Marc Pelletier

Hello,

My 97 windstar has a problem with the radiator fan. It only works on high
speed, so the engine temperature gets pretty hot before the fan kicks in
and the temperature variability is quite high.

I've been told to check the resistor block, but I can't find it! Any ideas?

thanks

Marc Pelletier

mmmgall

Marc,
Have you taken the vehicle in to an autoparts store and asked them to
scan for trouble codes? You might have a P0480 Cooling Fan Circuit Fault.
Or P0116 thru P0118 ECT or Engine Coolant Temperature sensor fault. A lot
of the larger chains will scan your car for free. I don't think the
Windstar uses a resistor block for the fans but could be wrong.

Steve

Marc Pelletier

"mmmgall" <mmmgall@netscape.net> wrote in
news:058a59b1cc52e7ff73ad1485dd876a25@localhost.talkaboutautos.com:

> Have you taken the vehicle in to an autoparts store and asked
> them to
> scan for trouble codes? You might have a P0480 Cooling Fan Circuit
> Fault. Or P0116 thru P0118 ECT or Engine Coolant Temperature sensor
> fault. A lot of the larger chains will scan your car for free. I
> don't think the Windstar uses a resistor block for the fans but could
> be wrong.
>
>

Yes, its been scanned to death. Its been in 2 different shops. The first
couldn't figure out what was wrong. They changed a couple of different
sensors but neither fixed it. Then I took it to another shop and they
replaced the temperature sender, which didn't fix it. Then they found a
faulty resistor in the resistor block and disconnected it, but I was pissed
with them for charging me for the first useless repair and told them not to
fix the resistor. So I'm fed up with repair shops and would like to do this
myself, but I'm rather clueless.

cheers

Marc

Rodan

"mmmgall" wrote:

Have you taken the vehicle in to an autoparts store and asked them to
scan for trouble codes? You might have a P0480 Cooling Fan Circuit
Fault. Or P0116 thru P0118 ECT or Engine Coolant Temperature sensor
fault. A lot of the larger chains will scan your car for free. I don't
think the Windstar uses a resistor block for the fans but could be wrong.

================

"Marc Pelletier" wrote:

Yes, its been scanned to death. Its been in 2 different shops. The first
couldn't figure out what was wrong. They changed a couple of different
sensors but neither fixed it. Then I took it to another shop and they
replaced the temperature sender, which didn't fix it. Then they found a
faulty resistor in the resistor block and disconnected it, but I was pissed
with them for charging me for the first useless repair and told them not to
fix the resistor. So I'm fed up with repair shops and would like to do this
myself, but I'm rather clueless.

================

Re-examine the clue from "mmmgall." There is probably no
resistor in the circuit for a high power engine cooling fan.

If there is no resistor then the shop either mistakenly
disconnected an unrelated resistor in the resistor block for
the cabin heater fan or disconnected something else and
didn't know what it was.

Perhaps it was actually a relay, not a resistor.

Good luck.

Rodan.

Shoe Salesman

"Marc Pelletier" <marc@stopspam.goldak.ca> wrote in message
news:Xns96C25A49A4F17mmpp1234.dd@216.168.3.44...
> "mmmgall" <mmmgall@netscape.net> wrote in
> news:058a59b1cc52e7ff73ad1485dd876a25@localhost.talkaboutautos.com:
>
>> Have you taken the vehicle in to an autoparts store and asked
>> them to
>> scan for trouble codes? You might have a P0480 Cooling Fan Circuit
>> Fault. Or P0116 thru P0118 ECT or Engine Coolant Temperature sensor
>> fault. A lot of the larger chains will scan your car for free. I
>> don't think the Windstar uses a resistor block for the fans but could
>> be wrong.
>>
>>
>
> Yes, its been scanned to death. Its been in 2 different shops. The first
> couldn't figure out what was wrong. They changed a couple of different
> sensors but neither fixed it. Then I took it to another shop and they
> replaced the temperature sender, which didn't fix it. Then they found a
> faulty resistor in the resistor block and disconnected it, but I was
> pissed
> with them for charging me for the first useless repair and told them not
> to
> fix the resistor. So I'm fed up with repair shops and would like to do
> this
> myself, but I'm rather clueless.
>
> cheers
>
> Marc

Did you think about buying a repair manual? It might just give you an
electrical diagram and part locations.

Marc Pelletier

"Shoe Salesman" <someone@microsoft.com> wrote in news:g1cRe.2412$Z91.933
@tornado.socal.rr.com:

> Did you think about buying a repair manual? It might just give you an
> electrical diagram and part locations.
>

Actually, I'm ashamed to say I didn't. But I just put a hold on it at my
local library, so I should be able to sort this out.

thanks

Marc