Freelander 1 P0480 error code - fans not working - where is sensor and relay???

Hi guys ! Been getting help of here for some years reading through stuff Respect ! - here's hoping you can help me again! Have a Freelander 1.8L petrol 2005 Facelift k-series that has naturually the thermostat front external setup modification to stop tthe top lock problem that the Landers had. whenitgets really hot out i notice stuttering etc in my engine. Borrowed a simple error code reader and reported misfire in cylinder 4 along with check engine light. Cleaned throttle body and rack, all sensors i could find there, added fuel system cleaning agent to clear the system, changed spark plugs and did an oil change along with both oil and air filter renewal. However, having got my handson another better laptop setup after stuttering continued on startup after being left for a day, i got the error code P0480 immediately, even though no check engine warning light or warning had ever been recieved. This is ofcourse for the cooling fans not running which naturally results in overheating when it is hot outside even though the engine cabin is huge and airated well, and sympoms of this code is stuttering, misfire etc - everything i had. So i began to address the situation.....
However, with the modification of the thermostat the normal location of the two coolant sensors (one to dash meter and one to ECM to tell it to turn on the cooling fan), only has one - where the other sensor underneath should be is just solid metal. The sensor that is there should be the for the fan managemant (aswell as being black), however when removed the meter reading in the dash drops to zero - so it is not the fan one. The reading on the meter is normal - just below half, but the reading on the ECM Coolant TEMP. and INPUT Coolant TEMP. is 112 degrees 'C' - scary.....! The fans do not come on, even when AC is requested. I cannot see the other sensor anywhere nor the large relay associated with it - i only have two fuses - one under the bonnet and one inside the car, which are both ok.
I have jumped both fan motors from the battery and they both work. There is power going to the silver module that is on the cooling fan frame and one of the smaller two cables leading to it also has power on ignition setting electric before ignition. Both cables have 12v. So something isn't telling the fan to go on, otherwise the elusive 'moved' coolant temp fan senor or relay is broken - if so, where ARE they? Or is the module on the fan frame broken ? Question is: does the module contain the sensor or relay which is why no one can find it ? Also, would the thermostat have something to do with it if it was not operating properly? Cannot understand why i never got a warning light - i have no recollection of the fans ever being on......please help, highest regards, a fellow Landy lover, Arnodafe72

Had you Checked the fuse first ?

The relay is the small metal box next to the fan …

A 2005 1.8 petrol only has one engine temperature sensor.
The engine EMC sends a signal to the fan controller module on the radiator to put the fans on when needed, and what speed.
The engine ECM also sends the temperature data to the dashboard display, for driver information.
Check all the fuses in the engine bay fuse box. And check the electric connection on the fan controller module, which is bolted to the fan cover, close to the battery.

So the fan module is the actual relay ??? The silver box beside the fan?
Also - only found 2 fuses - one in the front engine fuse box and one in the drivers box - both fine - should there be more ? And does the AC situation affect the fans process signal ? Appreciated! Really - both of you (see photo)

Nodge68 said:

A 2005 1.8 petrol only has one engine temperature sensor.
The engine EMC sends a signal to the fan controller module on the radiator to put the fans on when needed, and what speed.
The engine ECM also sends the temperature data to the dashboard display, for driver information.
Check all the fuses in the engine bay fuse box. And check the electric connection on the fan controller module, which is bolted to the fan cover, close to the battery.

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Any idea why my dash needle is normal and records at 82 degrees but the ECM temp and Input temp reads as 111 ? Also error reads specifically - 'Cooling Fan 1Circuit Malfunction'. If the fuses are ok, should i just change the silver box relay on the fans? (NB.have you ever heard of a temp sensor fault were it only reads up to a certain temp then stops, explaining the huge difference in my readings - thus a signal to fans is never sent ? Please let me know what you think, cheers man! Have included photos of the stats)

Arnodafe72 said:

So the fan module is the actual relay ??? The silver box beside the fan?

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No it's a electronic fan controller, which drives the fan at a variable speed, depending on what cooling is required.
You need to check the electrical connections, as they are known to corrode.

Arnodafe72 said:

Any idea why my dash needle is normal and records at 82 degrees but the ECM temp and Input temp reads as 111 ?

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That's normal.
The gauge has an artificially damped display, so the shows normal, when the engine temperature is in the normal range. The gauge will show normal when the engine is between 76°C and 115°C, as this is the normal engine operating temperature range.
Below 76°C the gauge is representative of engine temperature, so creeps up slowly to the mid point. Above 116°C the gauge goes straight to the top, and puts the over temperature light on too.
As you engine is only at 111°C it's considered to be in the normal temperature range, so the gauge shows normal.
Don't get hung up on what the gauge is showing, as it'll show you the engine is overheating, if it is.

Arnodafe72 said:

Also error reads specifically - 'Cooling Fan 1Circuit Malfunction'. If the fuses are ok, should i just change the silver box relay on the fans?

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They do go wrong sometimes, but not often. Normally there's corrosion on the plugs which causes the issue. The thin wire is the speed signal wire, so you can put a volt meter on that to see if the voltage changes with temperature. The signal is actually a PWM signal, but there will be fluctuations in voltage so read on a meter.
Also don't forget that the fans themselves can fail. You need to power those from the battery to test operation.
Once you've confirmed the fans are working, and you have power to the fan controller module, and the control signal is there too, then it's time to change the fan module.

Arnodafe72 said:

(NB.have you ever heard of a temp sensor fault were it only reads up to a certain temp then stops, explaining the huge difference in my readings - thus a signal to fans is never sent ?

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It can't happen, as the ECM sends the temperature signal about the the various modules like the dash via the CAN bus, and a signal PWM for the fan control module.
As you're getting a code, it's suggesting that the fan module isn't responding to the PWM signal, so I'd be checking and cleaning the electrical connectors to it.

Thanks !!! Yeah, the temp has gone up to 114.5 dregrees which i have seen when on the carriage way....good to know how it works - people seem shockedwhen i tell them 111 - 114 temp.
There is power to the module and the fans - both fan/motors run when direct power is sent through extra wires to the motors, so they are working. The two thin wires though - one reads constant at 12v not constant but when ignition is turned to electric power position the power reading is given - stay the same. The other thin wire to the module has nothing. We were confused as we thought the thin wire with power is the trigger from the ECM but it is apparently constant at start up - is that because its trying to tell the fans to work on engine start, and then back off shortly after, making sure they are operating and giving air flow on start?
If all power cables to both fans and fan module are recieving 12v, and one of the small wires is supposed to send 12v on start, is the problem corrosion then or module? Also, what is the other thin wire to the module for - ground?
Thankyou for all your advice - GOLD ! ;-)

Nodge68 said:

No it's a electronic fan controller, which drives the fan at a variable speed, depending on what cooling is required.
You need to check the electrical connections, as they are known to corrode.

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There is no relay then ....?

Arnodafe72 said:

There is no relay then ....?

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No, there's no relay, the fans work at variable speeds, so speed control is electronic.

Arnodafe72 said:

Yeah, the temp has gone up to 114.5 dregrees which i have seen when on the carriage way....good to know how it works - people seem shockedwhen i tell them 111 - 114 temp.

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On the motorway, I'd expect to see the engine temperature at under 100°C, so there's an issue there to start with.
It's likely there's a thermostat problem.

Arnodafe72 said:

The two thin wires though - one reads constant at 12v not constant but when ignition is turned to electric power position the power reading is given - stay the same.

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I can't remember what both thin wires do. One is definitely the control PWM signal, for the other, I'll need to check the wiring diagram, when I've got a moment.

Here's the cooling fan operation description from the manual.


Wire colour codes are.
N/G = Brown with a Green trace.
N/K = Brown with a Pink trace.
B =Black
U/W = Blue with a White trace.
S/U = Grey with a Blue trace.
P/S = Purple with a Grey trace.

By my reckoning, if you unplug the small wires from the fan controller module, it will assume a fault and power the fans at full speed, if it's function correctly.

Hope this helps.

Nodge68 said:

Here's the cooling fan operation description from the manual.
View attachment 270534

Wire colour codes are.
N/G = Brown with a Green trace.
N/K = Brown with a Pink trace.
B =Black
U/W = Blue with a White trace.
S/U = Grey with a Blue trace.
P/S = Purple with a Grey trace.

By my reckoning, if you unplug the small wires from the fan controller module, it will assume a fault and power the fans at full speed, if it's function correctly.

Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

Nodge68 said:

Here's the cooling fan operation description from the manual.
View attachment 270534

Wire colour codes are.
N/G = Brown with a Green trace.
N/K = Brown with a Pink trace.
B =Black
U/W = Blue with a White trace.
S/U = Grey with a Blue trace.
P/S = Purple with a Grey trace.

By my reckoning, if you unplug the small wires from the fan controller module, it will assume a fault and power the fans at full speed, if it's function correctly.

Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

Cheers ! I'll try it asap! Reckon i should change the thermostat aswell then ? All the colours check out on the fan module (see enclosed photo!), just gotta see where those two fuses are in the engine fuse box! Salute! (NB. so if i try it and fans don't come on , its the module or the ECM sender ?)

Arnodafe72 said:

NB. so if i try it and fans don't come on , its the module or the ECM sender ?

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My guess would be the fan module. If it was the engine ECM, and the fan module was working correctly, the fans would be on at full speed.

Nodge68 said:

My guess would be the fan module. If it was the engine ECM, and the fan module was working correctly, the fans would be on at full speed.

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Just home from work - engine good and warm! Unplugged thin cables that go to fannmodule - turned on ignition and engine - nothing! Nada from the fans - even after messing with the AC. So you reckon fan module then? Thanks again for everything! (NB. Photo enclosed of my engine fuse box - maybe you see something that's missing...eg. link 5 and fuse 4 mentioned in your post earlier. )

Arnodafe72 said:

maybe you see something that's missing...eg. link 5 and fuse 4 mentioned in your post earlier.

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You can check you've got battery voltage at both ends of FL5. FL6 isn't supposed to be fitted on your engine type.

Nodge68 said:

You can check you've got battery voltage at both ends of FL5. FL6 isn't supposed to be fitted on your engine type.

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Yeap - have 12v both sides of link fuse 5 ....only module left then ?
Also, when i squeeze the coolant tubes on both sides of the thermostat when cold,, the air flow can be seen in the presure tank - does that mean my thermostat is stuck on 'open' ? This would be why i don't get heat in the winter maybe in -20 c as all the coolant is going through the whole radiator system and so cannnever get warm ? Let me know what you think, high reqards as always - super ! Arnodafe72

If your engine is running hot, but you don't have a good heater, it suggests that the thermostat isn't connected correctly.
Do you have the proper reducer where the rear thermostat was?

Nodge68 said:

If your engine is running hot, but you don't have a good heater, it suggests that the thermostat isn't connected correctly.
Do you have the proper reducer where the rear thermostat was?

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Not sure about that - although i did have good heat in winter before, 3 years .... have to google what it looks like.
Should i go ahead and get a new fan module? Yours greatfully, arnodafe72