I have a 1986 Camaro IROC Z TPI. The 86 year is unique because it's the only TPI with an electronic single fan and no fan switch. I have a fan controller on the car. The fan does come on when it's hot and above 220 degrees. However, when I turn on the heater or the internal fans on the climate control panel, it won't come on. My AC Compressor has a leak and is not currently charged. Would this affect my fan not turning on this way? Does the AC Compressor need to be charged for it to turn on?

 

No, but how you wired in your fan controller may have bypassed the climate control, but you should be able to tap into it if you did

 

Sorry if I am missing reading this. Is that no it doesn't need the AC Compressor to turn on for it to work? Or is that no it should turn on even without the AC Compressor on?

 

Sorry, bad phrasing. The AC compressor not being charged will NOT keep the fan from coming on. Check your controller instructions. There should be a way to tap into the wire that grounds the fan relay and turns on the fan if you have bypassed it with your new setup. The ECM would have sent a ground signal to the appropriate fan relay point to turn on the fan and the AC controller should go to the same place. If your new setup no longer uses those wires there is no way for that ground to get there. Have fun!

 

There is a pressure switch in the A/C system by the evaporator. Normally, the fan comes on when you turn the A/C on, regardless of engine temperature. If the A/C is not charged, the fan will not come on just by turning on the A/C, but it still comes on when the engine reaches the designated temperature like normal...

 

Well, perhaps the ECM triggered is different than mine. I have a 92 5.0 TBI that is still using a fan switch and my AC has not been charged in years. The fan switch normally turns it on, but the AC controller turns it on as well if I want it on sooner or a fan switch goes out and I use it as a backup until I replace the switch. They both send a ground signal to the relay so don't really know why his would be any different
unless he has changed the wiring substantially with the new controller installation???

 

I think I figured something out. That pigtail that plugs into the top of the AC Compressor is broken and corded. I'm going to see if I can buy a new one tomorrow and wire it in.

 

Don't know if it matters or not, but for free info- My AC system hasn't been charged and the plug on the compressor top is unplugged so it doesn't even try to work on AC or defrost but the fan still works when the key is on and i switch it to AC or defrost. Have no idea what that means, but that's what happens... Good luck with it. Is you fan now powered from the original relay or a new one that came with the aftermarket controller you have now?. I had an aftermarket controller once, and I had to run a jumper wire to the wire to the switch on the evaporator for the AC switch to turn it on. Try and find the instructions that came with it and check that out

 

Your '92 may operate differently than a '86...