[Kolpax]

My wife was complaining about her AC not blowing cold so when I popped the hood to check the freon I noticed her cooling fan #2 (On the driver's side) was completely blown apart and seized. I pulled out the old fans and tested the new ones before installing. Got it all back together and cooling fan #1(on the passenger side) works fine as it did before but the cooling fan #2 isn't spinning up at all no matter which AC settings I turn on. I swapped relays and I see her AC Clutch cycling, but that #2 fan never spins up. I did put a new pressure switch on just incase, but still getting the same result. Wondering if anyone possibly has any ideas what the issue could be, anything I might be overlooking, or if something else could have gotten burned up with her driving around with that seized cooling fan. It's has just crossed over 200,000 miles, it is the 2.5 limited model (non-hybrid), nothing is overheating, and no engine codes are appearing. I'm not sure if any of that information is useful, but that is where I am at right now. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mountain Escape]

My wife was complaining about her AC not blowing cold so when I popped the hood to check the freon I noticed her cooling fan #2 (On the driver's side) was completely blown apart and seized. I pulled out the old fans and tested the new ones before installing. Got it all back together and cooling fan #1(on the passenger side) works fine as it did before but the cooling fan #2 isn't spinning up at all no matter which AC settings I turn on. I swapped relays and I see her AC Clutch cycling, but that #2 fan never spins up. I did put a new pressure switch on just incase, but still getting the same result. Wondering if anyone possibly has any ideas what the issue could be, anything I might be overlooking, or if something else could have gotten burned up with her driving around with that seized cooling fan. It's has just crossed over 200,000 miles, it is the 2.5 limited model (non-hybrid), nothing is overheating, and no engine codes are appearing. I'm not sure if any of that information is useful, but that is where I am at right now. Thanks in advance.

Just spit balling… I am thinking one is a primary, the other is possibly secondary… You would have to get the engine pretty hot to engage the second fan possibly.

have you tested the fan for functionality without the temp sending unit?

I am suspecting that your AC issues are separate… When driving down the road at highway speeds you would have enough airflow without the fans, to provide necessary airflow over the condenser.

If the old fan was blown apart, literally, you may have had shrapnel damage the condenser. Have you checked the AC system for pressure?

 

[ProjectSHO89]

Just spit balling… I am thinking one is a primary, the other is possibly secondary…

Nope, not on this one. Both fans should always be operating, either full speed (high) or about half-speed (low). In low speed mode, the fans are switch into a series circuit where each only gets half power. In high speed mode, they're switched in to a parallel arrangement with both receiving full power. On a 2.5L, there's also a speed dropping resistor between the two fans to further drop fan speed in the low-speed configuration.

Do you have a scan tool or equivalent that allows you to, among other things, read individual PIDs from the PCM? Can you run the PCM's KOEO and KOER self-tests?

Did you check fuse F17 under the hood? It powers fan #2 in high speed or both in low speed. If open, the #1 fan only will work and only when commanded to high speed.

 

[tomw]

Given the original was turned into shrapnel or melted stuff, it is very likely the fuse got smoked. I would check fuses. If OK, then check for power at the connectors. A second possible problem is that the connectors got melted and moved the metal around such that you no longer have good conduction from the wire through the connectors to the fan connection blades.
tom

 

[Kolpax]

Thanks for the replies, I did swap around all related fuses and relays and it just seems like there is no power going to that connector anymore. @ProjectSHO89 is right though, that fan was always running previously. I unfortunately do not have a scan tool. The connector and wiring going to the fan looks fine and undamaged from what I can see. I just wasn't sure if there was anything else I might be missing that is responsible for telling than fan to turn on.

 

[ProjectSHO89]

The PCM controls the fans via the three relays based on various inputs to the PCM. There is no other way for the fans to be operated.

If you're interested, you'll need to step up your home game if you want to DIY diagnose this. Otherwise, you'll need to send it to a shop that has someone with the test equipment and the expertise to diagnose the system. Simply swapping relays or fuses around will only get you so far (not very).

You'll need a multimeter and Forscan for Windows with free extended license (or Lite for Android, $5) with and appropriate OBDII adapter.

 

[tomw]

If you don't mind a wait, you can save a few bucks on the OBD-II adapter FORSCAN likes by going to aliexpress and ordering from there.
This is the one I got:

29.14US $ 49% OFF|Vgate Vlinker Fs Elm327 Usb Obd2 Car Diagnostic Tools Forscan Obd2 Automotive Scanner Ms/hs Can Pk Obdlink Ex For Mazda For Ford - Diagnostic Tools - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

I connected both ends and FORSCAN indicated it was happy. It connected and retrieved the VIN perfectly. This model is for USB connection, and will switch High and Low speed buses without manually toggling a switch.
There is at least one other FORSCAN likes, but I forget the name/model. If you go to aliexpress, you can shop around for the same item and compare as some seem to think shipping is a good money-maker. I have had pretty good service with very few problems on aliexpress. This item is 'exact' so there is not much room for substitution and other finagling.
I think it took about 2 weeks to arrive, but it was pretty quick. Not as fast as 'zon, but not slow boat either.
I would consider replacing the relays as they are actually a 'wear item'. The points inside that make contact can get burned and pitted with enough use, especially those relays that turn on and off more often.
If you could match the relays to others in the box, such as headlights for example, which you know to be 'good', you can swap known good for unknown without doing any damage. I would not swap relays with the engine running or the key ON.
tom

 

[Kolpax]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will look into getting the FORSCAN and the cables. I have a bluetooth adapter that will read OBDII but if it works best with the cable I have no problem picking those up. I been going through and replacing a lot of the highmilage parts over the last year like sensors, relays, etc. The car is over 200K miles so I wasn't wanting to spend too much more on it because it is going to be gifted to two teenage girls who just got their driver's licenses so I don't know how much more time that little escape has 😅 I'm just trying to make sure it is in good running order and is safe at least. The car cools just fine so if it ends up being a deeper and more expensive issue, this one may just go unresolved. I appreciate you guys trying to help out and if I do get it resolved I'll let you all know. Thanks again!

 

[ProjectSHO89]

The wired OBDII interface recommended by Forscan is only $35 on Amazon and is Prime-eligble. Not much need to order direct from China.

If your existing OBDII adapter supports reading the MS-CAN bus, it will probably work okay with Forscan. You'd have to try it and see.

 

[buckyswider]

Yeah, FORScan is definitely something that could help here. I just learned how to use it to control certain PIDs. In my instance, I was able to manually toggle the valves in my ABS Module to test their functionality. It's possible that there's a PID for the fan that you could set up and force on. Here's the write-up on forscan "Output Control Mode":

How to use Output Control mode in FORScan 2.2.* - FORScan forum

 

[tomw]

After posting the info on the OBD-II tool, I noted that is ships from USA, even though ordered through aliexpress. Apparently it arrives within a week. FWIW. I do not have any interest in the product nor selling it.
tom