Engine Fan

[rsjohnsn]

Hi all, first post and wouldn't you know it, I have a problem. On my way in to work this morning, my engine fan kicked in and ran wide open. The temp outside was 70 and the engine temp guage was right where it has always been. I did have the A/C on low and coolant level is fine. I just finished a 400 mile trip this weekend in hotter weather with no issues. Why is she running like this? It even stays on idleing in the parking lot.

Thanks
Scott

2008 F350 Job 1
CC DRW LB 4x2 Auto Lariat

[cp2146]

Originally Posted by rsjohnsn

Hi all, first post and wouldn't you know it, I have a problem. On my way in to work this morning, my engine fan kicked in and ran wide open. The temp outside was 70 and the engine temp guage was right where it has always been. I did have the A/C on low and coolant level is fine. I just finished a 400 mile trip this weekend in hotter weather with no issues. Why is she running like this? It even stays on idleing in the parking lot.

Thanks
Scott

2008 F350 Job 1
CC DRW LB 4x2 Auto Lariat

First, welcome aboard. You'll find this is a great site for all things Ford diesel. There a lot of folks on here with lots of experience, diesel techs included, who are more than happy to offer advice.

The owner's manual does talk about how the radiator fan clutch will adjust the fan speed to accomodate the need for more cooling in warmer weather, but I wouldn't think 70 would be warm enough for it to kick in, much less stay in. Sounds like you may need to have it looked at and possibly the fan clutch replaced. They do go out (personal experience), and when they do, or when they are engaged normally, the thing sounds like it's about to take off. Mine scared me the first time I heard it kick in. Then I looked it up and saw oh, it's supposed to do that. :-)

[rsjohnsn]

Thanks for the reply. I went back down and checked it out and the fan is still running after a 4 hour cool down so apparently something isn't right.

Scott

[cp2146]

Originally Posted by rsjohnsn

Thanks for the reply. I went back down and checked it out and the fan is still running after a 4 hour cool down so apparently something isn't right.

Scott

Here in Dallas, where the temps are already pushing triple digits, 4 hours probably isn't long enough for an adequate cool down. But that's just me. In your case, it does sound like the fan clutch has crapped out. I don't think it's a huge deal to repair, but you'd need to ask the professionals. The good thing, though, is all it's gonna do is be a little noisy until you can get it fixed. The fan is turning, therefore cooling, it's just turning full speed all the time when it doesn't really need to. Think of it as killing flies with a bazooka.

[rsjohnsn]

Ok, when I left today everything was fine but just as soon as the temp gauge got to its normal location, the fan kicks in. The fan stayed wide open all the way home (20 miles) and never shut down until the engine sat and cooled off with a fan blowing on it. I then drove it around until the gauge got to its normal area again and then the fan went wide open. I have checked all fluids and verified that there was no blockage in the radiator area and all is well. I also tried all of this testing with no A/C. I have an appointment on Thursday but not sure if it is safe to drive this way. The temp gauge never goes higher than its normal reading.

Thanks
Scott

[cp2146]

Originally Posted by rsjohnsn

Ok, when I left today everything was fine but just as soon as the temp gauge got to its normal location, the fan kicks in. The fan stayed wide open all the way home (20 miles) and never shut down until the engine sat and cooled off with a fan blowing on it. I then drove it around until the gauge got to its normal area again and then the fan went wide open. I have checked all fluids and verified that there was no blockage in the radiator area and all is well. I also tried all of this testing with no A/C. I have an appointment on Thursday but not sure if it is safe to drive this way. The temp gauge never goes higher than its normal reading.

Thanks
Scott

Just to be sure, you'd probably better ask your mechanic if it's okay to drive it this way until you can bring it in. I'm pretty sure it is, but then I'm not a mechanic. I'm speaking strictly from personal experience. Anyway, as I said before, it's not a matter of the fan not turning, it's just turning at full speed and making a lot of noise. That being said, your going to get plenty of air moving over the radiator coils and cooling the engine as evidenced by the temp gauge staying in the normal range. Now that it's gotten really hot here in Dallas, I've noticed mine turning at full speed a lot more than usual. Granted, it usually winds down after a minute or so, but it's definitely more frequent. In your case, it sounds like it is cycling since it's okay when you first start out, but maybe just hyper sensitive to the temp of a hot engine. The bottom line is, according to the manual, what you and I are experiencing is normal during warm weather. But with you, the fact that your fan spools up to full speed and never winds down until the engine has cooled needs to be looked at. Please let us know what you find out after you take it in.

[cp2146]

Originally Posted by rsjohnsn

Hi all, first post and wouldn't you know it, I have a problem. On my way in to work this morning, my engine fan kicked in and ran wide open. The temp outside was 70 and the engine temp guage was right where it has always been. I did have the A/C on low and coolant level is fine. I just finished a 400 mile trip this weekend in hotter weather with no issues. Why is she running like this? It even stays on idleing in the parking lot.

Thanks
Scott

2008 F350 Job 1
CC DRW LB 4x2 Auto Lariat

Here is the direct quote from the owners's manual (diesel supplement).

Your vehicle is equipped with an engine driven cooling fan drive (also
called a fan clutch). This fan drive changes the fan speed to match the
vehicle’s changing cooling air flow requirements. Fan speed, fan noise
level and fuel consumption all will increase based on the driving
conditions that include trailer towing, hill climbing, heavy loads, high
speed and high ambient temperature, individually or in combination. The
fan drive is designed to provide the minimum fan speed (and resulting
fan noise and fuel consumption) required to meet the ever changing
vehicle cooling air flow requirements. You will hear the amount of fan
noise increasing and decreasing as the engine power requirements and
vehicle driving conditions change as you drive. This is to be expected as
being normal to the operation of your vehicle. High levels of fan noise
might also be heard when your engine is first started, and should
normally decrease after driving for a short time.

[rsjohnsn]

OK, took the truck to the dealer today and they told me that the clutch for the fan was bad. They gave me a code of P0528 and P0529. Code P0529 states that the fan speed sensor circuit is intermittent. Not sure about the other code but I did find that there is a recall or TSB for these codes. Should these be covered under a warranty because the dealer told me that it wasn't and that it would cost me around $750 and I only have 58k miles.

I also had them check to see why I have black smoke at take off and they said that this was normal. I disagreed with them but they said that with no codes for anything, they couldn't fix anything!

Thanks
Scott

[cp2146]

Originally Posted by rsjohnsn

OK, took the truck to the dealer today and they told me that the clutch for the fan was bad. They gave me a code of P0528 and P0529. Code P0529 states that the fan speed sensor circuit is intermittent. Not sure about the other code but I did find that there is a recall or TSB for these codes. Should these be covered under a warranty because the dealer told me that it wasn't and that it would cost me around $750 and I only have 58k miles.

I also had them check to see why I have black smoke at take off and they said that this was normal. I disagreed with them but they said that with no codes for anything, they couldn't fix anything!

Thanks
Scott

$750.00 to repair? Ouch! I imagine most of that is labor given where the clutch is. P0528 is "fan speed sensor circuit no signal", which makes sense. That could be the sensor itself has gone bad, and I have no idea where that sensor is (probably part of the clutch), or it could be the wiring to it. Most likely it is the clutch, hence an internal sensor, just as they said. Since you are out of the bumper to bumper factory warranty and since this isn't part of the engine/powertrain (I don't think) which goes to 100K, then no, it wouldn't be covered. However, if you have an extended warranty, then it should be, but with a deductible (usually $100.00). You'll have to check with the dealer on that. Also, you might take it to another Ford dealer for a second opinion. I don't think TSB's qualify for the repair to be covered at no cost since they're not actually factory recalls, but rather an advisory. Sorry, man, I wish I had better news. If you can, though, I would take it for a second opinion. I'd also investigate whether it's considered part of the engine, in which case it would be covered under that part of the original warranty. In the mean time, your truck should still be driveable, just noisy.

[srjd]

just a side note you should get some gauges to monitor coolant and oil temps because the stock coolant gauge gets up to temp and it stays in the middle and if it does move past that by then its too late its a completely useless gauge if you ask me