Freelander 1 Radiator fans non-functional

Hi there,

my radiator fans appear to be non-functional, let the temp rise to half way and no life from the fans. they seem to spin cleanly though. is there a fuse/relay etc. that i can check easily.

cheers

Steve

What model?
Just because the temperature gauge shows normal, doesn't mean the fans should run. They only run when needed, which is when the engine is hot, normally over 95°C or more depending on what engine is fitted.
The fans will run at slow speed if the AC button is pressed, if not then there's an issue.

its a 1.8 k series. got 2 fans, but i'll try the aircon switch and see if that makes a difference. it just seems to get hot if stuck in traffic and then runs lumpy

Tried the aitcon, made no difference, fans are definitely not turning, even slowly

Aren't the fans supposed to come on if the wire from the temp sensor is disconnect?

Think there may be 2 sensors, 1 for the ECU (the one to be disconnected) and another for the gauge.

be great if someone could identify the one to be disconnected and i can try that tomorrow. cheers

drfoster said:

be great if someone could identify the one to be disconnected and i can try that tomorrow. cheers

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IIRC it plugs into an elbow on the coolant path at the front/top/drivers side of the engine.

GrumpyGel said:

IIRC it plugs into an elbow on the coolant path at the front/top/drivers side of the engine.

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cool. i'll check it out tomorrow, cheers dude

drfoster said:

cool. i'll check it out tomorrow, cheers dude

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I don't know for sure that is correct - I might be thinking of the T Series not K.

GrumpyGel said:

I don't know for sure that is correct - I might be thinking of the T Series not K.

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no worries, i'll have a poke around and trace the cables back from the fan controller

drfoster said:

no worries, i'll have a poke around and trace the cables back from the fan controller

Click to expand...

Everything will be routed through the engine's ECU.

The temp sensor will feed to the ECU and the ECU will feed to the fans. All the wiring will be enclosed within loom protection. So I don't think you'll be able to trace much without a wiring diagram for colours etc.

You need to be looking for a wiring plug that connects to a sensor fitting into the cooling system.

Well actually, you should really consult the Rave workshop manual to tell you everything you need to know. It will not only has wiring diagrams, but descriptions and names for connectors with pictures of each connector showing you where it is. Info on downloading Rave here...

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/rave-disk-maintenance-manual.260227/

Mind you, I'm sure someone can tell you where the temp sensor is on a "K Series.

GrumpyGel said:

I don't know for sure that is correct - I might be thinking of the T Series not K.

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The T certainly has 2 sensors 1 for gauge and 1 for fans. The K is the baby T so could well be the same. Although orientation is different from mine in the defender.

The gauge is a single wire and the fans are a double pin connection. But they are both right up close to the top hose outlet at the head.

either way if the wire/sensor was an issue I would expect the gauge to go high or/and fans to run all the time.
I have only managed to get my fans to run by unplugging the sensor.

J

Morning, well i know the fans work as i disconnected the temp sensor and they came on full blast!!! they just don't seem to work in traffic

Maybe they just dont need too.

Was it 2 sensors out of interest?

I dont think I have heard my fans running (dont mean to say they havent) during normal driving.

J

marjon said:

Maybe they just dont need too.

Was it 2 sensors out of interest?

I dont think I have heard my fans running (dont mean to say they havent) during normal driving.

J

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only one sensor, its screwed into an aluminium hose elbow coming from the head. i would just expect them to come one when it gets really hot as in traffic the guage goes right up to the middle and the engine seems a lot more lumpy and the idle wavers about. when its cold the engine idles reasonably smoothly at about 1000rpm

drfoster said:

Morning, well i know the fans work as i disconnected the temp sensor and they came on full blast!!! they just don't seem to work in traffic

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If the fans come on when you unplug the sensor, then the fans and controller are working fine.

It's very unlikely the 1.8 needs the fans in the winter. The 1.8 rad is the same at the KV6 rad, which dumps twice the heat into it than the 1.8 can.
One of the main reasons the 1.8 K suffers HG failure, is because the rad has too much cooling capacity, so quenches the engine.

If you're worried about it being hot, then put an OBD2 diagnostic reader on it to check the live data. However unless the engine temperature exceeds 96°C, the fans won't make an appearance.

drfoster said:

i would just expect them to come one when it gets really hot as in traffic the guage goes right up to the middle and the engine seems a lot more lumpy and the idle wavers about. when its cold the engine idles reasonably smoothly at about 1000rpm

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The gauge being in the middle is normal running temperature, it should remain in the middle the whole time, it's not hot until the gauge goes up to the red.

The normal engine idle speed is 750 RPM, but it will run slightly higher if the engine is cold.
Lumpy idle could be many things but old or incorrect spark plugs would be my first item to check.

my gauge typically reads about a 1/3rd on a run, only goes up to the middle in traffic. was just worried i was cooking the engine. HG has been replaced recently but coolant had dropped slightly so i topped it up and ran a HG leak test again and all good. i'll check plugs and leads next.

i've got an old OBD reader but it didn't come up with any faults and its not fancy enough to report on temperatures etc.

i read on another post about the IACV might need a clean, can anyone tell me where it is located, i can't find any pictures in the previous posts. cheers.

drfoster said:

my gauge typically reads about a 1/3rd on a run, only goes up to the middle in traffic

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The engine is running cold then. If the gauge isn't showing ½ way the engine hasn't reached 75°C. Normal running temperature is around 85°C, but the gauge will show ½ way up between 76° and 112°C.