cooling fans

1996 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY
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Today I replaced air filter and some vaccum lines , The cooling fans come on and will not go off unless I turn car off , The temp Gage is not moving off cold either . I got to looking and found a ground wire that was not connected , So We connected it and then it turned into a hot wire . Fans went off when started , One fan runs when turn air on , The temp Gage does not move still .. So car is not getting warm enough for other fan to kick on . I need help with this problem asap ... Someone told me the temp sensor is ground .. But I have no idea what that means . Please help
Sep 19, 2011 at 3:53 AM
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PROMECHANIC
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I would suspect the coolant temperature sensor (CTS). This sensor tells the cars computer how hot the coolant is so it can turn the cooling fans on when it needs to.
If the sensor is not working correctly you would have a gauge that does not work and the fans would not work correctly either.
Sep 19, 2011 at 4:00 AM
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So replace the CTS ? On fixya they said it sounds like temp sensor is grounded what does that mean , They are not answering me .
Sep 19, 2011 at 4:02 AM
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I would check it out first. See if it is just disconnected or something.
If the sensor is grounded it just means that the wire that goes to the sensor is touching a ground (a metal part on the engine or another wire) and not getting a good connection to the sensor.
Sep 19, 2011 at 4:05 AM
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Could you please help me locate the cts ? :) I am sorry ladys just think they know it all but really I do not :)
Sep 19, 2011 at 4:09 AM
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Thanks for all your help , Ill take it to someone who can maybe fix it or figure it out .. The dummy i have trying to work on it is the one who messed it up to begin with .. thanks a lot for your help .
Sep 19, 2011 at 4:28 AM
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On the 2.4L engine, the CTS is located on the thermostat housing.
On the 3.0L it is near the distributor.
On the 3.3L and 3.8L engines, it is next to the thermostat housing.
Use a cooling system thermometer to check how hot the coolant in the radiator is getting. Also look into the opening to make sure the coolant is flowing when the engine warms up. The coolant temperature should be between 180 and 200 degrees after driving for a little while.
Sep 21, 2011 at 5:21 AM
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I changed the temp sensor , Fans still running while car is on .. I also changed relay as well . So I have no idea what the heck is going on ...
Sep 22, 2011 at 4:20 PM
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The cooling fans are designed to run when the engine is on and at operating temperature. Using a cooling system thermometer, check to ensure that the coolant is circulating throughout the cooling system. If so, you don't seem to have an issue with the cooling system.
Sep 23, 2011 at 9:51 PM
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Its not showing signs of over heating , I just can not figure out why the fans are running the whole time the car is on. The temp gage will not even move from cold
Sep 24, 2011 at 3:46 AM
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You either have a problem with the temperature sensor or the ECM if the cooling fan is on even when the engine is first started. Make sure the AC is switched off as it will cause the fans to run continuously, even with the engine cold.
Sep 25, 2011 at 2:32 AM
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I have changed the temp sensor already , The air is switched to off at all times ... I have tried everything right down to relay and new battery things lol Sorry I am a women with no income so kinda hard to take to a shop .. Its a fix it your self or just drive as is
Sep 28, 2011 at 3:09 AM
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I'm at a loss here. As long as the relay and temp sensor are operating properly, the fan should only be switched on when the engine reaches just over normal operating temperature.
Sep 28, 2011 at 3:46 AM
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That's what I was thinking as well .. But I have replaced both parts .. I have no idea what is going on under that hood .
Sep 28, 2011 at 10:03 AM
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Is this something that's just recently begun to happen, or has it been going on for awhile?
Sep 29, 2011 at 2:22 AM
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Just Recently started , I changed the air filter and some vaccum lines and then it started right after I changed the last vaccum line to the motor .. Should have no made a change in my fan running .. But It kicked on and now it does not shut off unless I turn car off .. I also changed the map sensor , Because my car is shutting off at any giving moment , I done some research on here and someone told me to change the map sensor .. But did not help .. So now Ill change the gas filter . But the fan .. yeah just started
Sep 29, 2011 at 6:39 AM
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These 2 issues together make me think ECU problem.
Sep 29, 2011 at 6:46 AM
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What is ECU ? And how do I solve the issue ?
Sep 29, 2011 at 1:41 PM
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Electronic Control Unit: The Computer. A defective computer must be replaced to fix the problem. Usually you can find them at junkyards for fairly cheap. If you go that way, make sure either that it works or that you have the ability to trade it in for another one.

Personally, unless the fan(s) won't turn off with the engine/key off, I wouldn't worry about it much. Yes, it causes the engine to take a little longer to warm up, but it really isn't going to do any real damage to the engine or electrical system.
Sep 29, 2011 at 7:40 PM