North American Turbocoupe Organization



Wiring question for you techies.
Kev Offline
Posting Freak
#1
I bought an 87 TC for my girlfriend and it has a few quirks here and there. One of them is the radiator fans have totally been rewired to a switch on the dash. Actually only one of them is wired to the switch, the other is just sitting there. She has to remember to watch her temp guage and turn the fan on when she is in traffic or on a slow moving road. Well, I don't think she is capable of remembering. When I ask her where the guage was when she was driving home from work, her reply is "I didn't notice". This kind of scares me. Anyway, to the point, I was wondering where it would be safe to hook the fan(s) up so they would just come on when she turns the car on. I don't want to over load any of the systems so that's why I'm asking. Anyone that can point me in the right direction would be doing the t-bird community a great honor and may be saving one of the great birds.

Thanks

Kev
Kev
1988 TC 5spd
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#2
Get a themostatically controlled fan relay. They are adjustable to come on at different temperatures. Some of the auto parts stores carry them. Then you don't have to worry and you don't have to run the fans full time which IMO is a strain on an already strained alternator.

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NATO Member. it's not a vice, it's an obsession
"The nice thing about each new day is nobody ever used it before" Barnaby Jones
88 TC X 2, 86 SVO, mods list at
http://www.turbotbird.com/showroom/pd_88tc.htm
Pete Dunham


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Kev Offline
Posting Freak
#3
Thanks for the post Pete. But I was kinda trying to stay away from the "go get this" way of doing this. Her car has new shocks on it so the PRC is gone, aftermarket stereo, so the amp is gone, she has a new battery and a new alt., so I figured running the fans full time would be okay. I just need to know where to hook them up to be safe. Thanks again.

Kev
Kev
1988 TC 5spd
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#4
see the article Radiator Fan switch Install in the Technical Articles. That can be adapted to automatically run one or both fans when the key is on. You are going to need wiring and new relay(s)for safety's sake anyhow so why not go with the thermostatic controlled relay. The downside of having the fans controlled by the key is if the key is on and the engine isn't running, it will run the battery down.

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NATO Member. it's not a vice, it's an obsession
"The nice thing about each new day is nobody ever used it before" Barnaby Jones
88 TC X 2, 86 SVO, mods list at
http://www.turbotbird.com/showroom/pd_88tc.htm



[This message has been edited by Pete D (edited 06-30-2002).]
Pete Dunham


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Kev Offline
Posting Freak
#5
Thanks again, Pete. Hopefully she'll hear the fans running if the key is on and turn it off.

Kev
Kev
1988 TC 5spd
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Kev Offline
Posting Freak
#6
Okay, I checked out the Tech Articles and the FAQs pages. Neither one of them answered my question, or maybe the answer was just over my head. Let me simplify, where is a wire under the hood or the dash that is powerful enough for me to just tap into with the power wire from my fan or fans where the fan or fans will come on if the key is turned on? I don't have the technical expertise to do everything that is written in the tech article, plus his article was about running wire for a switch on the dash, which is not what I want. Please let me know if there is a simple solution to my problem. Even if I did try to follow the tech article, the guy that had the car before me hacked up the wiring pretty good. I can see what he has done to run the switch that I have, I'm just looking for a fail-safe way so my girlfriend doesn't fry this otherwise decent bird. Thanks again...

Kev
Kev
1988 TC 5spd
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#7
Without adding new relays to protect the circuit from over load, there is no safe way to tap into the wiring system. If a fan motor should overload, the wiring could melt down and fire could result.

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NATO Member. it's not a vice, it's an obsession
"The nice thing about each new day is nobody ever used it before" Barnaby Jones
88 TC X 2, 86 SVO, mods list at
http://www.turbotbird.com/showroom/pd_88tc.htm
Pete Dunham


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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#8
I'll see if I can find an article tha's a little simpler than the one on the Tech Articles. That one is not the one I thought it was. If I find it I'll revise it for what you want and e-mail it.

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NATO Member. it's not a vice, it's an obsession
"The nice thing about each new day is nobody ever used it before" Barnaby Jones
88 TC X 2, 86 SVO, mods list at
http://www.turbotbird.com/showroom/pd_88tc.htm
Pete Dunham


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TurboCoupe50 Offline
Posting Freak
#9
There is not any wiring that is controlled by the ign switch that I would trust to handle the load of the fans. The switches burn up frequently enough that adding the extra load is a recipe for disaster.

I would try reconnecting the factory setup, then grounding pins 17 or 14 of the IRCM. That will turn on the fan(s) whenever the ign switch is in the run position

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Two 1988 Turbo Coupes ..... yea one of em has a 5.0 And runs 13.1s
1988 Turbo Coupe331 AOD

1972 Comet GT

1969 Fairlane Cobra 428CJ 4-Speed
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Jeff K Offline
Administrator
#10
Here is an easy way to keep the aux fan on all the time: Find the high side pressure switch in the A/C line right by the VAM. It is in a fitting on the A/C high side line, and has a 2 terminal connector. Pull the connector off, and jumper the connector terminals. Now the aux fan will run all the time. Should take you about 2 minutes to do.

Best thing is a adjustable thermostat, though. I put one on 2 years ago, and it works great. About $20 at Auto Zone. It has a probe you attach to the rad.

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 20 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 00 Windstar (wifes vehicle)
Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 24 psi, forced air IC, water injection, BPV, Ranger cam, subframes, etc., etc.
86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP N2O, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.
11 Crown Vic Interceptor
14 Toyota Camry (wifes car)
95 Taurus GL Vulcan winter beater
67 Honda 450 Super Sport - completely customized
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