RS- adding a coolant fan switch

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08-29-2012, 07:46 PM
bill pitman

RS- adding a coolant fan switch

Question for the Electrical Minded---

Some folks have mentioned adding a switch so that coolant fan can be turned on , bypassing the thermo sensor control coming out of the ECM (ecm provides ground to relay coil)

Looking at the schematic, two ways to do this:

Add a "ground" wire ,w/ switch, in parallel to the brown/grey wire coming from the ECM(5-ECM-B3) and going to the relay coil(1-FB-C10). This would energized the relay and turn fan on. Downside to doing it this way, if relay is bad/goes bad fan won't work,even w/ switch

Another way, put the switch and wires in parallel to the COM(1-FB-B10) & NO(1-FB-C12) contacts of the relay. Turn switch on, 12vdc applied to fan, and since fan has constant ground , it will work. Use a lighted switch, 15 amp rated

Schematic poor resolution- hope I got the terminal numbers correct. Does anyone have a decent PDF?

Bill
08-29-2012, 08:08 PM
Phantom888

Check with lou racing. I know he did it on his transformer quad spyder. I have been thinking of doing this myself. Maybe a winter project.
08-30-2012, 02:20 AM
lapirow

Fan Switch

Quote:

Originally Posted by bill pitman

Question for the Electrical Minded---

Some folks have mentioned adding a switch so that coolant fan can be turned on , bypassing the thermo sensor control coming out of the ECM (ecm provides ground to relay coil)

Looking at the schematic, two ways to do this:

....
Bill

Yes and there is a third way too. The horn circuit is accessable. Power is on a 10 sec. delay-off. Use a piggy back spade connector and take a feed from that to a 2 pole switch (mine has a LED tell-tale). Wire an earth for the tell-tale. Take off the Tupperware, open the loom to the fan where accessable (down stream of the plug (i.e. nearer the fan) is easy) splice, solder and insulate a feed wire from the blue wire. Run it up to the area where you have mounted your switch, fit the terminal and plug it in. Biggest issue is where to drill the hole to mount the switch.
08-30-2012, 06:46 AM
NancysToy

Quote:

Originally Posted by bill pitman

Question for the Electrical Minded---

Some folks have mentioned adding a switch so that coolant fan can be turned on , bypassing the thermo sensor control coming out of the ECM (ecm provides ground to relay coil)

Looking at the schematic, two ways to do this:

Add a "ground" wire ,w/ switch, in parallel to the brown/grey wire coming from the ECM(5-ECM-B3) and going to the relay coil(1-FB-C10). This would energized the relay and turn fan on. Downside to doing it this way, if relay is bad/goes bad fan won't work,even w/ switch

Another way, put the switch and wires in parallel to the COM(1-FB-B10) & NO(1-FB-C12) contacts of the relay. Turn switch on, 12vdc applied to fan, and since fan has constant ground , it will work. Use a lighted switch, 15 amp rated

Schematic poor resolution- hope I got the terminal numbers correct. Does anyone have a decent PDF?

Bill

There is a reason the relay is used here. For switch reliability and longevity, your first option, using the additional switch to pull in the existing relay, is preferable. The switch may have a higher rating than the stock thermostatic switch, but why chance possible failure? JMHO
08-30-2012, 10:09 AM
lightman02

I see no reason why people are doing this at all. Can someone please shed some light why people are doing useless electrical mods to their Spyder's such as this? The fan is supposed to come on at a certain temp, and then turn off at a certain temp. Cars do this, atv's, and pretty much any liquid cooled motor. The motor is designed to run at a certain temp, hence the reason for the thermostat and cooling fan cycling. Do what you want, but I still don't get it.
08-30-2012, 11:41 AM
Big Arm

I've had my fan switch wired in for at least the last three yrs. Every time I pull into the garage, I turn the switch on, for at least 2 to 3 mins, to blow away the heat, before it is stored.
08-30-2012, 12:02 PM
lightman02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Arm

I've had my fan switch wired in for at least the last three yrs. Every time I pull into the garage, I turn the switch on, for at least 2 to 3 mins, to blow away the heat, before it is stored.

All that is going to do is cool the coolant that's sitting in the radiator not in the head of the engine. The coolant sitting in the head of the engine it still going to stay at the same temp it was when your bike was last running and cools mostly by convection by sitting there. If the engine is not running, coolant does not flow. But like I said, it's your choice.
08-30-2012, 12:51 PM
Warlock

Quote:

Originally Posted by lightman02

All that is going to do is cool the coolant that's sitting in the radiator not in the head of the engine. The coolant sitting in the head of the engine it still going to stay at the same temp it was when your bike was last running and cools mostly by convection by sitting there. If the engine is not running, coolant does not flow. But like I said, it's your choice.

Only advantage is in case sensor fails to operate fan.
David
08-30-2012, 05:01 PM
gimpygary62

Quote:

Originally Posted by lightman02

I see no reason why people are doing this at all. Can someone please shed some light why people are doing useless electrical mods to their Spyder's such as this? The fan is supposed to come on at a certain temp, and then turn off at a certain temp. Cars do this, atv's, and pretty much any liquid cooled motor. The motor is designed to run at a certain temp, hence the reason for the thermostat and cooling fan cycling. Do what you want, but I still don't get it.

I can't speak for everyone but....
I live in Houston and I've a GS2009 that would go into limp in summer traffic or dump antifreeze all over the garage once I got it home. Fan, relays all worked as designed, fluids @ prescribed levels etc.... etc..... Once it got heat soaked the fan couldn't keep up.

Some of the useless electrical mods I did, like upgrading to a 2011 radiator fan and installing a push fan on the oil cooler keep me from having to sit on the side of the road sweating my :cus: off.
08-30-2012, 06:18 PM
Warlock

Quote:

Originally Posted by gimpygary62

I can't speak for everyone but....
I live in Houston and I've a GS2009 that would go into limp in summer traffic or dump antifreeze all over the garage once I got it home. Fan, relays all worked as designed, fluids @ prescribed levels etc.... etc..... Once it got heat soaked the fan couldn't keep up.

Some of the useless electrical mods I did, like upgrading to a 2011 radiator fan and installing a push fan on the oil cooler keep me from having to sit on the side of the road sweating my :cus: off.

Tell me a little more on the push fan on the oil cooler.
Thanks, David
08-31-2012, 08:53 AM
lightman02

Quote:

Originally Posted by gimpygary62

I can't speak for everyone but....
I live in Houston and I've a GS2009 that would go into limp in summer traffic or dump antifreeze all over the garage once I got it home. Fan, relays all worked as designed, fluids @ prescribed levels etc.... etc..... Once it got heat soaked the fan couldn't keep up.

Some of the useless electrical mods I did, like upgrading to a 2011 radiator fan and installing a push fan on the oil cooler keep me from having to sit on the side of the road sweating my :cus: off.

You upgraded to a better fan to help get heat away faster, not a bad thing. Also an additional fan for the cooler is not a bad thing or useless. It's the manual switching I have a problem with that just seems not to be needed. Why people have not tried more efficient coolants first such as engine ice, etc. is beyond me. My point is people are too quick to chop up wires instead of looking at all the options. I am still surprised though to hear people are having over heating issues. The only time I had coolant boil out of my spyder is when the coolant cap was not on properly, the funny thing was it was a dealer mistake. But people have their own methods, I'm just stating what I think, you’re more than welcome to your own opinion.
08-31-2012, 09:49 AM
gimpygary62

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warlock

Tell me a little more on the push fan on the oil cooler.
Thanks, David

David, more info on another thread.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...715#post499715

Took a hot wire off the headlight to a switch, out the switch into the relay, 86. 85 went to earth. Positive Battery went to 30 (with a fuse link in between) and 87 went to the fan. Out of the fan to earth.

Regards,
Gary
08-31-2012, 09:58 AM
gimpygary62

Quote:

Originally Posted by lightman02

You upgraded to a better fan to help get heat away faster, not a bad thing. Also an additional fan for the cooler is not a bad thing or useless. It's the manual switching I have a problem with that just seems not to be needed. Why people have not tried more efficient coolants first such as engine ice, etc. is beyond me. My point is people are too quick to chop up wires instead of looking at all the options. I am still surprised though to hear people are having over heating issues. The only time I had coolant boil out of my spyder is when the coolant cap was not on properly, the funny thing was it was a dealer mistake. But people have their own methods, I'm just stating what I think, you’re more than welcome to your own opinion.

Just giving people the benefit of the doubt. Spyders are a lot like people too. Some of them get hot, some of them don't.;)
08-31-2012, 10:51 AM
Campverdefela

Quote:

Originally Posted by gimpygary62

Just giving people the benefit of the doubt. Spyders are a lot like people too. Some of them get hot, some of them don't.;)

:agree:Never had a problem here in Az.
10-05-2012, 12:09 AM
Arthur---Mexico

I also have to put my 2 cents in. Here in Mexico City exists the worse traffic in the world. My 2008 GS would get so hot that once the coolant tank ruptured. That was replaced and when doing this I also installed a fan bypass switch that I would use everytime I saw heavy traffic coming. I would manually switch the OEM coolant fan on before stopping or when driving in 2 mph traffic. Once stopped I would turn off the engine using the red ON/OFF switch on the right handlebar and turn on the fan manually if it was not previously turned on. This cooled down the coolant water in the radiator and kept the engine from boiling the coolant liquid. Of course I had to restart the engine but that was no problem. The problem I saw was that someone might click the fan on to see what that switch was for even though it was labled very well. I installed a relay that allowed the fan to be operated manually only when the ignition switch was in its ON position and the manual right hand red ON/OFF switch was in its off position. This way when I would park my Spyder and turn off the ignition switch removing the key the bypass switch was inoperative.

Down here there are some people that like to tamper with things that are not theirs. They put their kids on the seat and take photos and such without asking permission when I'm not close to my Spyder. The kids are normal and push buttons and click switches. I don't have to worry about a run down battery because someone clicked on the fan when the ignition was turned off.
Arthur--Mexico City.
10-05-2012, 12:21 AM
Arthur---Mexico

Well some of us get "hot" under different stimulous (great) as you say but I have yet to see a car or truck overheat in Mexico City's horrendous traffic like my Spyder would. A Spyder's design defect. Arthur---Mexico City.

s

Quote:

Originally Posted by gimpygary62

Just giving people the benefit of the doubt. Spyders are a lot like people too. Some of them get hot, some of them don't.;)
10-05-2012, 10:26 AM
napper39

i like the extra fan best,then you can turn it on any time it might get hot.slow trafic,stoped at a red light,or when ever you fell like it.the fans are not that high$$$.:clap::thumbup: