#14 fan wire...where to find?

fastsc92

Registered User
Where do I find the #14 fan wire. I have no clue where to look so please someone help me on this so i can get the most out of my 180deg. thermostat. thanks
 
There is a large relay control module (the IRCM) located in front of the stock intake air box on the passenger side just behind the headlights. There is a large (24-pin) connector plugged into it. The connector has all of its slots numbered (in small letters). You can locate the pin #14 wire by taking the IRCM off its mount and examining the connector. When you find the wire going to pin #14 (orange with tan stripe), that's the one that is cut to run the low speed fan whenever the key is in the on position.

I cut that wire and ran a pair of extension wires up under the dash to a simple switch where I can manually interrupt or connect this wire remotely.

Jon
 
thanks

thanks a lot i'll be trying that in a little bit. Right now i;m having a hard time getting at the thermostat bolts. To much crap in the way( pulleys, belts, hoses, etc.)
 
No problem.

One more note. There's no reason to actually unplug the big 24-pin connector from the IRCM to do this job. All you have to do is work with the wire coming from pin #14 of the connector. In fact, you'd be better off leaving it plugged in rather than messing around with the connections.
 
Is wire 17 the one that runs the high speed fan? If you cut it, do you need to ground it, or just interrupt the signal. I want my high speed fan to run whenever the key is on.
 
will cutting #14 cause a check engine light. right now i have some sensor on the motor disconnected to run the fans but it throw the light on.
 
So it is #17 for the high speed though right?

Now when I cut it do I ground the side from the harness, or the side that actually goes into the connector on the IRCM?

Ok, let me rephrase that. I'm looking at the car from the drivers side, and I hold the wire and cut it. Do I ground the side of the wire in my left hand, or in my right hand?
 
cougar20th:

Cutting the pin #14 wire will NOT cause a check engine light.

Do you have the ECT disconnected now? That's the Engine Coolant Temperature sensor that the computer uses to see when to turn on the fans. If that's disconnected, of course that does set a check engine light. If you cut 14, reconnect the ECT as normal.
 
Low & High Speed Fan

is it possible just to tab a wire into wire # 14 (orange w/ tan stipe) or # 17 and connect it to a switch that goes to ground ? so that the fan would work as normal, and work when i flip the switch to ground.. or would that cause a short within the system.
Thanks... :D
 
The low speed IRCM siganl wire(pin 14) has to be open circuit to turn on the fan. The high speed signal wire(pin 17) has to be shorted to ground to turn on the high speed.

Be forwarned if your going to play with this stuff. Wiring your high speed to be on all the time shortens the life of that fan motor. If you have AC and you turn it on, this will engage the low speed motor. You cannot run with both windings on the motor engaged at the same time. It will overheat the fan motor, the IRCM and the power lines to the IRCM. On the other side of the equation if you cut the wire and leave the low speed fan running all the time, if the high speed ever has to come on, again you will have the same problem of both windings being engaged at the same time.

If your going to do this use switches so you can always return things back to normal mode. Watch your temp gauge and know where it is that the high speed wants to come on an dmake sure you flip off the low speed.

There is a dicsussion on this over at the TBSCEC that I started under the electrical section.
 
#14 Wire and Hi-speed Fan

Les - I've recently put in a 180 degree Thermostat and cut the #14 Wire. The car runs at N in the city and when I get on the HWY it runs at O. Do you have any guesstimate at where on the gauge the High Speed Fan would kick in? I never use the MAX A/C so hopefully the Hi-speed never comes on! Of Course, if I'm stuck on the DVP at high-noon on a 34% C July day, it will probably come on.;)
 
As long as the vehicle is running at something like 43 or 47mph pluse the low speed fan does not not run with the A/C, below this speed the low speed fan engages. the MAX A/C setting has nothing to do with the cooling fan, all that does is recirculate the air inside the cab to cool it faster rather than cooling extreme hot air from the ouside which is does in normal A/C mode.
 
Thanks Les

Now I think I've got it. I was thinking the AC switched on the HS fan, rather than the low speed. And I thought I was in trouble because I am currently running the L/S fan on all the time ( cut #14 ) with very good results, but panicked at the thought of H/S coming on and frying things. Ok, now I know this can still happen if my H/S fan ever decides to come on, but she's running so solid on "N" with or without AC even here in Florida that I doubt she will for the time being... so...until Dave revises that FAQ at TBSCEC and I can decide what I want to do with the setup, I'll just keep my fingers crossed that she continues to run this consistently cool.

Looks like I'm still gonna need that adjustable thermo Chuck had and some switches , in order to protect the fan motor in the long run.
 
jonroe said:
cougar20th:

Cutting the pin #14 wire will NOT cause a check engine light.

Do you have the ECT disconnected now? That's the Engine Coolant Temperature sensor that the computer uses to see when to turn on the fans. If that's disconnected, of course that does set a check engine light. If you cut 14, reconnect the ECT as normal.

thats probably the sensor. pass side front top of the engine? my fans dont come on by themselves which is why i disconnected it. ive replaced the sensor and it didnt help. so would cutting the wires help me any?

also with the sensor disconnected am i running high speed or low speed fans?
 
you dont cut the 17 wire at all, strip back casing and ground it if u want it to run ALL the time. having a switch is the best idea however.
 
cougar20th:

Yes, your location for the ECT sounds right. If you have a good ECT that is connected and the fan still doesn't come on, the problem lies elsewhere, maybe in the relays inside the IRCM.

I don't know which speed fan runs with ECT disconnected.
 
Could someone post a picture of The ECT

Could someone post a picture of The ECT so I know what I am looking for. I am having fan motor and temp gauge problems.
 
Leave the ECT sensor connected. THe ECT does more than just turn on the fans. It controls engine performance for the most part.

Disconnect it as a last resort to prevent overheating.
 
cougarsc said:
Leave the ECT sensor connected. THe ECT does more than just turn on the fans. It controls engine performance for the most part.

Disconnect it as a last resort to prevent overheating.

for now its the only way to keep it cool. does anyone know how to test the relay box in front of the air filter? are they the same as a non sc car.
 
Back
Top