Author Topic: How can you tell if your fan clutch is bad? (Read 3746 times)

tophertii · « **on:** September 05, 2007, 10:32:25 PM »

I noticed as I pulled in the driveway today that my temp gauge was showing a bit above normal, 3/4 instead of 1/2.

I have done some searching and the fan clutch comes up as a possible reason for the elevated temp. One thread says to see if the fan is stopped by a piece of rolled up newpaper. My fan is stopped this way. How sure of a sign is this of a bad fan clutch?

I'm trying to sort this out tonight or at the latest early tomorrow so I can order parts tomorrow and have them overnighted. I'm trying to hit one of the last autox's of the season on Sunday.

Any help is appreciated.

dude8383 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 05, 2007, 11:34:33 PM »

newspaper trick.

turn the car on, grab a newspaper and shove it into the fan...if the fan stops, the fan is done. if the paper shreds, you're good

hopefully someone else will chime in to confirm!

bmwpower · « **Reply #2 on:** September 05, 2007, 11:58:10 PM »

Take the advice from someone who has had to deal with a cracked head. GET IT FIXED NOW!

If you're car has over 100k, change it out. I've started changing all of mine at this interval. If the clutch fails, you will overheat eventually. And if you overheat, you may be looking at more than just replacing the clutch...the thermostat may have been damaged as well as the water pump.

Don't take cooling problems lightly on these cars.

tophertii · « **Reply #3 on:** September 06, 2007, 11:59:02 AM »

Thanks for the advice and help. I would rather drop a couple $$$ on parts than deal with the aftermath of a cooling issue.

If the fan should shread the news paper then I would say mine is bad. As I was thinking through this last night I also realized that normally I can hear the fan blow as I pull away from a stop. I'm not hearing that now.

I also discovered a coolant leak. It has been raining a lot around here lately and water has made it into the garage, either from it blowing in under the door or from dripping off the car. Last night I noticed that a puddle had not yet dried out, all the others had. Stuck my finger in it, yep coolant. Checked hoses found nothing. Noticed that the puddle was more and the back of the engine. Long story short the hose that goes into the back of the block or head - just below the ICV - seems to be leaking.

Hoses, fan clutch, and thermostat on the way, hopefully this solves the problem.

tjts1 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 06, 2007, 01:04:43 PM »

Maybe its time for an efan swap. Save some weight, gain some power, reduce noise, increase reliability.

dude8383 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 06, 2007, 02:07:59 PM »

if the fan DOES shred the newspaper, you're good.

that coolant line is a bitch to reach but it is possible...try tightening it up

biljak · « **Reply #6 on:** September 06, 2007, 04:22:41 PM »

probably the most important thing you guys didn't write that the engine has to be at its working temperature. if he tries to stop the fan (even if it is a good one) while the car is cold, it will stop!

BrandC · « **Reply #7 on:** September 06, 2007, 06:36:11 PM »

Quote from: tjts1;33224

Maybe its time for an efan swap. Save some weight, gain some power, reduce noise, increase reliability.

I've been talking to some professional racers and they vouch for clutch fans (some of them at least).

Reliability from an e-fan is questionable. Since it is electrical and can short/burn out while the engine is still running this does not make it necessarily more reliable. Your car can run fine and you wouldn't know your fan is out.

Sure you might gain 1-2hp that the engine is already making, but the fan might be parasitic to your electrical system depending on how many amps you are pulling. This might take away from the ignition system's power.

I'll try to find the debate between e-fan and clutch fan somewhere. Many people have shown that e-fans may have a constant CFM flow, but clutch fans are variable depending on RPM's.

Factory engineers are not dumb. But in short, replace your clutch fan if it is at all questionable. You can jiggle it fore/aft (towards radiator, then back towards engine). If there is more than a few mm of play, replace it immediately.

brianw84 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 18, 2007, 07:54:31 PM »

i need to do this too..is there a writeup anywhere?

kowalski · « **Reply #9 on:** September 18, 2007, 08:25:45 PM »

there is an electric fan write up in DIY. Its a good point about putting load on the electrical system, in my experience the alternator on these cars is under amped.... which is why i put on a gm 150 amp alt:)