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Kyure

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Ever since I left it parked for 10 straight days over xmas, van won't heat up and the fan comes on and stays on. The heater is going but it's cold! I've read a few tests to run but it's too dang cold outside to fiddle around, if there's a fuse to pull should I do that temporarily or should I replace the coolant sensor and hope that's the problem
 
I had a fan stick in the on position on a Ford van years ago. I thought it shifted to 2nd gear and took it to a tranny shop. They said it wasn't their problem and sent me to a mechanic. After the 3rd replacement we got it right.

Daris
 
There's a couple tests I could try. Putting cardboard in front of the radiator, putting thermostat in hot water.
Honestly I just want to not go under the hood out there. It'd be warmer walking to the grocery store.
 
I just replaced my thermostat. They are designed to stick open when they go so not to burn up the engine-so I was told.

Daris

They have a name for those.... The brand I think is called Failsafe. Not a factory item as far as I understand. I read that those can also fail in the closed position. :eek:
I wonder if there is a failed air valve or cable that doesn't allow hot water flow through the heater unit.

Are you speaking ice cold air, or barely warm air.
 
Ever since I left it parked for 10 straight days over xmas, van won't heat up and the fan comes on and stays on. The heater is going but it's cold! I've read a few tests to run but it's too dang cold outside to fiddle around, if there's a fuse to pull should I do that temporarily or should I replace the coolant sensor and hope that's the problem

The radiator fan, or the heater fan?

The coolant level is OK, right? I'm hoping so.

Does the radiator hose get hot?

Does the engine's heat gauge show the correct temperature, or has the light come on?
 
01 express. It's the radiator fan. The temp gauge in dash barely moves. The heater blows but its cold, not ice cold but cold. I'll check on the hose.
 
01 express. It's the radiator fan. The temp gauge in dash barely moves. The heater blows but its cold, not ice cold but cold. I'll check on the hose.

I'd check the coolant level. I ask, because the fan comes on when the engine gets hot. If there's little or no coolant......... it's gonna get hot, real hot. That would explain the fan staying on. Have you driven it any distance since this happened?
 
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There is coolant. I left it parked at airport 10 days and drove the 65 miles home with the fan going non stop and it not heating up. The gauge starts at 160, it usually runs around 180ish, it didn't even hit the bottom number the whole way. Checking the hose now(upper one right?)
 
Right, so letting idle for 20 minutes it gets to 160. The upper hose is warm when I squeeze it. Fan still spinning.
Good golly, intermittent a/c in summer and no heater in winter. Might be time to move on, kick it to the curb.
 
Right, so letting idle for 20 minutes it gets to 160. The upper hose is warm when I squeeze it. Fan still spinning.
Good golly, intermittent a/c in summer and no heater in winter. Might be time to move on, kick it to the curb.
What kind of temperatures are you experiencing? Does it have a regular fan and an electric one?
160 seems a bit low for the fan to come on. More like 195. There may be a way to test the sensor without removing it.
What engine does it have?
 
5.7 350. There's only one fan. The fan doesn't kick on at a certain temp. It's 20 degrees when I start it and the fan starts up immediately.
 
5.7 350. There's only one fan. The fan doesn't kick on at a certain temp. It's 20 degrees when I start it and the fan starts up immediately.

So the fan is electric only? You said "only one fan" ....what kind? I'm not up on newer rigs, so I don't know if these rigs have electric or traditional clutch fans.
At 20 degrees idling (which, by the way, is not good for an engine), I wonder if it has reached it's peak temperature.
Idling is the worst way to warm up an engine.............. Turn it on, and 20 seconds later, drop it in gear and get moving. Idling warms up the coolant and the oil slowly compared with actually driving the vehicle.
 
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I'm not up on newer rigs, so I don't know if these rigs have electric or traditional clutch fans.

Electric, 20 is temp outside when start it up. Fan goes on right away, if you know a way to test it? If not I'll try replace the sensor, it's fairly cheap. Btw thanks for your replies, and a chuckle, when a 2001 is "newer".
 
Electric, 20 is temp outside when start it up. Fan goes on right away, if you know a way to test it? If not I'll try replace the sensor, it's fairly cheap. Btw thanks for your replies, and a chuckle, when a 2001 is "newer".
Fans draw a lot of current, so your fan is actually turned on by a relay switch. I wonder if the relay contacts have gotten worn and "welded" themselves together causing the always on situation. If that's so, replacing the relay would fix it.
 
I'm a little late on this one. We must have some kinda goofy thing going on out here High. I had the same problem in my F250 starting about a week ago. It will defrost, then it goes back to cold. After I drive a while, it gets warm again then cold. On the third warm cycle, it stays on warm.:confused: You got me.

The wife had a similar problem once and we found a big mouse nest in the ducting. I don't think that's what's going on here.
 

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