Need Help With Radiator Fan

[Snowmobileaddict]

I am getting ready to do a laundry list of offseason maintenance on my Apex. While looking over most of the sled I noticed that my radiator fan was unplugged. See the photo below.

Does anyone know why someone would intentionally unplug it? I checked the fan fuse, it was not blown. I plugged it back into the booted connector and it locked together with a positive "click".

I don't know how long it has been this way. I just bought this sled last month and only got to ride it a couple times this season.

I'd like to check the fan by running a 12v source right into the fan pigtail. Can anyone confirm the polarity of the fan wires? Or could someone tell me how to test the fan at the relay or with a multimeter?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Andy.

 

[sinjin]

to test the fan the manual states to connect the fan to 12v source. Blue/Positive and Black/negative and fan should spin. You do realize that the fan only runs when coolant temp reaches a certain level. If you jump the fan to a 12v source and it works, I would start the sled and let it run to see if fan kicks on when it gets hot. Fan might not turn on until the temp warning light comes on but should turn on at this point. If not it is likely a bad relay.

 

[danq]

I know my fan comes on before the temp light does.. no idea what the water temp actually is at that point.

 

[robertbubba2]

sinjin very good also if its a dc motor like a window motor if you hooked up the polarity wrong the fan would just spin the oppisite way it should

 

[robertbubba2]

212 is boiling temp some car the fans do not come on till 230 woul be nice to have a temp gauge

 

[Snowmobileaddict]

Thanks for the replies.

I took a closer look at the factory service manual after reading the replies.

The rad fan relay works. I swapped it out with the fuel pump relay to test it.

I also jumped the lead at the relay plug and the fan turned on strong and quiet.

I have no idea why it was unplugged. I did read somewhere on the forum here that another member found his fan unplugged when he got his sled new from the dealer. I don't know how that wopuld happen, dealer pred mistake?

I'm just glad it works. I plugged it back in and I'll call it good. Next winter when I ride in marginal conditions or on a warm day, I make a note to monitor it to see if it turns on automatically.

 

[RW06GT]

I'm not sure you'll be able to know if it does turn on. With all the talk here about the 06's having overheating issues and the wrong antifreeze ratio from the factory, I fully expected to have problems with mine and have to add the rear cooler. I have never had a problem and only heard the fan run once, when I was loading the sled and let it sit long enough to overheat and shut itself down.

I was really expecting it to overheat at the end of the season last year, running in 60+ degree weather and we went down a trail that follows a stream bed for about 4 miles. There was very little snow and we had to pick our way around rocks and didn't go fast enough for the speedo to move... never even had the temp light come on. Didn't bother to check for the fan running though. Also ran fast(70+ mph), hard as a rock trails that day as well with no ill effect.

Good luck with the new sled!

 

[Snowmobileaddict]

Yeah, I've read about the coolant ratio being off from the factory on the '06s.

I've already had a chance to run in warm temps (mid upper 30's with really crappy snow cover). No issues. Nothing like 60 degree temps like you though. Thats like T-shirt & shorts snowmobiling!

I'm going to get my coolant checked with a hydromer and a refractomer. If its wrong I'll dilute it. I don't think I'll need a rear cooler. We live on the snowmobile trail, and we only ride when conditions are good.

That being said, I do plan to add a LED to the fan circuit. I'll mount the LED by the gauge cluster. That way I'll have a visual indicator to tell me the fan is running.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062570

 

[MUSKOKA APEX RTX 07]

fan comes on @ 200 fan comes on @ 210

 

[quebecmoutainrider]

m

one word for why this might happen....assembly line...oh and thanks I checked mine..

 

[Sasquatch]

Thanks, Andy.

I have a question about the fan pictured. What year is your apex? I installed a rad in my RX and am using an computor fan but they only last a season and done. The fan you picture is different from the Apex fan I looked at!

That one would not work as well as the one in your picture.

 

[Snowmobileaddict]

My Apex is an '06.

The fan looks just like this. There are a couple on eBay right now for under a hundred bux.

 

[shanksyamaha]

I rode in 50 degrees the other day, almost 100 miles, no temp light, riding was great. After dark the temp dropped to around 20 and the snow got hard as a rock. My temp light was on about every 6-8 miles if I did not stop and put snow on the running boards, fan was running too. I tried getting off the trail and spinning a little bit to throw some snow on the heat exchanger in the front but the light still kept coming on. There was really no snow flying at all, I just got off the trail, pounded through the crusty layer, and got some softer stuff and piled it on the running boards... kept it cool, but it was not able to keep cool on its own, even at 50-70mph on the trail...

 

[Miata Mike]

I rode in 50 degrees the other day, almost 100 miles, no temp light, riding was great. After dark the temp dropped to around 20 and the snow got hard as a rock. My temp light was on about every 6-8 miles if I did not stop and put snow on the running boards, fan was running too. I tried getting off the trail and spinning a little bit to throw some snow on the heat exchanger in the front but the light still kept coming on. There was really no snow flying at all, I just got off the trail, pounded through the crusty layer, and got some softer stuff and piled it on the running boards... kept it cool, but it was not able to keep cool on its own, even at 50-70mph on the trail...

Pretty much the problem I had yesterday. There has to be a good way to throw snow up on the bottom of the running boards on a marginal snow day.

I had to take my 2001 SRX out today and never got a temp light once with it's rear heat exchanger.

 

[02xtreme]

Should fan run after turning sled off if the light was on prior to turning the sled off? Mine doesn't appear to run after I turn the sled off when the light is on.