VS V6 Ecotec overheating!

[Tr3nchy]

I realise this has been similarly posted before but I’ve been through them all and wanted some personalised advice.

My 1996 VS Equipe, is overheating, guy that owned it before me had removed thermo-fan relay and placed a switch from fuse box to dash, it worked well but is really annoying to remember to turn on and off.

I have just replaced the thermostat and the relay and yet still it get hot (3/4 and still no fan) so I’m wondering as to where to look next? I thought maybe seeing as it worked with a switch into the relay slot in the fuse box but not with the relay that maybe there is an issue in the wiring between the fan and fuse box but I’ve not got much mech knowledge but am capable when told what I need to do.

Hope that makes sense and someone can help

Cheers

 

[PlenumBiscuit]

Did the fan work previously if u flicked the switch on off

Does the fan come on when you run your air con... its meant to

When i had over heating issues i think i bought a new ecu coolant temp sensor

I also noticed the plug that went into the sensor needed the female contacts bent back up so the pins were making sufficient firm contact when plugged in

Spray all your plugs with electrical contact cleaner too. Not spark plugs just the sensor electrical plugs

 

[VT&VX]

Remove the thermostat until you sort out the problem with wiring etc

Relays may have the same number of pins and even the same pin configuration but you have to check the numbers marked near the pins to know if you have the correct relay that will switch the circuit as it should.

 

[Tr3nchy]

Did the fan work previously if u flicked the switch on off

Does the fan come on when you run your air con... its meant to

When i had over heating issues i think i bought a new ecu coolant temp sensor

I also noticed the plug that went into the sensor needed the female contacts bent back up so the pins were making sufficient firm contact when plugged in

Spray all your plugs with electrical contact cleaner too. Not spark plugs just the sensor electrical plugs

Yeah the fan came on with the switch but no doesn’t come on with the aircon switch, I’ll check the plugs and pins and that sensor tonight thanks

 

[CCCMikey]

Sounds normal for some VSes. (Mine's the same, fan kicks in at 3/4s mark.)

IIRC there are two different models of temperature sender available for the VS, and one has a different resistance to the other. It only drives the gauge though, not the ECU. You and I probably have the model that over-reports the temperature.

If you can find someone with an ALDL cable and the right software, you can check what value the ECU is seeing.

 

[woteva]

You can try this-
Been a while since I have done it but I remember the fan coming on when doing the paper clip trick.
It will rule out a problem.with temp sensors.

 

[EYY]

Do not remove the thermostat.

Does your a/c work at all? If not, it won’t make the fan come on.

How have you verified that it’s actually overheating? The gauge senders can give false readings. I got a vr cheap because it was ‘overheating’. Changing the temp sender fixed it.

 

[Tr3nchy]

Do not remove the thermostat.

Does your a/c work at all? If not, it won’t make the fan come on.

How have you verified that it’s actually overheating? The gauge senders can give false readings. I got a vr cheap because it was ‘overheating’. Changing the temp sender fixed it.

Now that you’ve brought it upto I’m not sure if the aircon is working but I’m going to check all my fuses and that tonight, cause could just be the globe in the button that’s blown, I haven’t had a good chance to check the aircon fully.

My basis on overheating is after a 5 min drive the gauge hits max and once you turn it off and get out you can smell it and feel the heat from 1 - 1.5 meters away from the car.

Do you know roughly how much one of those senders would be to try that?

 

[Tr3nchy]

You can try this-
Been a while since I have done it but I remember the fan coming on when doing the paper clip trick.
It will rule out a problem.with temp sensors.

I’d need a bit more details to know what you mean properly sorry

 

[EYY]

I’d need a bit more details to know what you mean properly sorry

Hi speed fan comes on when bridging pins 5&6 of the aldl connector under the steering wheel.

It does this because the pcm goes into safe mode because it can’t communicate with the bcm properly when those two pins are bridged. That’s a good way to check so see whether the relay/wiring’s all intact and working.