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overheating at Idle - Relay Question

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Old Jun 30, 2014 | 07:23 AM
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Default overheating at Idle - Relay Question

'01 Trans Am WS6. 6 speed. 13K miles. Overheated while sitting in traffic this weekend. Thanks CT DOT!! This is the second time in as many weeks. I have had the issue only when the car is sitting and idling for a period of time. When I'm driving, everything is good. When I'm sitting, temp begins to rise and I get the CHECK GAUGES warning light and temp gauges goes into the red.

After the first over heat issue I changed out the thermostat and bled the system. Last night I started the car and turned on the AC. The fans - or at least the top fan that I could see - was not running. I pulled the relays to see how many were four pin and how many were five pin. Reinstalled all three old relays and when I started the car again - with the AC on - the fan all of a sudden started running. Again, the one at the top one started running. Can't be positive about the lower one cause I can't see it!

- Can relays be intermittently bad? Maybe I knocked something lose inside one of the relays when I pulled & reinstalled them? Should I just go ahead and replace all three relays? Is there a way to tell if these things are good or bad??

- If the radiator fans kick on when I turn the AC on can I be guaranteed that they will kick on when the car gets to a certain temp or do they not work like that?

- Also is it possible to even see if the lower fan is working without pulling off the entire air filter assembly? For the life of me I just can't physically see the lower fan that's towards the bottom of the car.

Thanks!!!

Last edited by ds2011; Jun 30, 2014 at 09:25 AM.
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Old Jun 30, 2014 | 09:54 AM
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You can reach your hand inside the engine compartment and put your hand behind each fan and feel if they are blowing air. Takes two seconds.

Just replacer them all......they are cheap, and probably original.

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Old Jun 30, 2014 | 09:56 AM
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Oh....make sure BOTH fans always run together and that BOTH fans operate in both Low and High settings....together. Fans ALWAYS should be on or off at the same time.

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Old Jun 30, 2014 | 09:57 AM
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Unless your PCM is fried on the inside or its failing for some reason....the fans will come on at a given programmed temperature.

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Old Jun 30, 2014 | 11:17 AM
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Originally Posted by LS6427
Unless your PCM is fried on the inside or its failing for some reason....the fans will come on at a given programmed temperature.

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Unless one or more of the relays is bad - correct?
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Old Jun 30, 2014 | 03:01 PM
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Originally Posted by ds2011
Unless one or more of the relays is bad - correct?
Well yea.....if one relay is wacked or failing.......then only one fan could be operating.

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Old Jun 30, 2014 | 11:37 PM
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Don't rule out a bad fan itself.
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