Ford Taurus fan..

[goodolboy71]

It isn't the alternator, you should check your wiring or your fan motor. We have 4 different installations using this fan in our family. Not one has this problem. The only high amp pull is on the start up for high. That is reduced just by staging from low to high on the fan.

BUT, guaranteed that there is a problem somewhere.

OH yeah.... How big is the alternator on a taurus? Think about it.

Good luck... Hope it all works out for you. This set up has really been great for me!
.

if he has the 90 amp alt then its too weak...mine did the same till i got a 136 amp one....Taurus have a 140 amp i believe...but i only Low...occassionally i use Hi when its 98+ in traffic with AC on..all this with 4 guage wire as well

[zj-monster]

Taurus have a 140 amp i believe

Yes they do.

[GeneHubert]

Yes they do.

110 and 130 depending on model..

[J B]

if he has the 90 amp alt then its too weak...mine did the same till i got a 136 amp one....Taurus have a 140 amp i believe...but i only Low...occassionally i use Hi when its 98+ in traffic with AC on..all this with 4 guage wire as well

Exactly. We all got 90A alternators, unless you got the 5.9L engine, and it got the 136A alternator...why? Electric fan, of course.

Makes perfect sense too.....What's the taurus fan draw on high? 40A? Maybe a little less? The 90A alternator won't generate 90A at idle or just off idle, it has to have a little rpm. Once you factor in 40A for the fan, you've probably got 20A worth of lights running, plus all sorts of other goodies....fuel pump, A/C clutch, etc.

It's easy to see how you could max out an alternator that's making maybe 60A at idle.

Besides, I don't know what other problems there could be. If the fan motor was dragging (and thereby sucking more current, I could see it. But, the fan blade spins easily by hand, and it's not blowing the 50A fuse I have.

[97trxuszj]

whats the longest any of you have left your fans running on the low side? after about 45min of contious running my fan motor starts to get hoty and smells alittle, does any of yours do this?

[CurtP]

The stock alternator in my '96 was 136A. I thought the '93-'95 got the 90A, 96+ got the 136A and the 5.9 got a 150A

[GeneHubert]

whats the longest any of you have left your fans running on the low side? after about 45min of contious running my fan motor starts to get hoty and smells alittle, does any of yours do this?

All the time.. continuously on while driving and the temperature is over 180 degrees. My normal running temp is always under 210 unless stressed. On high during uphill pulls towing a trailer in hot weather or on the trail for extended periods when climbing long ridges in hot weather. Highest temps I have seen is 220 during 104 degree weather.

Never a problem over the last two years. But as an added note, I do use a Yellow Optima battery.

PS: I have a stock alternator with a 1997 5.2 with 40 amp fuses and 40 amp relays (normally used for stero systems) on low and the same on the high side. The low side runs off of a Hayden themostat through the radiator core and the high is a manual kick in when I select it from inboard. I can also run without a fan in case of high water crossings. Have kept spare fuses and relays in the glove box, but never needed to date..... knock on wood..... and I did vent the hood too.

[goodolboy71]

whats the longest any of you have left your fans running on the low side? after about 45min of contious running my fan motor starts to get hoty and smells alittle, does any of yours do this?

all day long while its over 195....most time for about 2-3 hrs and it doesnt smell

[goodolboy71]

The stock alternator in my '96 was 136A. I thought the '93-'95 got the 90A, 96+ got the 136A and the 5.9 got a 150A

i thought the bigger ones were 117amps and then the 5.9 got the 136 amp ones

[Swamp boy]

I have the 136 amp alt.. I can run my fan on high all my lights and the radio all without a battery.. I have had to do it before to get out of the woods when another guy burnt up his alternator .. I was useing my roof lights to light his way and he had my battery to keep his truck running..


I think it probobly does draw about 40 amps when its running on high but its never been a drain on my system..

[GeneHubert]

Those that are having problems......

You aren't trying to wire the low and hi to run at the same time by any chance?

[97trxuszj]

no I have a low and high 3 way toggle switch and 2 80 amp 100% duty cycle solinoids and all 8g wire. I think i got a bad fan because my wire melted again after running for only 30min. my buddy was selling his black magic #180 puller flex-lite fan that pulls 3300 cfm and only 18amps max for $100 so I am buying that. if anyone needs some 80 amp contious duty cycle solinoids and 60 and 80 amp, auto reset circut breakers let me know, I'll do $85 obo shipped with all wires

[ogdak]

The stock alternator in my '96 was 136A. I thought the '93-'95 got the 90A, 96+ got the 136A and the 5.9 got a 150A

You are right about that, have read it somewhere.
Don't know where though.

[J B]

The stock alternator in my '96 was 136A. I thought the '93-'95 got the 90A, 96+ got the 136A and the 5.9 got a 150A

Never heard that. Just looking up on AutoZone's website shows two choices: a 90A, and a 136A. Oreilley's website shows something similar. I'm sure that the way the catalogs read, it doesn't specify that the 5.9s were the only ones to get the higher output alternator.

[J B]

Those that are having problems......

You aren't trying to wire the low and hi to run at the same time by any chance?

Nope, the wire for low is clipped and taped...not hooked to anything.

[GeneHubert]

Nope, the wire for low is clipped and taped...not hooked to anything.

Low fan works for the majority of what you will be doing. The High is really only needed for more adverse ondititons. If you make use of the low as the primary use you will have less stress on your electrical system.

Just a suggestion.

[Ken L]

Agreed. Low speed works fine for cooling mine, even in around 100 degree temps on the trail.

[J B]

Low fan works for the majority of what you will be doing. The High is really only needed for more adverse ondititons. If you make use of the low as the primary use you will have less stress on your electrical system.

Just a suggestion.

That's documented earlier in this thread. The low speed for my application is a waste of time. It tends to run hot, even on the street, on low speed.

I have also pulled the radiator and cleaned the shit out of the fins (TONS of bugs and dirt in there), and the system has been flushed numerous times in the last year. Although I will admit that I'm still finding nasty dirty looking shit in the overflow bottle.

The reason I went electric in the first place was simply because I can't keep this thing cool on the trail. Everywhere else, the stock mechanical fan did fine.

[GeneHubert]

That's documented earlier in this thread. The low speed for my application is a waste of time. It tends to run hot, even on the street, on low speed.

I have also pulled the radiator and cleaned the shit out of the fins (TONS of bugs and dirt in there), and the system has been flushed numerous times in the last year. Although I will admit that I'm still finding nasty dirty looking shit in the overflow bottle.

The reason I went electric in the first place was simply because I can't keep this thing cool on the trail. Everywhere else, the stock mechanical fan did fine.

The best advice anyone can give you is fix the cause of the overheat. The fan is only a bandaid even if it does cool it down temporarily. It is only a matter of time your cooling system will have a complete failure and that wouldn't be nice in the middle of the Rubicon or any remote area.

At this point, I would be spending the money to go to a radiator shop to have the system professionally cleaned which may include recoring the radiator (or replacement). But when it is all said and done, you should obtain a reliable results without a fan running on HI unless in adverse conditions.

Also your system needs to be evaluated for other issues, such as a head gasket leak. Could the engine be running lean (check plugs). Is there a compression problem?

There are many variables that produce heat in a motor. The key is always to fix the problem and don't cover it up with a bandaid. In this case, I believe it will only continue to get worse until failure.

[J B]

The best advice anyone can give you is fix the cause of the overheat. The fan is only a bandaid even if it does cool it down temporarily. It is only a matter of time your cooling system will have a complete failure and that wouldn't be nice in the middle of the Rubicon or any remote area.

At this point, I would be spending the money to go to a radiator shop to have the system professionally cleaned which may include recoring the radiator (or replacement). But when it is all said and done, you should obtain a reliable results without a fan running on HI unless in adverse conditions.

Also your system needs to be evaluated for other issues, such as a head gasket leak. Could the engine be running lean (check plugs). Is there a compression problem?

There are many variables that produce heat in a motor. The key is always to fix the problem and don't cover it up with a bandaid. In this case, I believe it will only continue to get worse until failure.

Well, I don't think there are any severe problems like a blown head gasket. And while it's certainly possible that the system could stand a professional flush.

As I mentioned, the only time I was having problems with the stock fan was when I was wheeling in the summer, which I honestly try to avoid. It's just too hot down here. A considerable portion of our summers have highs in the 95*-100* range with high humidity. And when you're wheeling in that kind of weather in a full bodied jeep that's black with a black leather interior, you run the A/C or you die from heat exhaustion.

So you have hot, humid weather, the A/C blasting, and the engine under heavy load, but running at a relatively low rpm. Those circumstances are perfect for overheating.

[GeneHubert]

Well, I don't think there are any severe problems like a blown head gasket. And while it's certainly possible that the system could stand a professional flush.

As I mentioned, the only time I was having problems with the stock fan was when I was wheeling in the summer, which I honestly try to avoid. It's just too hot down here. A considerable portion of our summers have highs in the 95*-100* range with high humidity. And when you're wheeling in that kind of weather in a full bodied jeep that's black with a black leather interior, you run the A/C or you die from heat exhaustion.

So you have hot, humid weather, the A/C blasting, and the engine under heavy load, but running at a relatively low rpm. Those circumstances are perfect for overheating.

Ok.... I hear you...

But.... We wheeled here at low speeds in 102 to 104 heat at 5 to 8,000 feet.... Oh well... You just don't know unless you walk a mile in another person's shoes.... I haven't done that, so all I can say is I was just trying to help....

Enjoy the weekend and good luck... STAY COOL

[Ken L]

JB, have you tried taking the weatherstripping off at the back of the hood to allow more air to flow out? Might aid in dropping the underhood temps some.

[J B]

JB, have you tried taking the weatherstripping off at the back of the hood to allow more air to flow out? Might aid in dropping the underhood temps some.

I haven't, but doing so will be a double edged sword. It will help cooling performance at very low speeds, but at almost any time on the street, it's actually going to add stress to the cooling system. The cowl area is a high pressure area, and removing that weatherstripping will allow air to be foreced underhood, which has to get out from somewhere. It'll have to compete with the rest of the air coming through the radiator for an exit.

But, on the trail, it might be worth removing.

I used to run on the trail with my hood popped open (just the safety latch keeping it down), and that semmed to help a little, but not much.

[nate]

I pulled mine out.

Dunno about the high speed thing. I have a trailer for that.

[J B]

Well then yeah, you have no reason not to remove yours.