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So the previous owner installed a 3rd cooling fan on my 98 XJ, sort of stacked in front of the passenger side cooling fan, with its own switch under the hood.
But I was still operating at just about 220 degrees...and it would climb from there in slow traffic or while stopped at a traffic light! The PO bypassed the temperature switch on the engine to a switch inside the cockpit...and with that switch on, I discovered that only ONE fan was operating, the stock passenger side fan! Since I like my engines to run cooler rather than hotter, I drove down to NAPA and bought an Echlin 3 post continuous duty solenoid (heavy duty beasts, and worth every penny of the 50 bucks they cost...still running one on my RV that I installed 10 years ago to operate its cooling fans manually).
I drove it home and rewired all three fans directly with 10 gauge wire (I know, its overkill, but I have a LOT of 10 gauge wire on hand left over from a previous RV solar project). I ran a heavy 2 gauge cable from one side of the solenoid to the battery, wired up all three fan's 10 gauge cables (crimped together in one copper battery cable terminal) to the other side of the solenoid, and then wired the switch wire from the cab to the small terminal on the front of the solenoid.
They I tested it, and driver's side fan still wasn't working!
So I took out that fan and was seeing if I could take it apart somehow to clean the brushes or whatnot...and it was sealed. So I hit it a few times on the back with a hammer, tested it with a wire, and it works fine now! I reinstalled it, and all three fans work now! (I will keep an eye on that fan, but it seems to be working just fine now...lol!)
Then I took it on a slow test drive around the RV park we are staying at, in 4X4...around and around and around...and the temps stayed around 180-190. THAT is more like it!!!
Also, the fans don't seem to affect the volt meter on the dash, or the secondary volt meter added by a PO NEARLY as much as just the one fan running did! I'm guessing that it is because I pretty much eliminated all voltage drop with this upgrade.
So I took out that fan and was seeing if I could take it apart somehow to clean the brushes or whatnot...and it was sealed. So I hit it a few times on the back with a hammer, tested it with a wire, and it works fine now! I reinstalled it, and all three fans work now!
Thats usually a sign the brushes are on their last legs.
I know. This Optima battery is old as hell...and looks to be leaking something from the top. Anyone know a good replacement?
Kev
Based on my limited experience with Optima batteries, I will likely use them for all my replacement batteries. The yellow top in my XJ is 9 years old, and still going strong.
Based on my limited experience with Optima batteries, I will likely use them for all my replacement batteries. The yellow top in my XJ is 9 years old, and still going strong.
So the yellow tops will start the XJ? I thought they were just deep cycle storage batteries.
Thats usually a sign the brushes are on their last legs.
Maybe. Although the PO pressure washed the engine compartment before trading it to me...which fried the TPS...so water might have gotten into the fan as well. I'll keep a close eye on it, but so far so good!
Thats usually a sign the brushes are on their last legs.
Sadly...the fan quit working, so I think you are correct. Brushes must be bad, so I ordered an OEM replacement from eBay...brand new, 40 bucks shipped. Only 150K on this 1998 XJ engine...one would think they would last longer before they wore out. My last '99 Cherokee had 340K in it when I sold it, and the fan still worked just fine.
Based on my limited experience with Optima batteries, I will likely use them for all my replacement batteries. The yellow top in my XJ is 9 years old, and still going strong.
But the ones rolling off the line today are not as good. Lots of complaints about quality in the last few years.
But the ones rolling off the line today are not as good. Lots of complaints about quality in the last few years.
That is what I heard, even from Autozone and Advance Auto. They have been getting a lot of returns lately, since Optima moved their production to Mexico.
you do realize those switches are literally right in front of the passenger air bag correct?
LOL!!! The previous owner removed the airbag altogether, so it is just an empty void behind the switches. I'm planning on adding some kind of extra glove box to the space...something a lot more secure than the stock glove box.
LOL!!! The previous owner removed the airbag altogether, so it is just an empty void behind the switches. I'm planning on adding some kind of extra glove box to the space...something a lot more secure than the stock glove box.
Kev
ok,
good bit of background information there. otherwise someone would have lost a few facial features
08-01-2017, 07:31 PM
High operating temperatures SOLVED!!!
