I have noticed that at idle with the AC on my car tends to run hot..the temp pushs max but as soon as I start to drive it comes back down. It seems to be worse on hot days. I noticed the secondary fan(the one in front of the radiato-the small plastic one) doesn't run..or at least I have never ever noticed it running in the past two years that I've owned this car...Would this be the reason that the car tends to overheat at idle? Is there a fuse or something that could have broken causing the fan not to work?
Thanks for you help.
rob in charlotte

__________________
Rob Armstrong, Charlotte, NC
Mountain Island Lake
RobAinCLTNC@hotmail.com

2004 VW Passat GLS TDI-50k
2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L 7k
FOR SALE 1991 300TE 228k

2003 Subaru Outback 57k Silver/Black-SOLD
2005 C230K 18k Pewter/Grey-SOLD
1997 E420 108k Black/Grey-SOLD
1986 560sl 200k Black/Palimino-SOLD
1985 300sd 340k-SOLD
1979 240d 170k-SOLD
2000 Volvo V70XC-POS couldn't sell fast enough

Not sure about your car. But with the AC on and the car running you should see the aux fan kick on, it's almost impossible to hear from inside the car. Need to get out and look. Make sure the fan is not running, if so sounds like you found problem. Now you need to find root cause. Fan it's self (don't crap out too often). Fuse, sensor, etc. I am not the greatest at electrical diagnosis. Do a search on the subject, no doubt these guys have already addressed this issue.

Joel

Thanks..I appreciate the heads up..I guess I'm hoping that its just a fuse..does anyone know if a there is a fuse to this fan.

I am going out right now..I will turn on car and ac and see. I really doubt that it will come on.

Thanks again,
rob

__________________
Rob Armstrong, Charlotte, NC
Mountain Island Lake
RobAinCLTNC@hotmail.com

2004 VW Passat GLS TDI-50k
2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L 7k
FOR SALE 1991 300TE 228k

2003 Subaru Outback 57k Silver/Black-SOLD
2005 C230K 18k Pewter/Grey-SOLD
1997 E420 108k Black/Grey-SOLD
1986 560sl 200k Black/Palimino-SOLD
1985 300sd 340k-SOLD
1979 240d 170k-SOLD
2000 Volvo V70XC-POS couldn't sell fast enough

Thanks..I appreciate the heads up..I guess I'm hoping that its just a fuse..does anyone know if a there is a fuse to this fan.

I am going out right now..I will turn on car and ac and see. I really doubt that it will come on.

Thanks again,
rob

__________________
Rob Armstrong, Charlotte, NC
Mountain Island Lake
RobAinCLTNC@hotmail.com

2004 VW Passat GLS TDI-50k
2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L 7k
FOR SALE 1991 300TE 228k

2003 Subaru Outback 57k Silver/Black-SOLD
2005 C230K 18k Pewter/Grey-SOLD
1997 E420 108k Black/Grey-SOLD
1986 560sl 200k Black/Palimino-SOLD
1985 300sd 340k-SOLD
1979 240d 170k-SOLD
2000 Volvo V70XC-POS couldn't sell fast enough

Yes there is a fuse for the auxiliary fan, It is fuse #1 16amp, in the 560sel manual.

Its #14 in the 560 sl..I checked it and it is good. So there must be another reason for the fan not to engage. I guess I just need to take it somewhere to see. I imagine that there is a switch somewhere that may have gone bad.

Thanks for you message!

__________________
Rob Armstrong, Charlotte, NC
Mountain Island Lake
RobAinCLTNC@hotmail.com

2004 VW Passat GLS TDI-50k
2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L 7k
FOR SALE 1991 300TE 228k

2003 Subaru Outback 57k Silver/Black-SOLD
2005 C230K 18k Pewter/Grey-SOLD
1997 E420 108k Black/Grey-SOLD
1986 560sl 200k Black/Palimino-SOLD
1985 300sd 340k-SOLD
1979 240d 170k-SOLD
2000 Volvo V70XC-POS couldn't sell fast enough

Often the brushes in the aux fan get grease or crud on them and that results in poor contact and no run. Sometimes you can tap vigorously on the fan hub when it shoulld be running and that will 'reseat' the brushes. Often though you have to either replace (lot of bucks) or disassemble the fan, clean things up, regrease the bearings and go for another 15 years.