A fan clutch is a thermostatic motor conditioning fan that may freewheel at low temp when cooling isn’t required, enabling the engine to heat up quicker and reducing engine load. When the temperature rises, the clutch activates, allowing the fan to circulate air to chill the engine.
But should a fan clutch spin freely when cold? We will find out in this article. Scroll down to discover.
How Does A Fan Clutch Work?
It’s worth noting that the fan clutch has numerous individual parts that are crucial to its operation. It comes with clutch plates and a coupler. The latter is filled with oil and equipped with a valve that regulates the oil flow between the two compartments. The part serves as a placeholder, whereas the other part leads to the clutch.
The oil goes in the clutch when the valve activates, causing the fan to spin quickly. Once the valve closes, the oil returns to the holding compartment, causing the clutch to slide. The fan’s movement ultimately slows down.
Should A Fan Clutch Spin Freely When Cold?
If you have difficulty with your fan clutch, it’s quite likely that it’s due to the fragile spring. It’s also possible that the oil’s consistency has deteriorated, causing the clutch to slide more. When this situation comes around, the oil cannot adequately chill the engine, resulting in errors.
Moreover, the clutch can break free, and the oil can spill. The clutch will not function properly in any of these scenarios. Fan clutches have also been known to rotate freely in the cold, so when that happens, you’ve got an issue to deal with.
When you attempt to rotate the fan, it is too stiff to spin freely, even chilly. In reality, it’s exactly as tight in the winter as it is in summer.
There are two types of clutches to be aware of. Thermal fluctuations, such as the one mentioned above, operate the first kind of fan clutch. How quickly you drive will determine how engaged and disengaged the clutch is.
The other fan clutch operates depending on the plates’ slipping. It’s worth noting that the two are replaced in the same way. As a result, depending on whatever you have in your vehicle, this article will assist you in resolving the issue.
How To Diagnose A Bad Fan Clutch?
Vehicle Overheating
An overheated motor is among the first signs of a faulty or failed fan clutch. The fan clutch is in charge of regulating the conditioning fan’s functioning.
A faulty fan clutch can fail to engage correctly, rendering the fans inoperable or preventing them from running at full potential. If left unchecked, this might cause the engine to overload, which can lead to devastating problems.
Excessively Loud Cooling Fans
Exceedingly noisy cooling fans are another sign of a malfunctioning fan clutch. If the fan clutch becomes caught in the engaged position, which is fairly unusual, the fans will turn on completely even if it is not desired.
The fan may operate at full speed, resulting in an overly loud motor. So whether the engine is cold or hot, the noise still exists and annoys drivers.
Decrease In Power, Acceleration, And Fuel Efficiency
Another sign of a faulty or malfunctioning fan clutch is a drop inefficiency. A defective fan clutch that keeps the fan running all the time would make the engine produce excess noise and reduce its performance.
A jammed fan clutch causes excessive friction on the engine, resulting in a significant reduction in strength, velocity, and fuel economy.
Because the fan clutch is among the primary cooling parts of the system, it is critical for the engine’s optimum performance. When it malfunctions, the engine is a threat of overheating, which can produce harmful problems.
If any of the symptoms listed above apply to your automobile, or whether you detect a problem with the fan clutch, get it evaluated by a competent specialist to see if it requires a repair.
How To Fix A Bad Fan Clutch?
Step 1: Make the fan spin
Although certain electronic fans may freewheel, many fan’s clutches typically spin with some strain. You may also have a faulty fan clutch when the fan rotates over four times. The bearings can stick if the fan doesn’t revolve at all.
Step 2: Move the fan around
Try pushing and pulling the fan back and forth. If it wiggles over a quarter of an inch or clicks, it might be a damaged bearing.
Step 3: Look for leaks
The thick silicone oil in the fan clutch is essential to its operation since its sticky characteristics enable gentle interaction to operate the fan. The clutch will degrade and finally fail if it spills out.
Step 4: Examine the fan’s speed
Once the fan clutch activates, there should also be an accompanying surge of air that you can hear. At idling, a thermal fan clutch can engage at a specific temperature since the engine temp goes up. At a particular engine speed, torque-limiting fan clutches can disconnect.
On the other hand, an optical tach would be used to determine the speed of the fan. Watch for a rapid increase in air velocity as the engine temp rises.
Step 5: Use a scanner
Additional electronic examination and understanding of a scan tool may be necessary to troubleshoot electrical fan clutches and the sensors that control fan engagement.
The chilling engine system is responsible for regulating the amount of heat generated by the inner combustion engine. A little heat increase helps with fuel vaporization, acceleration, and fuel efficiency, as well as warming up the cabin in the cold.
But on the other hand, excessive heat can cause non-metal engine components to burn and lubricating oil to become worthless. When the engine is exposed to too much heat, it may practically melt itself into scrap metal.
To avoid engine problems, replace your fan clutch as quickly as possible whenever you spot any errors. In this case, switching to an electric fan clutch can be a wise investment.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article has provided you with a detailed answer to should a fan clutch spin freely when cold.
Overall, if the fan clutch runs freely when cold, it would be best to have your system checked by an expert since there are high chances that your fan is malfunctioning.
