89 Camry V-6 Coolant Fan runs constantly - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

rhol55 · 05-22-2005, 08:05 AM

My coolant fan on the 89 Camry 6 cylinder has started running constantly (the second I start it, stoned cold). I suspect the coolant sensor in the radiator may have gone bad. Coolant level is OK.

Would like your suggestions on a fix and if it is the sensor, where would it be located?

Thank you in advance on any help given!

Rod/Springfield, OR

atobe · 05-22-2005, 02:38 PM

the water temp sender unit sits right there next to the thermostat.. follow the lower radiator hose to the engine u should be able to find it.

rusty9 · 05-22-2005, 02:41 PM

i think he means the coolant temp sensor, not the sending unit (for the guage). when the sensor goes bad the computer will turn the fans on all the time as a failsafe. the sensor will have 2 wires while the sending unit will have 1.

rhol55 · 05-22-2005, 08:56 PM

Thanks for the replies! I suspect the cooling fan sensor is located near the lower hose at the radiator.

This is an awesome forum! Really great to have the help when needed!

Thanks again!!!

jackfrost1031 · 05-22-2005, 09:04 PM

the sensor next to my thermostat hasn't been plugged in on my car since I've owned it.

and my sensor works, but the rans run all the time.

I don't have a clue where the plug is for it in the harness, I've had most of the engine apart and never came across it

rhol55 · 05-26-2005, 01:41 PM

Ok I went and bought the coolant fan sensor for my car. The sensor I bought is manufactured by "KEM" and the number is 140-715X . I bought it with the engine "V" (4th number in the VIN code) as the correct application for my car. This sensor has a two wire male connector.

I found two sensors

1) At the upper radiator hose on the block next to a purge fitting (two wire connector)

2) At the lower radiator hose at the block (also a two wire connector)

The connector housing ends on both do not fit the connector on the new sensor I bought. The ends have two wires going in them and are round but my new sensor has a square looking shape that the male spades are recessed in. (simply put, neither connector will plug in to the new sensor).

Since I bought the sensor using the engine code in the VIN number, I assume this is the correct part and I am still not finding the right sensor that controls the engine fans. On other cars, I know they put the fan sensor in the radiator but I don’t see any sensor on the radiator at all, unless I have to pull the radiator out to find it.

I would appreciate some direction from someone who has actually replaced a coolant fan sensor on a 89 Camry 2.5 V-6 or similar.

Thanks much!

rhol55 · 05-27-2005, 11:39 AM

Still looking!

frozenrice · 06-04-2005, 09:33 AM

Hi, I'm not a regular on this forum, but I'm having the same problem. I'm gonna try going to the wrecker today to pull the water temperature sensor and cooling system ECU to see if that will help. Here's a picture of where it should be. HTH. If for whatever reason you find out the problem other than the water temp sensor, let me know too. Thanks.

rhol55 · 06-04-2005, 10:27 AM

Thanks so much Frozenrice!!! The diagram is perfect! I work graveyard and just got home, logged on and seen this reply you sent. I am too tired to mess with this right now but this weekend I am getting on it. I have been to several parts houses to see if they had a diagram and the parts persons would even come out an look under the hood and just like me didn't know where the sensor was that matched the one I bought. My next place to go was the dealer and ask but kind of didn't want to since I didn't buy the part from them. I willlet you know what I find out and please do the same for me will you?

Thanks again!

frozenrice · 06-05-2005, 12:49 AM

rhol, not a problem. Hope we can figure this out together. Anyways, I was at the wrecker today, and found a temperature sensor. Guess what? I open my toolbox and my box wrenches were nowhere to be found. No crescent wrench or pliers either.

I then realize I left them in a drawer in the garage. So in frustration, I thought I'd stop at the NAPA store on the way home and just get a new one. Gues how much? $113(CDN)!!

So back to the wrecking yard again tomorrow. I'm not gonna drop that kind of money on something if I'm not 100% sure that that is the problem. I learned that the hard way with the ignition coil. Sorry just had to vent.....

rhol55 · 06-05-2005, 08:56 AM

Frozenrice

Wow $113 for the temp sensor! I was at Napa store here in Oregon and asking about if they had a location for that sensor. I asked the price on it here and it was $26 dollars (US) that was with a company discount down from the regular $32 (US). Are you sure they looked up the right part? I put the aftermarket part number for KEM in an earlier post. [Quote] "The sensor I bought is manufactured by "KEM" and the number is 140-715X" . You might see what that part is selling for there also.

Anyway, I looked under the hood yesterday and tried to find that sensor again (the one that matched my KEM part) and still no luck! Besides the two sensors I found (one on the lower radiator hose connection block at the engine and the upper radiator hose at the engine) I found another sensor buried down on top of the intake manifold at the front of the engine that had a regular wire connector and only one wire going to it rather than two. (I'm looking for the two wire connector sensor)

Both the sensors at the upper and lower radiator hose have two wires but the connector on the end doesn't fit the new sensor, nothing like it. I looked at the sensor that NAPA had when I was in there and it looks just like the KEM one I already purchased.

While I was under the hood I did try "bridging" the two wire sensors I found by closing the circuit between the two wires in the connector to see if the fan would shut off. Both connectors tested and the fan did not shut off. With all I have said so far it seems to all point to the fact I have not found the correct sensor yet that controls the fan. Really frustrating!!!

I will keep investigating, and if anyone else has been through this or knows something we are missing, please reply! Your help would be appreciated! Thanks!

frozenrice · 06-05-2005, 08:10 PM

Okay I went back to the wreckers today and got the cooling system fan switch/sensor. $2.00 (woot!), checkout guy didn't have a clue what it was. I tried it and it didn't stop the fan. Time well spent as opposed to buying it new for $113. So I'm stuck now. I don't know what the next item to check is. I suppose it's the fan relay - I looked it up and found a few pictures of it, but I don't have a clue as to where it's located in the car. Here's a picture of the coolant sensor switch I got today.

Here is the picture of the cooling fan relay:

If anyone else has a clue as to where the fan relay is located (picture or diagram would help) it would be appreciated. Thanks.

atobe · 06-05-2005, 09:11 PM

i think the fan relay's in the fuse box under the hood

88 LE · 06-06-2005, 07:43 AM

^ Yup.

^ In the picture above, theres 3 relays.

a/c fan relay no. 3

a/c fan relay no. 2

rdi (radiator) fan relay no. 1

And heres a electrical wiring routing diagram for a gen 2 w/3S-FE:

http://webs.lanset.com/trbocam/toyot...ng_routing.jpg

frozenrice · 06-06-2005, 09:02 AM

Thanks for the picture and diagrams. I think I found the problem. I pulled the relay out and gave it a shake, reinstalled it and now the fan doesn't come on (car hasn't been run since last night - so this is a good sign). Looks like the relay was stuck in the closed position. Time to order a new one. If I had known yesterday, I would have pulled the relay out at the wreckers yesterday.