Overheating, radiator fan not working

Tiny
SNIPS01968
  • MEMBER
  • 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 88,000 MILES
My car started overheating. Took it to the mechanic and he replaced my radiator fan. My car is still overheating because the fan is not working. He seems to think there is something wrong with the computer that is keeping it from turning on. Could this be possible? He changed the relays along with putting a new fan in. Help!
Thursday, June 28th, 2018 AT 4:01 PM

14 Replies

Tiny
WALLY AB
  • MEMBER
  • 97 POSTS
Has he bothered even checking the thermostat and coolant?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
-1
Thursday, June 28th, 2018 AT 7:59 PM
Tiny
SNIPS01968
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
As far as I know he did. He said something about connecting the fan to the battery and it worked but does not work when the car is running. I paid a lot of money getting this car " fixed" and it still is not right. He said something about getting sparks but the fan will not turn on?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Friday, June 29th, 2018 AT 5:56 AM
Tiny
SNIPS01968
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
I should probably add that it only overheats while the car is idling.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Friday, June 29th, 2018 AT 6:37 AM
Tiny
PATENTED_REPAIR_PRO
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,853 POSTS
It only overheats when it is idling because when the car is moving the wind helps to cool it.
As far as the fan goes, radiator fan operation is controlled by the Total Integrated Power Module (TIPM) with
inputs from the Powertrain Control Module (PDC). Inputs for coolant temperature and
vehicle speed are sent to the the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) (1). This information is
then sent via the communication bus to the TIPM which turns on the radiator fans.
What you should do is read the codes first.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+6
Friday, June 29th, 2018 AT 12:16 PM
Tiny
SNIPS01968
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Do I have to take it to a dealership to have the codes read?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Friday, June 29th, 2018 AT 2:02 PM
Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,411 POSTS
No. If you have a code reader you can retrieve the codes yourself. Here is a useful link to help you read the codes:
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

Also, another thing you would want to look at is the electrical connector to the fan. The female terminals will wear out causing poor contact. When it is starting to overheat wiggle the connector. If fans do come on Chrysler does sell a connector terminal repair kit.

If fans do not come on check the upper and lower radiator hoses. Both should be hot. If the lower hose is cold then the thermostat is shut closed. The cold coolant reading will not allow the fans to come on.

Another quick way to check your fans is to turn the A/C on. The high speed fan should come on right away. If it does not, do the wiggle test on the connector. Keep us posted please with the recommended checks.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+4
Friday, June 29th, 2018 AT 3:06 PM
Tiny
PATENTED_REPAIR_PRO
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,853 POSTS
Autozone, Advance auto and others usually check codes for free.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Friday, June 29th, 2018 AT 4:05 PM
Tiny
BMDOUBLE
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,139 POSTS
I agree that it needs to be scanned for trouble codes. This will steer us in the right direction.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Saturday, June 30th, 2018 AT 9:20 PM
Tiny
SNIPS01968
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
The check engine light is not on. Would there still be a code?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Sunday, July 1st, 2018 AT 7:09 AM
Tiny
PATENTED_REPAIR_PRO
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,853 POSTS
Yes, there could be.
But first, make sure the fuse 15 in the TIPM is okay, then bypass the neutral switch tan/black wire jumped to black/light blue to see if bypassing that allows the fan to run.
Image (Click to make bigger)
Thumb
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Sunday, July 1st, 2018 AT 7:48 AM
Tiny
SNIPS01968
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
So I took it and let my friends husband check it out. Turns out there was a bad wire. He replaced that wire and all is good now! Thank you for the help!
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Monday, July 2nd, 2018 AT 6:04 PM
Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,411 POSTS
Thank you for the update. My wife had a PT Cruiser also and had the same problem with that bad connection at the fan connector. Glad it was a simple fix. Come back again if you run into an issue with the PT.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+3
Monday, July 2nd, 2018 AT 9:33 PM
Tiny
JFSIEBE
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
JIS001, Do you have a part number for the connector terminal repair kit?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Friday, January 11th, 2019 AT 3:33 PM
Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,411 POSTS
No I do not. I called a Chrysler dealership and they sent me the kit.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
-1
Saturday, January 12th, 2019 AT 9:11 PM

Please login or register to post a reply.

Related Cooling Fan Not Working Content

VIEW MORE