hi peeps.
couple of questions .
i wanna add a manual switch to my fans aswell as having them come on automatically so i have a bit more control.
is this possible ?
is it just a case of putting a switched live to one side of the fans ?
also
I have twin fans infront of my intercooler,would rather have them on my rad but my rad bottom hose is sooooo close to my alternator blade that if i put fans between inter and rad the water pipe would hit the alternator blade.
is there a way round this?
shorter fan belt? or modify hose ?
appreciate any advice
steve

 

Yeah you can just run a switched live or earth (cant remember what the thermo switch switches lol), shorter alternator belt if you can find one will be fine.
Dont think you'll find any fan belts on your RST though lol

 

oh yeh,alternator belt,thats what i meant lol
so i guess i have to wait till the fans kick in to see wether the fan switch sends out neg or live?
dony wanna risk blowing something.

any idea what alternator belt would fit?
i cant be the 1st with this prob.

ps,thanks karlos g,you always seem to be there with good advice

 

Yes it's known as an override switch and is dead easy to do, all you need is a switch, one side goes to the live side of the rad switch and the other to earth, this will maintain the auto fans whilst allowing manual control as well.

You should NEVER switch the live side of the fans due to the heavy current hence why Ford didn't in the first place!

Martin

 

forgive me for sounding retarded,but what you sayin is get a normal dc switch,put one side to earth,and the otherside to the live output from the fan switch in the stat housing or by the front panel??
would that not short when i flick switch and send a earth into my live ?

 

Nope the fan switch is the relays earth connection in the standard setup (Switched earth) it trips the relay hence activating the fans when the thermo switch is closed.

By adding a spur via a switch from the relay earth (Which connects to the fan switch anyway) and then earthing the otherside of this switch when this switch is closed the fans will activate when it's not they will still run when the thermo switch closes (Located on the stat housing on RST'S)

Under NO circumstances put a live and a earth together otherwise as you correctly suspect you will have a short.

Martin

 

kind of get it lol.
so if i put one side of my switch to earth on the body/battery,the otherside to one of the wires from the thermoswitch that would work?

 

Yes as this is all the fan switch does anyway it switches the earth for the relay NOT the live. You don't want to modify your existing wiring as this stays hence it's still an automated system, rather you want to take a spur off from the relay earth at the switch and then run via a switch and the otherside of the switch to earth. This is all the thermo switch does connect the relay to earth hence tripping it in the process.

Martin

 

Thanks for your help. Much appreciated guys. Will try soon