I'm playing the process of elimination game. The radiator is over heating. The new stuff I've replaced: Temp switch on the intake, Ignition switch under the dash on top of the steering column, and water pump. I bought a radiator fan switch but I can't find the thing on the radiator. I need to find the location of the switch. The temp gauge isn't working. I tested the fan itself with jumper wires, it works. Any Idea's will be appreciated. Thanks in advance. It's an '89 E code.

what temp is the t-stat set at. you have to use the correct one for the car. that means it should be set for 190 not the 160 one.
if you use the 160 you can actually be flowing water so fast that it never cools. the t-stat stays open all the time, and that is not good.
plus you computer system still thinks you have an 190 stat and operates accordingly. some say that is not really an issue, so i thought i would bring up both sides.
do your hoses stay hard when running?
does you fan actually go on? you may have to run the car and do a wait and see.
do you see a wet spot on your passenger side floorboards - if you do its a leaking heater.
do you have the right mix of coolant?
is that stupid plastic t-valve with the hoses going to everyplace cracked and leaking? you can get a new one at pepboys for 13.00 if it is.
did you get a reverse flow waterpump? did you get the heavy duty one? i like the bosch heavy duty - works pretty good unless you are running a monster engine.
are your belts or belt - i think you have a serpentine - slipping? does it have cracks?
well that is a start.
good luck

is your air dam intact?

Thanks for such quick replies. Great thoughts. I'm running a 190° t stat. flow seems good. Water pump is reverse but not heavy duty. No coolant on the pass side floor. The parts rep. told me that the radiator has a fan switch on it, I can't find it. I put the new temp switch on the manifold, but I haven't run it yet.

The fan doesn't come on at all but using jumper wires directly to the battery I had the fan running fine.

The serpentine belt is brand new and the tension seems to be good.

Air flow is good no blockage and cooling fins are fairly cleared. Does this year and model even have a fan switch or does the temp switch on the manifold activate the fan?

Another symptom is the car will over heat when it's been running for a while. Well after the engine is warmed up.

does it get real hot and then cool down and you always seem to be a little low on water?
do you notice water after you park the car for a while?
if your answer is yes, then its your waterpump. it was for me.

the fan switch is in the passener side head, UNDER the manifold, GL getting to it

got a pic of that? i got a set of heads on the bench and i dont see a place for a fan switch, but then again im not all that bright.
or do you mean outside the engine but under th exhaust manifold?
and he can also do a dump of the obd and see if there is a problem with the fan switch.

i went and did a search and one place was it was next to the t-stat cover.
there is also a coolant fan switch above the starter and will complete the ground only when the car reaches 225 degrees. you can permanently ground the fan and bypass the switch - and it will go on every time there is a key turned in the ignition and it will run all the time. not a good idea if you are in a cold region - it will pay heck warming up.

there is also this one i found:
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/co...-question.html (Fan switch question)

you can google fan switch 89 camaro and you will see lots of sites.

Thanks y'all for the rapid replies. Although the answer is bitter sweet, knowing its location is what I wanted. I remember seeing a sensor when I did the plugs, and I remember how difficult it was to get in there. Thanks again.

that might be a knock sensor - or is the knock sensor close to the starter? now i cant remember. pull the one that is easiest to get too and compare it to the new one you have.
DONT PULL THE EXHAUST - you will probably end up breaking a bolt or two and that is a bad thing.

That's the only place there is a fan switch.

Stock temperature for a fan switch (for all motors as far as I have seen) is 238°F turn on.

The TBI fan is not ECM controlled (for whatever reason) so replacing the coolant sensor on the intake won't change the fan issue. The fan switch is a simple on/off switch that works at a set temperature.


The switch is located between the number 6 and 8 exhaust port (passenger side. It is screwed in the the water passage in the head (1 and 3, drivers side, is where the gauge sender is).

If you can see the gauge sender on the drivers side, then you know where it is on the passenger side. It can be gotten to from the top with some (a lot) contorting or. from the bottom side w/o taking anything off the engine.

The knock sensor is also on the passenger side but, it is screwed into the block and considerably larger than the fan switch.

If you can pretend you're looking at the motor from the passenger side fender, here's where the switch would be... (attached image)

hey thanks for that pic - i learn something every day i go here.

Thank you. Great to see a pic. I think I will be replacing the gauge sender also. Thanks for mentioning that too.