97 Tercel 5EFE/Radiator Fans not working

[dakotaewing]

Need some help here folks...
The fans on my Tercel stoped working last night, and my car got hot pretty quick -
The battery light on the dash is/was on, but the fans not working are the only indication of anything wrong electrically - The fuses for the fans seem to be in good shape - I searched the forums but did
not see any posts with similar issues - Thanks in advance for the help -

Thom

[96paseo]

Check fuses in underhood box first. Good possibility that the fan switch is bad. Its at the bottom of the t-stat housing with a white harness connector. Testing is easy. Remove the harness connector and insert a wire. Make sure your hands and other body parts are clear of the fan and ground the wire to the engine block. If your fans come on, your fans and relay are good. Get yourself a new switch.

[THA REAPER]

also check the water pump check the belts and check the thermostat JUST IN CASE YOU FORGOT! and the ENGINE TEMP SENSOR!

[dakotaewing]

96Paseo -

When the removing the harness from the fan switch, the fans come come instantly, no grounding needed. I believe I read on another forum that when that switch goes bad, the fan runs all the time. My fans themselves work, they just are not coming on automatically, when needed.

So is this a case where the temp sensor is not working? Where would I find the temp sensor, and how do I test it???

Changed the belts and thermostat last night -
Again, as per my original post, all fuses are good -

Thanks !

Thom

[96paseo]

Originally Posted by dakotaewing

96Paseo -

When the removing the harness from the fan switch, the fans come come instantly, no grounding needed. I believe I read on another forum that when that switch goes bad, the fan runs all the time. My fans themselves work, they just are not coming on automatically, when needed.

So is this a case where the temp sensor is not working? Where would I find the temp sensor, and how do I test it???

Changed the belts and thermostat last night -
Again, as per my original post, all fuses are good -

Thanks !

Thom

The ECT(coolant temp sensor) does not control when the fans come on. I was researching a wire diagram for your car and found that your fan switch is different than my 96. Not sure why but yours appears to be a normally open switch. When the engine is cold, it should read "OL" on a meter. When the engine reachs the right temp, the switch will close and start the fans, in theory. To add complexity to the matter, the switch is wired in series with an A/C pressure switch. Thats according to the Tercel diagram. I am in the process of figuring it out now. Check the "ECU IG" fuse. Its in the interior fuse box. This particular fuse provides power for the main fan relay and A/C fan relay 2. Has the A/C been working? Do you use it? If you can figure out what type of switch you have (normally open or normally closed), I can help you troubleshoot it. I will also be looking at the paseo schematic since i'm beginning to think the tercel one is wrong.

[dakotaewing]

96Paseo -

Yes the A/C is working, and using the A/C will be a full time deal in the next month or so -
The fans come on immediately when the A/C is turned on, and off immediately when the A/C is switched off. Unfortunately, my skills with an ohm meter are non-existent. If you can give me another way to determine the type of switch it is without using a meter, I will give it a shot -

I greatly appreciate your help !

[96paseo]

Originally Posted by dakotaewing

96Paseo -

Yes the A/C is working, and using the A/C will be a full time deal in the next month or so -
The fans come on immediately when the A/C is turned on, and off immediately when the A/C is switched off. Unfortunately, my skills with an ohm meter are non-existent. If you can give me another way to determine the type of switch it is without using a meter, I will give it a shot -

I greatly appreciate your help !

Ok. That will help. Unfortunately, without a meter there is no way to tell. Besides the schematic that is. If the A/C is working and the fans run with it on, that will mean that the A/C clutch relay, the #2 and #3 A/C fan relays and the pressure switch are all working correctly. You also said that the fans run without the switch connected. With all that said, I think its narrowed down to the fan switch. It appears that all relays are working and the switch is not. I did some searching and it looks like the switch will run you about $70 at the local dealer. www.rockauto.com has one for pretty cheap. Good luck.

[dakotaewing]

OK -
I replaced the fan switch - Solved the fan issue -
While I was at it, I put back in the Toyota 87*C thermostat,
instead of keeping the aftermarket 92*C unit -
Also replaced the spark plug wires -
Car runs much better, and temp stays constant - right
where it should be -
Thanks 96Paseo!

Later!

Thom

[96paseo]

Good to see another successful repair.