I just installed some FAL fan in my 2g, I tried installing it with relay and a toggle and things went wrong so a temp fix so I can get to and from work I just hardwired them to a switch. Now as I'm driving I noticed via voltage in my car, at cruise with out the fan I'm around 14v as soon as I turn the fan on, it drops to 12v and doesn't budge. I can't figure out where I went wrong.g My other slim fans never did that.
What you need to do is hook up an ammeter to the fan, and see what it's drawing. If the draw is within manufacturer specs, you might just be out too much on your alternator/battery. If it's drawing too much, well, bam!
To be completely fair, with the car running, turn the fan on, and see if the alternator drags down the engine at idle. Rev it to 2500, and see if the alternator constantly drags, or if it fluctuates on and off. If you got the alternator maxxed out, time for a replacement/upgrade.
Good Luck.
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The Thrill is gone... The thrill is gone away....
First thing is check the fans to see how many amps they are pulling.
Then since you said you hardwired it to an switch, we wonder where your connected for power. Do you have an direct power line from battery, fuse, relay, fans? Also how you testing your voltage and from where.
The only reason i ask is some people will tap power from their fuse box and use their turbo timer or afc or something for voltage and that can be inaccurate depending on how its hooked up for power sources to read you correct voltage from battery/alternator.
First thing is check the fans to see how many amps they are pulling.
Then since you said you hardwired it to an switch, we wonder where your connected for power. Do you have an direct power line from battery, fuse, relay, fans? Also how you testing your voltage and from where.
The only reason i ask is some people will tap power from their fuse box and use their turbo timer or afc or something for voltage and that can be inaccurate depending on how its hooked up for power sources to read you correct voltage from battery/alternator.
When I first wired them I tried it with a relay and for whatever reason I couldn't get it to work. So as a temporary fix I just hard wired it to a switch, but the switch is not running directly off the battery its of a distribution block I made using the cig. lighter as 12v source. Im trying to find the proper way to wire it with the relay because Im guessing the way it is now is why its drawing that much voltage and current.
Okay, well thats not what i wanted to hear. We need to redo this. Using your cigarette lighter as an power source is what alot of us as done before for neons and such but we all know this is not the best idea, although it is fused still from factory but not good for any heavy loads of current.
I personally have also an set of slim line aftermarket fans and aluminum radiator in my car. I prefer to have my fans on an switch but my car is not an daily driver and i love switches. I also like to have both fans on when i want and not one for the ac setup exc or an hi an low setup.
First we need to figure out if you want it on an switch, an temperature switch, or just on when you turn the car on. Like i said i prefer to have it on an switch. Some and most people like it to run like stock and come on/off at an pre-set temp. Then very few but some like it on with the car on so theres no user error to forget the switch and cheaper than the temperature switch. Once you figure out which one you want to do, i can point out an few parts and ideas and wiring diagrams to help.
After you figure out how we want to do this, im assuming your car still has the battery under the hood , stock location.
For atleast an quick fix, id like to take your cigarette power source and keep that for the input + source to turn on the relay. Then run a hidden,clean,big enough wire from the battery to an inline fuse to the relay. Then run the power from relay to the fans. This way your power is being pulled not from your interior and cigarette circuits, but being pulled either from your strong positive post of your battery or from the fuse block under the hood.
Having the fans pull power directly from the battery or another STRONGER source, you will see minimal current drag from your interior gauges,lights, exc.
BTW. Your relays have wiring schematics written on them. One side usually has a switched power source, and the other has a through-put power source.
The power going through the through-put, actuates the switched side.
Straight Line from battery to switched side, switched side to fan, fan to ground.
Power feed from IGNTION switched power source, to through-side, through-side to ground.
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The Thrill is gone... The thrill is gone away....
Hey, i see alot of people around here that when you look under their hood, all i see is wires laying around ,zip tied to almost anything and not just tucked under or put in wire split loom.
I have over 2,570 leds, 20 some neons,2 tft monitors,3 amplifiers,and more in my car and you have to look to see any wires. Must be one of those things that annoy me.
Oh, and yes, if you look under the fuse where the contact blades are, there should be labeled numbers like 85,86,87,87a,30
Im pretty sure that its as follows.. might want to google this first.
85 is the relay ground
86 is the relay + on from switch
30 is the main + in from battery
87 is the relay + output to fans
87a dont use.
Last edited by talonryder95; 08-10-2009 at 10:55 AM.
Having both fans on one relay/fuse can work but "k mans tsi" does have an good point. Having the chance of losing both fans is always an negative, but i dont see the chances being very high at all and being not my daily driver, i watch my gauges like an hawk and can hear my fans when im at idle.
I usually leave my fans on and i beat the living crap out of my tsi, but my temps stay really low due to the new radiator and dual fans on.
Well yesterday I made a few calls, and my friend showed me how to do it. Before I noticed this post. Right now I have them both running of a 40amp relay with a 40amp fuse which they came with from FAL. Its no longer off the cig lighter, its now off the battery so now I dont need a key on to turn the fans on. No more voltage drop at idle or cruise..
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g My other slim fans never did that.
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