97 Century Cooling Fan

[Amen]

Hi, I have a 1997 Buick Century. My cooling fan does not come on and it never has since I bought the car. I've heard about changing the thermostat or temperature switch but I'm not sure. Can anyone give me some advice? Thanks.

[BNaylor]

How about with the A/C on max. Both fans should come on in low speed. Normally the fans do not turn on in normal operation until the engine temperature reaches around 225 degrees.

With engine off disconnect the engine coolant temperature sensor (ECT) and start it up. After a short period of time both fans should turn on.

The thermostat and ECT are possibilities to include maybe the cooling fan relays with are controlled by the powertarin control module (PCM) based on engine temperature.

[Amen]

I've had the car for about 2 years and the fan has never turned on whether the car was hot or when the A/C was on.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by Amen

I've had the car for about 2 years and the fan has never turned on whether the car was hot or when the A/C was on.

Some easy things to check:

Make sure the maxifuses for cooling fan 1 and 2 are good. Even if the fuses don't look bad check for 12 volts at the fuse socket. If that is OK then make sure the cooling fan relays are tight in the sockets. These items are located in the engine compartment fuse box.

The ECT sensor can be ohmed out with a multimeter and checked for resistance at various temperatures. As I mentioned earlier for troubleshooting purposes disconnect the electrical connector to the ECT (located by thermostat housing on intake manifold). Start engine and then see if the fans turn on. This will help in the process of illimination.