ok problem one. i have stock dual fans on my 89 camaro. the passenger side fan does not turn on. it isnt burned out cause i took it out and tested it. so i am thinking its a wiring problem. is it possible for a relay to go bad? or does this fan only work when the air conditioner is running?(winter time i wouldnt know). second question. my radiator is leaking. bad. and i dont know if it is the radiator or a hose. how can i check(im really really broke i havent hte money for a new radiator. it just started doing this and i dont know why. i have inspected the radiator(visually) and hav eseen no flaws or anything. is ther eanything to look for or to test to figure out? thanks alot guys.

 

For the fans, yes that one should turn on when you turn your a/c on. But also when the car reaches 230+ degrees fahrenheit. If it's not doing this and the a/c operates the fan, the fan switch in your passenger side head is bad, or the wiring to it.

As far as the leak, you just have to refill and check when the engine is running. Coolant leaks are pretty obvious if your engine bay isn't all wet. Look for drips.

 

thats the thing man, i fill and fill and idle the engine constantly. i can never see any leaks its so weird. i was jsut hoping there was some common problem with stock radiators or hoses or soemthing...

 

The common place for a leak in the rad is below the cap area in the plastic tank. Here's the deal, they generally won't leak until AFTER you shut the car off. Thats when the pressure builds. They develop a hairline crack an inch or two long and as the pressure comes up it opens and coolant seeps through it. Its really common with the Harrison stock rad. Local kid had success with using high temp epoxy, but ultimately you will need a rad. And as to the fan, change the relay. They had tons of problems with them. NAPA # for the relay is AR-279 and is a redesigned unit. Dealer also carries the newer design. They run around $16. You can also swap the primary relay with the secondary one, or use the heater motor blower relay for a test-they are all the same.

 

your water pump might be leaking!!

my rad just blew up recently coolant everywhere...

 

relay pic

 

thats probably the best reason for the leak yet. thanks. chances are i may just buy a new radiator all together, but i ahve two questions that will arise. is it worth it to spend the money on a aluminum one, and how much would that run me? second, the kick *** blue hoses for the radiator from goodyear, are they worth the 70 bucks?

 

well i just bought the stock aftermarket one from Modine at Advance Auto Parts for 118 bucks...

i wouldnt send 70 bucks on rubber hoses, but thats just me...

 

The GM replacement stock hoses are almost always Goodyear as are the belts. I'm kind of **** about the cooling system, generally I just adhere to a maint. schedule and replace them every 2-3 yrs. For me it's not worth it for 70 bucks, but they are very well made hoses and will probably last a long time. Might just be worth it for the bad*** look in the compartment.

 

ok heres an update. i got sick of the radiator. bought a new one. installed it and flushed the system today. i havent had time to check to see if it overheats but im sure youll all know tomorrow. from the way the tubes look i am probably going to be replacing them soon. but it looks like i will save up so i can get the bad *** look.

 

ok i have arrived at a problem. as with my other radiator i ran basically between the middle and begining of the gauge(id tell you the numbers but it was a canadian iroc so the whole 220 thing doesnt really matter) now i hav einstalled a new radiator, and flushed the coolant(which always seems to be full) i have noticed two things. alot mor eoften now my guage reads over the halfway mark, and after i drive for a while (hour on the highway) i check my fluid and it isnt reading in the overflow at the run hot mark. is this a problem or not. i just bought a new radaitor cap 16lbs.

 

First, is your airdam on. Typically these cars run right about on the first line bet the 100 and 220 marks. In traffic it will go up until the fan(s) kick on. Normally the overflow tank or recovery bottle wont start to fill until AFTER the engine is hot and it has been off for 5-10 min. Also you may have air in the system, try to bleed it.

 

yea my airdam is still on......bleed the system?? oh and how do i change the fan switch to make it turn on sooner?

 

With engine COLD start it with the rad cap off and let it come up to temp. Slowly rev it during this period and this will remove most of the air. Some coolant will spill out while doing this. Shut id down and immediately top off the rad install the cap and then after it is completly cool then fill the recovery bottle to the full cold line. Wait several days then check the recov bottle and fill as required. As far as the fan switch, it's located on the pass side near cyl's 6&8. The Jet switch turns on the fan too low in my opinion and is pricey. Go to a NAPA store, they stock 2 different switches one at the stock 238 and one around 215 or so.(going from memory) They run $19 as opposed to the jet. Jet is about $45.

 

im not too car savy, happen to have pics?

 

I have a fan switch for a 1987 Buick regal turbo(grand national) in my 1989 Iroc and the fan turns on at about 220 and off at about 205