96 Dodge Caravan 3.3L - cooling fans not running

My problelm is similar to alydar66's. I've replaced the relay and the temp sensor, but when I pull the connector off the temp sensor the fans do not go on. This came about as a result of the van overheating. The engine also makes a strange noise and there is mosture coming out of the tailpipe. Could this be a blown head gasket?

Inspect the connector at the relay. Any discoloration or distortion from heat? Try jumping the grey to green wires at the connector and see if the fans turn on. Grey is the feed wire (hot; battery voltage) green is the feed wire to the fans. No power at grey wire ck fuse in PDC. Some amount of water out the exhaust at start up is normal; especially if you live in an area with high humidity. Try that and see what you come up with.

Thanks for the instrcts. jpb53! As for the moisture coming from tailpipe, yes I live at the beach in Alabama, but I think this is more than just humidity . It is a steady drip every 10 -12 seconds. There is a large front of rain coming so I will have wait to test cooling fan connector.

I checked the connector and it shows no sign of being burnt or wires loose. I jumpered connector as described, started engine but fans didn't come on. 40 amp fuse in PDC is OK. The wire I used to jumper was AWG 14, could it be too heavy a gauge to pass current thru?

Wire size is okay. Do you have power at the grey wire? You don't have to start the van as the grey wire should be hot all the time. If you have power at the grey wire and the fans still won't come on you have to check further down the circuit for an open or a bad ground to the fans.

Thanks for responding so quickly! I'm not very good about checking wiring. I have a test light. If I clip one end to a ground on engine and the prong to connector end and it lights up I have power, correct?

Yes you can do it that way. Ck to see if you have a good ground and that the light works by touching other end to battery + terminal.

Thanks for all your help so far. I got a friend to help with checking wires only to discover that 40 amp fuse in PDC was blown. (It was newer and different from others and didn't look blown.) We used a another fuse and jumpered the wires at the connector and the fan came on for 10 secs. and then the fuse blew. My friend says that the fan motor is bad. Is he right?

Pretty good chance he is right. The fans can bind up, draw too much current and blow the fuse. When you spin them by hand does one not turn as easily as the other? Could try comparing the resistance through each fan motor winding using a multimeter.

Might take a little time to inspect the wire harness throughout the system. I've read about wire harnesses shorted against the frame. I want to say I've read of the relay blowing fuses too. Not positive.

Thanks for the info RIP! Condensor motor has no continuity and won't spin. Will have to replace assembly, over $100 at AutoZone. Is it possible to just replace the motor that's bad?

Yes. I haven't had to yet but, I've read you can change a single fan motor. Considering the age of the van and the labor involved you might be better off changing both as an assembly. A call you'll have to make. I'm in the same delema. I've got a fan binding up now and then. I'll have to make the same decision in the not too distant future.

I got a motor (not the whole assembly) from a junk yard for 10 $

Installed new fan assembly and ran engine to point of overheating but fans never came on and temp gauge never got above halfway. Fans are working after jumpering relay connector. Checked coolant temp. sensor and get no resistance at connector. Is there a fusable link or another fuse between it and PDC?