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My Taurus fan is driving me insane

4K views 77 replies 11 participants last post by  dmcelhannon 
#1 ·
I replaced the 40 amp relay a couple weeks ago after my fan would run randomly assuming it was not strong enough so I got a 70 amp relay. Now it's doing the same sporadic running and the relay is making a weird noise. If I grab the relay and push on it or wiggle it, the fan will run. I'm thinking ground issue, or my controller is messed up.. Opinions?
 
#2 ·
I have the DCC controller on my truck and they are made just for the 2-speed Ford e-fans. And of all the e-fan controllers that I've used the past 25-years, these controllers are stupid simple to wire.

http://www.dccontrol.com/relay_controllers.htm

:) :tup:
 
#33 ·
Do you have the top one that said it is programmed to turn on at 185 and is made for the ford fans? Does it come with the temperature probe?
 
#3 ·
I would love that... but I hate to throw another $100 at this project. I could have just bought a black magic if I get that controller. If anything I'll just go back to stock, or try a less powerful fan. I have a feeling we would be fine without a 500hp fan but everyone wants the most powerful
 
#6 ·
I have the cheapest crap controller and relay from AutoZone and my fan has been on for 3 years now. The motor is just starting to go now, it will cut out and if I tap the back of the motor it will kick on. I sprayed some WD40 on it and its been ok for a few weeks now. Im not sure how you wired it, but mine is a pretty simple and ugly set up, I didn't hide any wires or anything. Hope you get it figured out.
 
#10 ·
I had to dig up my PayPal account...I ordered it late on May 17th. Yesterday was July 27, so that's 10 weeks. I did call about 3 weeks after I ordered, 'cuz I hadn't see it yet, and he told me 6 weeks was the typical timeline. So, we're obviously past that...but I don't mind too much. It is a quality looking piece, and does include a temp sensor. I wasn't sure until it showed up... He did offer to refund my money when I called, but I didn't want to go search for another controller, so I stuck with it. I'll try to get it installed this week.
 

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#11 ·
Thanks for the quick reply, as long as you get it is what matters I guess. My damn clutch fan won't keep mine cool, holds it at 180 (my tstat temp) for about 15 minutes, but then everything heatsoaks and it starts to rise until my clutch fan is engaged enough to pull it down to around 200 to 210. It won't overheat, but having so much drag from the fan being engaged so much is annoying.

I'm looking into the Hollister setup now..

Hemi swapped 2005 Dakota
 
#12 ·
Well my friend I bought the controller from at oreillys warranteed the controller so I put the new one in and all is well.
 
#15 ·
yeah thinking of dumping my efan its been good but lately have had problems today took it to the muffler shop to have him finish up a few things so he left it running to find the exhaust leak he missed and next thing I know its over heating. the controller was working but not right it would cut on and off but not right it was running hot and it still cut off had to put the a.c. connection back on so it would cut on with the ac so put my clutch fan back in the truck just incase I might go ahead and put it back on. my commute is to far to have to worry about it
 
#16 ·
I got a controller from Autozone on my efan. It seemed to be doing pretty good once I got the temp set. Other than my headlights slightly dimming at night once its engaged. NBD. But since I had to replace my battery, whenever it kicks on the battery voltage drops from the middle to like the 1/4 position.
 
#17 ·
I have the el cheap O controller from AZ as well and it has worked fine for me for years. Keep in mind that the shorter your wiring is the less likely your going to have issues.

P.S. My Taurus some how got stuck tonite and blew the 30A fuse and now it makes a noise Bhaaa I think the bearings are going. Good thing I only have to drive 6 hours tomorrow through ATL rush hour traffic twice in the 90 deg heat :ugh
 
#18 ·
I now keep my clutch fan in the truck just in case I have a issue
 
#19 ·
redo and replace the wiring...whenever my fan acts up I replace the wiring, it happens every 2-3 years...
 
#20 ·
when this first started to happen to me i thought it was the controller or the fan...replaced wiring and it was all good..
 
#21 ·
Hey Fred, I might have to remember that.
Anyhow, I started on the DC controller...but it seems my Taurus fan is wired backwards. Hot is cold and cold is hot. Or I'm missing a piece of the puzzle. For my previous setup, the hot lead I actually had connected to the fan's ground (or what I thought was ground) wire, and the low and high leads I had routed through relays to the truck ground. The DC controller directions and "box" have a large red Batt + lead, red leads for high and low sides, and a skinny ground wire.
I had honey-dos this weekend, so maybe late this week after finishing more honey-do stuff I can get it wired in.
I mounted the previous controller on top of the a/c condenser, but I'm thinking of putting this one close to the firewall. It'll take more wire, but will keep it away from the elements better and I can make it look neater I think.
 
#22 ·
If I remember right, I got this off one of the Ford forums...
==================================================
Considered to be the most powerful electric fan you can use from either OEM or the aftermarket. It is a Ford 8C607 fan and is advertised as having 2500 CFM on low speed and 4500 CFM on high by most sources. It comes in the 90 to 95 Ford Taurus and Lincoln Mark VIII with the 3.8 litre engine. Is very popular with the Hot Rod and Muscle crowd as well as used in Offroad buggies etc.

The Mark VIII fan has 2 speeds - 3 wires. The outboard black lead (uppermost pin on the motor if you do not have the pigtail) is the ground (negative). The blue lead (lowermost pin on the motor) was used to activate the fan when the AC was turned on (positive). The center lead (also positive) is black. It was activated by engine temp. I understand that using the black/black combo will give you a higher fan speed than the black/blue combo.

3 Leads; 2 are positive (+) leads and 1 is a ground lead.

Lead functions in stock application:

-BLACK Outboard black lead is a GROUND.

+BLACK Center lead is a POSITIVE lead...actuates fan on engine temp.

+BLUE Outboard lead is a POSITIVE lead..actuates fan w/ aircon.
==================================================
The Taurus fan is a 17" diameter fan and the MarkVIII is an 18" fan. They share the same motors, and the shrouds are different. The Taurus fan has an angled edge and the MarkVIII is a rectangle shroud.

MarkVIII
1993-96 #F3LY8C607A low speed 1100RPM high speed 1850

1997 #F7LZ8C607AB
1998 #F8LZ8C607AA low speed for 97/98 1800RPM high speed 2225
==================================================
The Taurus, T-Bird, and Lincoln e-fans all use the same motor. The only difference is the blade size - 16, 16.5, 17, 17.5, and 18-inch fans and each have the same three wire configuration.

On the newer fans, you might thing you have a problem if you just apply power to each of the Black wires. On the newer fans, the low speed wire is connected to the side of the plastic housing and the second is the high-speed wire. The speed of the newer model fans is controlled 100% by the EMC. The ECM modulates the voltage to the high speed wire and this gives the e-fan its variable speeds. This give the ECM full control of the e-fan from whisper quit to full power for max-cooling. The ECM modulates the water temperature for best performance and fuel economy for the engine.
==================================================

:)
 
#23 ·
I ended up going with the Volvo setup. I ran a SPDT switch into the cab for now, until I can figure out a good 3 position temp switch. There's one from Audi/volkswagen but it has a M22 1.5 thread, so a radiator hose sender add-on would have to have enough meat on it to be bored and retapped. Which is ok, but my hoses are spiral flex hoses so I would also need to figure out a new hose solution lol.

But dang does this fan work! Moves air like a beast, my tiny Dakota radiator with a full condenser, trans cooler, and power steering cooler in front of it is still enough to cool this beast of a hemi. I was worried I would need a new rad.

Hemi swapped 2005 Dakota
 
#24 ·
Yep, it seems my Taurus fan is wired backwards internally. i connected the DC controller just like the directions said and the fan ran backwards. Lo and Hi. Had to go back to my old setup, after I relearned how I had wired it backwards previously to get it to run. So I have to run the ground wire from the fan to the positive terminal, and either the low or high side to the negative terminal. Not sure if I am going to tear the fan apart to see if I can switch it, or just install another relay to cut out the low speed when the high side kicks in. Too bad I spent so much time to get back to where I started...
I will say it cools much better pulling the air through the radiator, than it did trying to push it forward. I may follow Frenic's lead and put a switch on the high speed side.
 
#28 ·
Oh sorry, no I meant the FK-85 controller from DCC. I think its the biggest baddest one they make. As far as I know, it uses pwm to control only the high side. Meaning it sends pulses in duty cycle percetages to the fan to control its speed proportional to the temperature, so it turns your 2 speed fan in to an infinite speed fan.
 
#29 ·
And on another note, I just finished my setup using the Taurus fan, Volvo relay block, and BMW temp switch. It works great. I can help you with part numbers and setup if you need. It works very well and I don't think I've ever had a setup this nice. Since you have the 4.7, you won't need the radiator hose sensor adaptor like the one I needed, but you will need the 3/8npt to m14x1.5 adaptor. I'm set up to make them now, I think.
 
#30 ·
I didn't even look at the 85; I went with a 2sp relay controller. Now I am wondering if that was the way to go...
Finally figured out how to wire it into the truck last night. Was definitely a brain teaser since my Taurus fan does indeed run backwards. Here's a picture of the wiring. I had to connect the 2sp controller nearly like the directions, but send the low or high fan power to trigger additional relays to open the proper circuits for engaging the fan. I am using 2 60-amp relays from Radio Shack, one for each side. I am also running a 40amp fuse for the high side power, and a 25amp fuse for the low side. I also drew it out as a diagram if anyone is interested.
 

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#31 ·
That's some spaghetti right there, you guys got this fan thing figured out. This thread needs to be a sticky lol Good ways in here to run the fan. Mine is still doing great with my Ford relay that I trimmed.
 
#32 ·
Well today was a bad day, made my commute this morning got into my parking garage didn't see the temp needle because it was all the way to the right, then the check gauges light came on so I shut my truck off and coasted to a spot. I'm going to order that expensive controller I think so I can quit dealing with this. I know I don't feel like putting the stock crap back on.
 
#38 ·
I've had mine for years (about 200k miles)....the only thing I did change was use beefier wiring since the mark VIII/Taurus fans draw alot of amps..
 
#43 ·
Well I ordered my controller today, hopefully it gets here soon cause my truck is out of commission for long drives. Good thing the challenger works good :) lol
 
#44 ·
Kinda getting nervous about ever getting my controller from this company. They never responded to my initial email, and didn't answer when I called. I read a review saying a guy ordered a controller and never got it or heard from the company at all.
 
#49 · (Edited)
Alright, here is the wiring diagram I spoke of. Keep in mind, my fan is wired to run backwards, so that's why the controller is wired through 2 additional relays. I use the controller relays to control the connections for hi and lo to the negative power, and the single hot wire is connected all the time. Opposite of what you'd have if the fan is wired normal.
I guess I could have front mounted it as a pusher, but it's too late now!
 

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#52 ·
.....

I guess I could have front mounted it as a pusher, but it's too late now!
I believe it was the folks at Perma-Cool that did a study on the e-fan working as a puller and pusher during cooling. I believe in the end they said if the e-fan is your primer cooling fan(s), you should only use it to pull air though the fins. They claimed that when you try to push air though the fins, you lose a great deal of the air because it hits the front and then deflects sideways. By using the e-fan to pull air though the fins, you're guaranteed better cool. And at highway speeds, the e-fan will cavitate at some point and if the e-fan is in-front of the radiator, it would inturn block air from moving though the cooling fins causing over heating problems. If the e-fan cavitates behind the radiator, the air has past though the fins and then move sideways but it still carries the heat away.

:teacher:
 
#50 ·
I will haven't heard from dcc about anything. if I don't get anything this week I'll get my money back from paypal
 
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