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Your coolant is within specifications most likely because of the fans. They’re meant to be on – just a sign of a healthy cooling system. You may as well just replace the turn signals for flashing. 😉 (DWAI; don’t worry about it!) A stationary cooling fan would prove to be an obstruction for incoming air – engines need to be coooool. Much cooler in relation to the temperature of combustion than most people would think. According to my high school chemistry teacher, only 20% of the energy contained in fuel is converted to forward momentum in everyday driving. The remaining ~80% bit is converted to heat through friction relationships. This is why economy lubricants are often so much less viscous than ‘standards’. My question to you: were you moving or at a standstill when you observed the blades rotating? If it turns out you were stationary, all of that energy would then essentially be turned directly to heat which either sits in the engine bay, radiator, ambient air, other electronics/accessories or exits through a constricted exhaust system. We would all be way more concerned if your fans weren’t coming on.. B)
Check that the ac is not on.This will bring on both fans.
Does the gauge show a normal reading? check coolant level and
condition. Do the fans turn off when driving or on regardless?A/C is not on, even though A/C fan is going as well (one on passenger side)
Gauge does show normal reading, right in the middle, coolant is good and full.
Both fans are on as soon as key is turned to ON position and they keep working as the car is driven. They are pretty loud so I know when my aunt is coming as I can hear those fans spinning half a block away lol.
I did replace both of the fans as they were blown and car was overheating in the summer. I do remember that fans would constantly run before they both blew.Your works backwards from most setups, it is a “fail-safe” system designed to turn the fan on constantly if the water temp switch fails.
The temp switch you are looking for only has one wire, a light blue one. I think it is by the throttle body some where. The one in the bottom of the radiator should have continuity when cold and none when hot. The one with the single blue wire should be the opposite, no continuity to ground when cold and continuity when hot.
Your setup is designed to allow the single wire temp switch to control the fans should the ECM fail to do so. Usually a dead give away that the temp switch in the radiator is doing the controlling is both fans will run at the same time. Both fan relays are setup so when they are in the “off” position they have continuity to the the fan switch in the radiator. If the fan switch gets hot enough
Try unplugging the temp sensor on the bottom of the
radiator to see if the fans drop out. If so replace
the sensor.There is NO sensor on bottom of radiator. Maybe this car has aftermarket radiator but there is NO sensor on bottom of radiator. There are 2 drain plugs and atf cooler lines that run into radiator.
All the coolant sensors I see are on thermostat housing next to throttle body.
I’ve checked this sensor and it works as it should
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/MRY0/36424/01392.oap?year=2001&make=Toyota&model=Camry&vi=1378830&ck=Search_coolant+temperature+sensor!s!sender_1378830_2924&keyword=coolant+temperature+sensor!s!senderI even had a spare on laying around and I’ve installed it and it hasn’t changed nothing.
Thanks, I’ll look for one that has one wire. I thought it was for just the gauge on the dash, not the actual ECT sensor that controls fans/connected to pcm?
New info. 😳
I agree with you, Raistian. Let us know if that’s the fix, Mit. 🙂
My Corolla may require the same switch..
There should be a temp sensor in the radiator somewhere. If you have an aftermarket radiator and whoever replaced it did not put the sensor back in, then the fans will continually run… Hence also, burning up and having a shortened motor lifespan.
I would encourage you to look for the wire that goes to the radiator and find the bung for the sensor if you still cannot find the sensor… It has to be put together properly with the sensor for the failsafe to turn off the fans and work properly..
This link may help
http://hubpages.com/hub/Toyota-Camry-Radiator-Replacement
-Karl
There’s no sensor there and there’s no wiring that would be there for the sensor. All the coolant sensors are next to each other by the throttle body on the thermostat housing/water neck.
Of the three sensors he shows in the video there are:
The Engine Coolant Temperature sensor – Sends coolant temp to ECM
The Temperature Gauge Sending unit – Sends temp reading to your Dash Gauge (Singe wire)
The Bi-Metallic Vacuum Switching valve (BVSV) – Uses coolant temp to open and close vacuum supply (see hoses)…
The other piece I am talking about should be on the radiator… That is the cooling fan switch (sensor)… If the fan switch is disconnected, it defaults to running the fan…
Since you are so certain you have no fan switch I wish you good luck…
-Karl
Here is the wiring diagram for the cooling fans
The item marked W4 is supposed to be the sensor in the radiator, the item marked W5 is the failsafe sensor.
The main radiator fan is controlled by relay No 1. That relay is energized by being grounded through the ECM or the A/C pressure switch (A3) and the radiator temp sensor. The condenser fan motor is controlled by Fan relay No 2 which is deactivated by grounding through the No1 fan relay and activated by the fan relay No 3 interrupting it’s ground and making contact with pin 4 in the No2 fan relay, turning on the condenser fan. Temp switch number 2 is designed to turn both fans on in case of a overheat by grounding and turning on relay No 3 which bypasses relay number 1 turning on the main fan and turning off relay number 2 which turns on the condenser fan.
Sorry it is really complicated how they set this up. you need to find the temp switch marked number 2 on the diagram, it has one single blue wire going to it. Disconnect it and using a ohmmeter test for continuity to ground (one lead on the sensor’s single pin and the other on ground) if you have continuity with the engine cold, this sensor is causing both fans to run constantly. Karl is right there is supposed to be a sensor in the radiator it is marked Water temp SW NO1 on the diagram, it controls the main fan and if it fails will make the main fan run constantly.
Sorry I can’t be more of help than that, it is a complicated wiring setup, if you know someone good with wiring diagrams print it out and see if they can help you track down the problem.
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