Questions/problems with near overheat...

[Blue Streak]

Last night my car give me a first. I was at a red light and noticed that the temp light came on and then the gauge was reading right at the red. I shut the car off and pulled in the center lane to figure out where I should go. I found a spot real close that had a lot of lights. When I started the car back and got to this spot the needle was touching the red. I get out and open the hood up. I noticed that I could hear just a faint bubble from the radiator and the overflow tank, but it doesnt last long. It didnt lose any antifreeze either. The cause of the problem was the fan. It wasnt running. It had ran all day long cruising at the rod run. It was running a little hotter than normal(the mark before the red one) but the A/C was running. It had cooled back down to normal that night though.

My car is a 96 GTS and I cant figure out why the fan didnt come on. I let it set for about 10 minutes and check the fan to see if it locked up or had something in it maybe. Everything was fine. After I let it cool, I started it up and it came on and had no problem with it for the hour drive home.

My questions is..

1. Any clue what failed/happened?
2. How much is the 99 up fan upgrade and how can I tell that is isnt already done.
3. Have I damaged my engine in any way since it got that hot. Wouldnt it have puked fluid if it overheated? Im very worried about any damaged.

Thanks for any help.

 

[kcobean]

When my crank pulley fell off a couple of weeks ago, I drove the car about a mile with the needle buried in the red, mostly just coasting downhill (no water pump will do that to ya). Car runs just fine after 'reassembly'. I wouldn't worry about your engines health at all, but I sure would want to know why that fan didn't come on.

 

[Shelby3]

The fan upgrade isn't that much, less than $200, and you should do it even if your old fan is working. The old fan is off center, the newer ones are centered. Very unlikely you did any damage.

 

[Blue Streak]

Thanks for the replies. I looked today and somebody has already done the fan upgrade for me It was centered. Car runs fine after driving it today and the fan comes on properly.
Does anybody have any clue why it would not have come on? I dont know how I can tell if it is working now.

 

[Joseph Dell]

you need to BURP the cooling system. also check to make sure you HAVE coolant. don't drive w/ that temp light on too much... that isn't a good thing.

the fan might have been on, actually... but if the coolant wasn't circulating, you got a problem.

JD

 

[Blue Streak]

Coolant is full. The temp light wasnt on but maybe 1 minute tops. The fan wasnt on because when I got out and let it cool the first time for about 3 minutes, I started it up and it wasnt working. How do you burp this car?

 

[WANTED]

Coolant is full. The temp light wasnt on but maybe 1 minute tops. The fan wasnt on because when I got out and let it cool the first time for about 3 minutes, I started it up and it wasnt working. How do you burp this car?

#1 you might have a problem with the water pump. when it overheats again check
to see if the heater hoses are hot. if they are cold the pump is not working. as
far as how to burp go to the HOW TO section then ILLUSTRATED UPGRADES.

GOOD LUCK

 

[Blue Streak]

The reason it overheated is because the fan didnt come on. When I noticed it I had the windows down and couldnt hear it running. I also checked it by looking. Ill check it out tommorrow on the water pump. This is the first time it has ever done this. Ill burp it also. Thanks for the info.

But the question I still would like to get help with is what would cause the fan not to come on? I mean, lets say that it happens again and it doesnt come on. What all do I need to check? Just trying to get familar with something that could happen because I have no clue of what or where to go from there if it does.

 

[RAYSIR]

The fan should have been on if you here a bubbling (boiling). You should be able to have the car off and turn on the key and the fan should run. KOEO. If not spin the fan by hand and see if it starts if it does the fan has bad brushes in the fan motor. Wiggle the fan and coolant sensor switch wires, the fan relay. Other than that I'd be checking for a leaking headgasket with an emmission test machine. Checking for hydrocarbons in the radiator, should be none. Shouldn't need to Burp an engine unless the coolant has been dumped or drained. If you get air pockets it's a headgasket.

 

[Blue Streak]

Mine doesnt come on with just the key on/engine not running. Could this be the problem?

 

[HP]

Mine doesnt come on with just the key on/engine not running. Could this be the problem?

The fan won't come on with the engine off. You may have a faulty fan relay.
Connect a jumper wire from the + battery post to the fan high speed wire - along with a jumper to ground the negative fan wire- to test the fan.

 

[Blue Streak]

If I start the car at temp. It will come on, but if it is at temp, it will not come on unless you start the car. Is this normal? At what point should the fan come on to check the relay?

 

[Gavin]

Do not spin the fan by hand - take the car to dealer that has a proper Viper Tech - they will diagnose the problem - why risk a $12,000 motor to save a few bucks by trying to diagnose the problem yourself.

NEXT - did you hurt the motor by overheating it ? - seriously doubt it - even the 96 vipers have quite advance technology in that at critical temp, the computer takes over the situation and dumps excessive fuel into the cylinders to cool them and simultaniously causes alternating cylinders not to fire, thus cooling the engine.
Clearly from your statement the engine did not get hot enough to reach critical temps.
In my humble opinion you did the smart thing by 1. noticing something was not right and 2. shutting the engine off. Now do the next smart thing and get the car to a viper tech.

 

[Joseph Dell]

fan isn't suppose to kick on until 208 degrees (low speed) and then 220, i think, is the HIGH.

disconnect the harness to the fan and clean it out good. that is frequently the issue w/ these cars. also, start the car and turn on the A/C once the car is warmed up. if the A/C kicks on, the fan is suppose to kick on as well.

A dealer can use the DRB to test it 100%, but clean the contacts first and go from there.

good luck!

JD

 

[RAYSIR]

If the engine is over 210 degrees the fan will come on Engine off Key On. Mine does. Guess it must be messed up.

 

[Joseph Dell]

could also be the PCM in that case. over 210 the low speed fan should be on. got any local friends with vipers? swap the PCM and see if that fixes it (temporarily, of course).