Q: Why wont the fan start? Smoking near fan, cooling fan new but wont start. engine overheats.

asked by on September 09, 2016

Why wont the fan start? Wheres the fan switch located?

Car is overheating Inspection $94.99 - $114.99 Get a Quote

Hey there. As you alluded, this is a sign of a bad cooling fan relay switch. The cooling fan relay switch comes on when the temperature reaches a certain level to help cool down the radiator. When this is faulty, this will cause the fans to work intermittently or sometimes not at all. This will also obviously cause the car to overheat as well. This part should be located behind the passenger side headlight in a black box with several wires going to a single connector. If you would like to have this taken care of for you, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your home or office to inspect the overheating problem and perform any needed repairs.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Get an instant quote for your car

Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


Experienced Mechanic?

Earn up to $70/hr

What others are asking

What size tire chains should I use?
Driving in winter conditions in an area with the potential for snowfall means carrying tire chains with you in case of an emergency. However, you need to use the right type of chains for your tire size. Your automaker mandates...
Car won't start after flooring accelerator while going 75 MPH.
Your Dodge Stratus sounds as if it may be experiencing a serious problem. The initial symptom of the RPMs jumping from maximum to 2000 RPMS, appears to reveal that your transmission has slipped out of gear. The maxing out of...
Truck stalls when stopping
Hi. Normally, I would suspect that the idle control valve is the problem, but that isn't the only thing that could be wrong with your vehicle. Vacuum leaks could also cause a rough idle and if its big enough, could...
Active Body Control problem
Hi. It sounds like there was a small leak in the system that has turned into a bigger one, and now the system can't hold any pressure at all. Typically, there will be puddles of hydraulic fluid leaking from the...
Traction warning on, unexpected deceleration
It definitely sounds like there is an issue either with the engine management or traction control system. Fault codes need to be read out to see if there are any underlying issues causing these malfunctions. One common input to both...
2001 honda civic ex and was driving down the highway and the car went into limp mode.
One of these codes is for a faulted signal from the intake air temperature sensor. Many newer vehicle have this sensor integrated into the mass air flow sensor and this code trips when the sensor offers a vehicle to the...
Does 2009 Cadillac CTS 3.6 DI have 2 water pumps? I was just told so cos my "check engine light" came on. Also how much would it r
An auxiliary water pump was used on CTS models with engine code "LLT". You can request pump replacement, right at your location, via YourMechanic's water pump replacement service page (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/water-pump-replacement). The auxiliary cooling fan can be replaced using YourMechanic's fan...
The gas door to my 2010 jaguar xf won't open...I tried for several hours to open it...finally had to break latch to open to put f
Although there were recalls on your model year to repair fuel system leaks, due to defects, I see no indication of any known problem, issue, or defect with the fuel filler door itself. The database I used to check for...
Vibrates with acceleration just spent 900 on shocks struts suspension repair & 300 brand new tires
Hi Cat. Thanks for contacting us today. I'm sorry to read about these constant problems you're experiencing with the Toyota Corolla. In most cases, a vibration like you're describing is caused by a steering or suspension component failure, or a...

Related articles

Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Condenser Fan Relay
If your car's AC is blowing hot air or its engine is overheating, you may have to replace the condenser fan relay.
Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Coolant Level Sensor
If the Coolant Light stays on permanently, there is low coolant, or the engine is overheating, you may have to replace the coolant level sensor.
Why Cooling System Repairs on a European Car Can Be Tricky
Repairing a cooling system, such as if there is a leak, can pose different obstacles. Many repairs may involve finding the radiator of the system.