

I think the fuse the engine bay as well.

Danny

dom_911

Original Poster:

141 posts

277 months

Monday 9th December 2002
quotequote all
Hi Danny,

No, it's not that fan. It's one of the interior fans. Any ideas?

Dom

danny hoffman

1,617 posts

275 months

Monday 9th December 2002
quotequote all
No sorry, I have an SC and no internal fans. Check rennlist - I often see them being discussed.

Danny

dom_911

Original Poster:

141 posts

277 months

Tuesday 10th December 2002
quotequote all
Hmm. The relays that someone on rennlist suggested pulling out didn't appear to have any effect on the running of the fan unit. I'm a bit mystified as I think that I have pulled just about every fuse and relay out and the bugger still keeps running. Any more ideas anyone?

dom_911

Original Poster:

141 posts

277 months

Tuesday 10th December 2002
quotequote all
Just FYI. It appears that one of the relays in the engine bay, on the left is a bit weird and just attempting to take it off and put it on again has sorted the problem. For now... It looks like it could be the cold expanding and contracting the relay and buggering up a contact somewhere so I am expecting a re-run at some point.

Thanks.

Dom

domster

8,431 posts

283 months

Tuesday 10th December 2002
quotequote all
Get some new relays... they'll be cheap enough from German and Swedish or Euro car parts.

Glad it's fixed

Domster

dom_911

Original Poster:

141 posts

277 months

Tuesday 10th December 2002
quotequote all
Cheers Dom. Me too. I didn't sleep much last night knowing that a. I may wake up to a car with no battery and b. I may wake up to the car on fire...mmmmm...nice.

Chris_N

1,232 posts

271 months

Tuesday 10th December 2002
quotequote all
I'm no motor electrician, but dodgy relay or not, shouldn't the fan still have stopped when you pulled out the fuses in the engine compartment?

IIRC there is one fuse for the fan that draws the warm air from the engine compartment and another for the additional footwell blowers. I assume it's one of these blowers that was staying on?

Unless I've got this completely muddled, a relay is just a device that uses a low current feed from a control switch to switch on and off a high current circuit, so you don't have to run the high current connections back to the switch. I would expect that a fuse blowing / getting removed would always cut the high current circuit. Otherwise what would happen when you got a short? - you'd have no protection and your pride and joy would go up in a puff of smoke.

For the fuse to have no effect, could be that someone has hacked about your wiring so it is no longer in the circuit? Not a situation I would allow to remain.

Someone who's more electrically minded may advise I'm talking rubbish, in which case sorry to confuse things, but personally I'd get it looked at.

Hope it turns out to be a simple answer!

Chris

dom_911

Original Poster:

141 posts

277 months

Tuesday 10th December 2002
quotequote all
I aint no electrician...but I was surprised when I pulled out the fuses and it was still running - I was half expecting it to remain that way when the relay was yanked. I would be inclined to agree with what you say about the wiring, except for the fact that I can't understand how/why they would bypass a fuse which is 2" from the relay. Bonkers. I'll yank some more out tonight and see if it stops the fans or not.

P.S. It was only the interior drivers side that was on, but the passengers side is a bit iffy anyway so that doesn't prove anything. A job for another day/year.

ninemeister

1,146 posts

271 months

Tuesday 10th December 2002
quotequote all
The footwell blowers (may as well use their popular term) are seperately fused, the fuse and connection located next to the fans themselves. Porsche are good at hiding things in their wiring, like the rear number plate light fuse which is hidden behind the main fuseboard in a line connector. Anyway, the cause of it is the heater relay in the engine bay, which is controlled by the unit between the seats, it is probably not available from G&S or Euro and it costs in excess of £100, I think £170 at the last count.

Chris_N

1,232 posts

271 months

Tuesday 10th December 2002
quotequote all
Mystery solved! That had been bugging me, sad man that I am. Good to know your motor is not in imminent danger of spontaneous combustion.

At that price though I hope your relay hangs in there (and mine too for that matter!)

Chris

domster

8,431 posts

283 months

Wednesday 11th December 2002
quotequote all
If G&S and Euro don't do them, is it worth getting them from a breakers, or would you recommend always getting new relays 9M?

dom_911

Original Poster:

141 posts

277 months

Wednesday 11th December 2002
quotequote all
The fan decided to stay switched on again last night so I have taken the relay out and the fan now blows warm air (when it is available) for as long as the ignition is on only. There must be a cheaper solution than £170 for a bit of tin and a magnet?

Please say £10 at breakers, please say £10 at breakers, please say £10 at breakers.