How To Verify Fan Operation?

[Woketman]

I just got my '06 AE back from the local dealership where they performed the ground wire recall (known to us as the Gen II grounding spider issue). They had to replace the entire bike's wire harness. It was clear to me that the tech working on my FJR may never have ever worked on one before. It is certainly the first one that he did the recall on. As described in another thread, he left out/forgot to torque numerous bolts. A true gorilla with a wrench.

My latest concern/worry is about my cooling fans. I just pulled into the garage on the FJR. It is about 95 degrees F here in Slidell Lousyana. Hot and humid as hell! Normally, in this kind of heat, as I turn the engine off by putting down the side stand down and leave the power on for a moment. I can usually clearly hear the fans for the radiator blowing like all get out. But just now, no fans. Perhaps I am being paranoid, and maybe they just shut off just before I killed the engine, but maybe not. Perhaps the simian with the wrench buggered something up electrically and the fans are no longer operational.

So at precisely what conditions should the fans be running? Is it as simple as X number of bars on the engine temp display and they are on? X-1 and they are off? If so, what is X? I believe (not sure) I had seven bars when I shut her down just now. Is there a simple way to test that the fans turn off and on at the temp setting they should?

Thanks guys......

 

[RossKean]

I just got my '06 AE back from the local dealership where they performed the ground wire recall (known to us as the Gen II grounding spider issue). They had to replace the entire bike's wire harness. It was clear to me that the tech working on my FJR may never have ever worked on one before. It is certainly the first one that he did the recall on. As described in another thread, he left out/forgot to torque numerous bolts. A true gorilla with a wrench.

My latest concern/worry is about my cooling fans. I just pulled into the garage on the FJR. It is about 95 degrees F here in Slidell Lousyana. Hot and humid as hell! Normally, in this kind of heat, as I turn the key off from the run position to the powered up but engine stopped condition, I can clearly hear the fans for the radiator blowing like all get out. But just now, no fans. Perhaps I am being paranoid, and maybe they just shut off just before I killed the engine, but maybe not. Perhaps the simian with the wrench buggered something up electrically and the fans are no longer operational.

So at precisely what conditions should the fans be running? Is it as simple as X number of bars on the engine temp display and they are on? X-1 and they are off? If so, what is X? I believe (not sure) I had seven bars when I shut her down just now. Is there a simple way to test that the fans turn off and on at the temp setting they should?

Thanks guys......

Mine come on at (I think) one bar past the halfway point on the scale. You can test the fans using the Diagnostic Mode on your bike. That will tell you that the relay is working and that power is going to the fans. It won't tell you if there is an issue with the temperature sensor that tells them to come on.

Ross

 

[wmadoty]

I have a 2010. My fans come on when I have eight bars showing and shut off when it cools down to seven.

 

[Woketman]

OK, I performed the diagnostic test and the fans came on just fine. I still do not know if it has gotten hot enough for them to be commanded on. My concern is that the dope with the wrench may have forgotten to reconnect a part of the harness that goes to the temp sensor that tells the fans when to turn on.

Anyone know if that would set of an error code or some other indication???

 

[Aasland]

Funny, first time I let a shop do the valves on my VFR the forgot to connect the fan plug. Next day I was on I-84 in 95F in Portland and the temp gauge is blinking red at me, no fan. Sat on on the side of the road until traffic let up (to get airflow). That was the last time I paid any shop to do simple routine maintenance.

 

[mcatrophy]

OK, I performed the diagnostic test and the fans came on just fine. I still do not know if it has gotten hot enough for them to be commanded on. My concern is that the dope with the wrench may have forgotten to reconnect a part of the harness that goes to the temp sensor that tells the fans when to turn on.

Anyone know if that would set of an error code or some other indication???

The ECU uses the same sensor as the bar gauge. The fan will be turned on when bar 8 comes on (assuming wmadoty is correct, I think he is), there is no separate sensor.

So, if your temperature gauge bars are working and the fan diagnostic turns the fan on, you should be all hunky-dory.

(I can't remember the bar numbers to turn on and off, it's so rare here in the UK for the engine to get that warm!)