Vauxhall Astra F (1991 - 1998) - 96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Thu 1 Oct 2009 13:31
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - kam1nsk1
Hello!


Further to my other post (snapped timing belt) being sorted, I find we have one further problem, in that the radiator fan is going all the time the ignition is switched on.

It cannot be an overheating problem as it comes on as soon as you turn the key, even when engine is stone cold.

I found the wire and plug that goes to the thermal sensor/switch for the radiator fan, it was unattached and the previous owner had connected 2 terminals up with a bit of wire. Pull these out and the fan dies. The switch itself was corroded and all the points had snapped off and worn away.

It seemed obvious that the switch needed replacing, which I did (with a motor factor part).

Unfortunately, this did not solve the problem, as as soon as it was all connected back up the fan resumed running all the time.

My dad seems to think the new part I have bought might be defective, as why would the fan stop running when it is totally disconnected and yet run when connected to the new switch?

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of this problem?

Cheers

Minski
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 1 Oct 2009 13:44
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - bell boy
i suspect car has aircon?
if it has the easiest solution seeing as the aircon wont be working?
is to hard wire a positive cable up (fused) direct from the battery to the radiator switch and move to oneside the loom attachement
this way your fan will only come on at the prescribed 90+ degrees
im assuming your wiring faulty by the way and not an engine/water problem
this is how i did these astras

caveat umpar........
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 1 Oct 2009 18:53
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - kam1nsk1
No, there's no aircon, although it is a 3 point plug.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 1 Oct 2009 20:27
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - elekie&a/c doctor
I would suspect a faulty switch. Also it may have a 3-pin connection on the wiring plug but often only 2 pins in the switch.This is because some models had 2-speed cooling fan.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 1 Oct 2009 21:29
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - kam1nsk1
I'm going to take it off and take it back to where I bought it and swap it for another one.

Incidentally, when I was trying to get the part hardly anyone carried them, most telling me I'd have to go to Vauxhall.

Any chance it could be because these are known to be dodgy and therefore not worth the hassle for spares shops?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 1 Oct 2009 22:12
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - elekie&a/c doctor
Not really a dodgy part.There is very little demand for this type of switch thesedays and the original GM part was very reliable.I would guess that the one you have bought has been languishing in a dusty old parts bin,dropped on the floor a few times ,and been totally neglected.Get a genuine part from Vauxhall;only snag will be the price;a lot more than your motor factor item.hth
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 6 Oct 2009 16:00
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - kam1nsk1
Update and help still very much needed!

I swapped the first switch I installed for a new one in case it was just a faulty part but with the same results - the fan stay on all the time.

Disconnect it completely and it goes off.

Hmm.

I have been told that most models of this car without A/C have a two plug switch and not a three, and after looking at the points layout of the original 3 point plug (which wasn't connected remember) compared to the new ones it is completely different.
Basically it looks like it was wired up wrong in the first place and that it has the wrong plug for this switch, making me think I need to change the plug to a two point one and get a matching two point switch.

Does this make sense? Can anyone give an opinion on this?

Help and advice gratefully received!
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 6 Oct 2009 17:28
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - Number_Cruncher
Buy the original radiator fan switch from Vauxhall, rather than messing about with spurious aftermarket parts.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 7 Oct 2009 00:08
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - Victorbox
Genuine Vauxhall Astra radiator switches of several varieties here - top one in list is probably the one you need. tinyurl.com/y956or8
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 14 Jul 2013 15:56
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - yorkermiles

Did you ever solve this mystery? I have the exact same problem.

I discovered the radiator switch on a 1996/97 astra 1.6 was defective.

I got a replacment which has 3 pins as opposed to the 2 pin one I removed.

The plug that goes into the radiator switch clearly has 3 pins so it obviously wants a 3 pin switch.

When I turn the ignition on the fan stays on all the time.

I would reaally like to fix this as it is an oaps car and I promised them I would sort it out.

I would appreciate any feedback?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 24 Aug 2017 04:25
96 1.6 Radiator fan on all the time - RagefilledSpannerthrower

4 more years on and I too am having trouble with this exact issue, anyone manage to sort it out? I thought maybe relay but cant find where it might be. 1996 Astra-F rjpartridge@windowslive.com

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

From which small car to buy at which price point to the best UK-built cars, our Top 10s have the lot. Click now for your shortlist.

Unsure of what to buy? Our Top 10s are here to help you....