2004 500 cooling fan not coming on.

[Kawiherder]

It starts and runs Ok but after a while the temp gage lights up and the fan fails to start.  Any suggestions on where to start looking would be helpful.  Thanks

[Frank Angerano]

Whats up @Kawiherder what year make and model? Im assuming Kawasaki by your name. 
That light comes on from a sensor in the top of the cylinder head that acts independently from the fan. 
If its water cooled then there is a sensor on the right side of the lower portion of the radiator. Take the two wires off that sensor and jump them together. If the fan comes on then the sensor is bad. 
If the fan does not come on then the power going to that sensor needs to be checked. Thats done by using a simple test light or tester. One of the wires on the sensor  should have 12V power on it. If not then start tracing that wire back to its source, maybe fuse or there are inline circuit breakers on the wire to the fan on some models. 

Now if you have power at the sensor and when you jump the two wires on the sensor and the fan does not come on then it could be a bad ground on the sensor or a bad fan so you have to start looking at the fan itself and the wires coming off of it. 
 

All of the above testing needs to be done with the key on. 
 

[Kawiherder]

Make and model are Arctic Cat 2004 500 BTX with the Suzuki motor.  Kawiherder, aka Interceptor398 are from my sled site and collection and I have used them in more than a few places.  Your reply is the starting place I was hoping for and I thank you for that!!

[Frank Angerano]

Your very welcome, a lot of the cooling systems work that way. If you get stuck let me know we will go deeper.  

[Kawiherder]

Is it simpler to remove the covers to work on this?  I can see the connector to the fan but that is about it.  I've never had one of these apart so it is a new adventure for me.

[Frank Angerano]

Its always easier to work on without the plastics just not easy to take the plastics off! 
 

I  don't think you need to pull the plastics off based on the problem your having unless you need to pull the fan. Then you may need to take the front one off.  
Post a few pics of you can so we can help you along and make sire your on the right track. 

[mikeexplorer]

First check the fan fuse to make sure its good. Your model is a liquid cooled so the sensor is mounted near the bottom of the radiator. Unplug it and with the key on, jump out the two pins on the wiring side and see if the fan comes on. If it does not, check to see if one pin has 12 volts to ground.

Typically the fan is also a 2 pin plug, you can disconnect it and run 12 volts directly to the fan to check to make sure its good.

There is also a diode in the circuit that prevents the fan from backfeeding into the wiring, this may have gone bad, on your model it shows it as an external part, on later models it was inside the wiring harness.

Mike

 

[Kawiherder]

Finally got the snow plow off and was able to test the fan and it works.

[Frank Angerano]

So it comes on as per the temperature on the sensor? 

[Kawiherder]

Pulled the connector apart an used a remote battery to power the fan directly as suggested.

[Frank Angerano]

And ..... Does the fan spin? If so great and you  would go to the temperature switch on the radiator like @mikeexplorer mentioned.  See if one of the wires has 12+ with the key on.  If not then you have to trace the 12+ from the temperature sensor to the fuse block, there is also an in-line fuseable link in the harness on the 12+ power wire going to the temperature switch.  
Also check your ground on the fan motor.   

[mikeexplorer]

16 minutes ago, Frank Angerano said:

And ..... Does the fan spin? If so great and you  would go to the temperature switch on the radiator like @mikeexplorer mentioned.  See if one of the wires has 12+ with the key on.  If not then you have to trace the 12+ from the temperature sensor to the fuse block, there is also an in-line fuseable link in the harness on the 12+ power wire going to the temperature switch.  
Also check your ground on the fan motor.   

That is not a fusible link, it is a diode to prevent backfeeding into the electrical systems. I have seen a few cases where the diode broke since they stick it inside the wiring harness. Any generic silicon diode rated for 10 amps will do as a replacement, polarity is important.

Mike

 

[Frank Angerano]

I ordered a diode kit on Amazon and man i have to say it was worth it. $20 bucks for 80 various assorted diodes.   

[JacobSlabach]

is it overheating all the time or just when your using it in a tight spot (in low or pulling a load- high rpms and low speed ect) or out on the trail?  im thinking you may have a different issue as it really should depend on the fan all the time to keep cool.  the fan is for keeping air moving through the radiator when the atv is sitting or moving slowly.  also if your radiator is plugged with mud or dirt it will not cool regardless of having the fan or not.

[Kawiherder]

In the past the fan would come on after 15-20 minutes of use and only after slow speed or hard use, it seemed to run pretty cool.  Now I could plow snow for 20 minutes and the high temp light would come on but not the fan.  I would let it sit for 45 minutes and finish my plowing.  The fan would not turn on so I just use it for short times but now for cutting my firewood I need it to work properly.  When I disconnected the fan connector and put 12 volts to and the fan came on strong.

 

Thanks

[Frank Angerano]

Ok so at least the motor is good, locate that sensor and jump the wires together.  If the fan comes on then the sensor is bad. 
If the fan does not come on then follow the steps as indicated in the previous messages.  

[JacobSlabach]

i say your thermostat is bad- it would explain the fan not cutting on because the ecu wouldnt think it was too hot.

[Frank Angerano]

It could be but the thermostat housing has a small bypass allowing coolant to flow throughout the system so there is flow to the radiator.   Plus the coolant does make it to the top end on the return side and that heat will rise to the radiator.   

[JacobSlabach]

18 minutes ago, Frank Angerano said:

It could be but the thermostat housing has a small bypass allowing coolant to flow throughout the system so there is flow to the radiator.   Plus the coolant does make it to the top end on the return side and that heat will rise to the radiator.   

yea true- didnt think about that.  shoot my sportsman 500 ran awesome with no coolant for months until i noticed the reservoir was empty and filled it up

[Frank Angerano]

Lol jacob u kill me brother.  How did you not know??? Lol. 

[JacobSlabach]

4 minutes ago, Frank Angerano said:

Lol jacob u kill me brother.  How did you not know??? Lol. 

i mean it was my second atv- 1st liquid cooled atv...  was still wet behind the ears..still am i guess lol

[mikeexplorer]

23 hours ago, Frank Angerano said:

I ordered a diode kit on Amazon and man i have to say it was worth it. $20 bucks for 80 various assorted diodes.   

Good deal, are you into hobby electronics?

 

[Frank Angerano]

I was years ago.  Back into it the last few years with my oldest. We built a Tetris game about a year ago and play with some remote control stuff.   

[JacobSlabach]

1 hour ago, Frank Angerano said:

I was years ago.  Back into it the last few years with my oldest. We built a Tetris game about a year ago and play with some remote control stuff.   

cool stuff- my dad never did much with me other than work lol (or maybe i should say i worked with him)

[Frank Angerano]

I was always tinkering/working with my father in the shop.  I learned HVAC by the time i was 16 and i mean fully knowledgeable.  He taught me well and I understood it very easily.  Then it was electrical troubleshooting on compressors and relays etc and it took off from there.  Then i got into everything, heck i would be a billionaire today had my father not passed away.  We were doing things with LED lights in the late 80's and early 90's. He told me they are the future and will be in every  single light fixture on the planet! He said we will open a company and be very wealthy down the road! Boy was he right.  He passed in 92 when i was 21 of cancer and I had to  get a serious job and help support the family (Youngest of 9 kids). I was racing the amateur bracket and about to race for Kawasaki team green in the 250cc class (gave that up) and the rest is history!!! 
I worked from that point on supporting the fam with the help of my sisters and played with race cars and a ton of Suzuki GSXR engines when i had free time.   
Things would be very different for me had my father lived longer but thats life!! 
Not one single drop of sports in his body so we never did sports and i would not change one thing about it.  I would not know half the sh** i know now if we played sports lol 

 

[Kawiherder]

On ‎12‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 6:45 PM, Frank Angerano said:

Whats up @Kawiherder what year make and model? Im assuming Kawasaki by your name. 
That light comes on from a sensor in the top of the cylinder head that acts independently from the fan. 
If its water cooled then there is a sensor on the right side of the lower portion of the radiator. Take the two wires off that sensor and jump them together. If the fan comes on then the sensor is bad. 
If the fan does not come on then the power going to that sensor needs to be checked. Thats done by using a simple test light or tester. One of the wires on the sensor  should have 12V power on it. If not then start tracing that wire back to its source, maybe fuse or there are inline circuit breakers on the wire to the fan on some models. 

Now if you have power at the sensor and when you jump the two wires on the sensor and the fan does not come on then it could be a bad ground on the sensor or a bad fan so you have to start looking at the fan itself and the wires coming off of it. 
 

All of the above testing needs to be done with the key on. 

 

Fan sensor has been ordered.  Since there are many available might that be considered a weak spot on these??
 

 

[Frank Angerano]

Did you jump the wires that plug into the sensor and if so did the fan come on ? 
Im assuming thats why you ordered a new sensor ?

[Kawiherder]

I disconnected the fan and put 12V to it and it started so I confirmed the fan worked.  The sensor was next in line and is heat activated so it seemed that would be a bit more complicated to test.  For less than $14.00 shipping included  I got a new one and 20 minutes had installed it.  Now the cooling fan is working as it should.

In the picture the top one is the old one.

Thanks for the reply's!

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Kawiherder

[Frank Angerano]

Your welcome and great work.   Happy to hear everything is working properly. Be sure to stay in touch and post pics.   

[BLR81471]

On 4/12/2020 at 12:14 PM, Kawiherder said:

I disconnected the fan and put 12V to it and it started so I confirmed the fan worked.  The sensor was next in line and is heat activated so it seemed that would be a bit more complicated to test.  For less than $14.00 shipping included  I got a new one and 20 minutes had installed it.  Now the cooling fan is working as it should.

In the picture the top one is the old one.

Thanks for the reply's!

 

How Did you disconnect the fan and apply 12v? I have a 2003 Arctic Cat 500 TRV and having a heat light issue as well. Trying to resolve it.