GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

Electric Cooling Fan

Caution: If a fan blade is bent or damaged in any way, do not repair or reuse the damaged part. Always replace a bent or damaged fan blade. Fan blades that have been damaged can not be assured of proper balance and could fail and fly apart during subsequent use. This creates an extremely dangerous situation.

The fan blades must remain in proper balance. You cannot assure fan blade balance once a fan blade has been bent or damaged. A fan blade that is not in proper balance could fail and fly apart during use, creating an extremely dangerous situation.

An electric engine cooling fan aids air flow through the radiator. An electric motor, attached to the radiator support, drives the fan.

Coolant temperature activates the fan motor. If the vehicle is equipped with air conditioning, a switch can activate the fan motor when the compressor is operating.

Cooling Fan Operation

The Electronic Control Module (ECM) regulates the voltage to the cooling fan relay. The relay operates the fan when the engine coolant temperature exceeds 106°C (223°F) The cooling fan will turn on automatically during extended idle conditions under 5 miles per hour. For diagnosis and location of the relay, refer to Electrical Diagnosis.