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Fan controller one more time

Yahoo Message Number: 75173
Until today, my 2000 magna with a cat c10 has had two overheating sessions in the last 3 months. The last one happened about a week ago on level ground and fairly cool weather. The temperature got up high enough to set a code on the engine. All the code said was that I overheated.
I've been through lots of posts on this forum and think I may have a fan controller problem. I've put a switch in series with the wire going from the fuse to the fan controller as Seager described. Today, I drove about 3 hours, stopped, shut the engine off for about 15 minutes and then continued my trip. Prior to this stop, the temperature was between 185 and 194. After the stop, the temperature began to rise and at times got to 214F. I would shut off the controller for a about 15 seconds and the temperature would drop from the mid-210's to about 205 but would increase again. Finally I kept the controller off long enough to drop the temperature to 184F and I didn't have another overheat problem for the rest of the day; probably about another 5 hours of driving with the temperature between 185 and 194.
Based on what I saw today I suspect the fan controller is bad. Does that sound like a likely scenario?
Oh, and my Silverleaf JIB box did not show a change in temperature as long as the fan controller was turned off. As soon as I turned the controller back on I got updated temperatures. Just thought this was interesting.

pete

2000 40' Magna #5892
Pete
 2000 40'  Magna #5892  CAT C-10

Re: Fan controller one more time

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 75180
Pete

When my controller went bad it was intermittent for several months and then just died.

Dan 2006 Allure 31348

Re: Fan controller one more time

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 75185
Fan controllers effect us all. Since my first Issue in June of 2010, it has been been a continuos adventure. The adventure first started with small but erratic temperature changes and leaking blue coolant which masked the controllers issues. The leak finally became prominent when the rear coolant circulation pump for the dash heating failed totally. Called Road care and a tech came out and crawled on top of the engine and by passed the pump. Chris Snyder told me not to replace it as the front pump could handle the job and he was correct. Then on the way to Madora the temps started fluctuating again, but maybe once every couple of weeks . I wasn't sure I had a problem until on my return home from the NE and my temps dropped to 170 degrees. I set up an appointment with Chris after returning home the next Spring and he confirmed it was the controller and not the sensors. We called all over the country and none were available for my ISL 400. OMC said they would have one in about 6 weeks just in time for the Friendship rally we were attending in June at Harrisburg. Well on the way we experienced transmission over heating and found out it was the radiator failing . So I had the issue of replacing the radiator in Fairfield Suisun, California. $7200.00 later I was on my way to Eugene with the fan running at high speed. At the rally techs from CC, OMC, and Priemere RV suspect the added vacuum of the fan running at high speed continuously probably forced the premature failure of the radiator. OMC replaced the Fan controller and all seemed well. We went to Coos-bay on warm day via Florence and all temps were well. We then headed for Yellowstone via Portland, Walla Walla and Missoula. Still no issues, but I started seeing coolant leaking again. Lost about a quart. After leaving Yellowstone for Rawlings, Chyenne, and Denver the Temps started changing and coolant was really escaping. A GALLON AND 1/2 IN 250 MILES. I replaced the radiator cap with one I had purchased previously from my previous episode. That put a lid on the coolant leak, but when I had to Climb Sherman hill the high temps were back. I had run out of extra coolant by then and was adding water. When I got to Denver I was able to get pure ES complete OAT and brought things back to balance and everything seemed fine again. Went to Colorado Springs and Pueblo with no issues, but when I reached Raton Pass the temps wenT up and even the hot water warning light came on 225 deg F. At the top of the pass I crawled under the radiator and disconnected the Fan controller placing the fan in the high mode, called OMC and drove home. Well Sauer Danfoss wanted me to have the controller removed for their examination and they would then determine what to be done. Chris Snyder and OMC said with heir experience it should just be replaced. Well, finally after playing tag and ring around the Rosie with SD Bob at OMC said enough is enough and sent me a new controller at their expense and I drove over to Tucson and Chis installed it at no cost to me. Drove home via Globe with 50 miles of 7% grades and all was well. Some observations: you loose 1/2 mpg at 60 mph with the fan on high. You gain 3/4 to 1 mpg when the fan controller never runs higher than medium. With the new controller set up for my engine I am back to normal. 8.4 mpg running at 68 mph. I wish to thank Bob Vinson and Chris for getting me home with out damage during my travels and finally getting a reluctant Sauer Danfoss to program a new Fan controller for high output configuration and OMC for sending it to me and replacing it at no charge. I am sure BOB's struggles are not over getting that defective controller replaced. As Chris says never depend on a rebuilt or re-calibrated unit, they will eventually cost everyone money. AS I under stand there are three different controllers, possibly more used on CC's, and they have each various option modes. So just don't assume because you have an 09 or 011 unit that another 09 or 011 is a direct replacement. TWI 2004 Intrigue 117341 ISL 400 MK I

Re: Fan controller one more time

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 75188
Check the wires. Here's my story from a previous post. So far all is good, no overheats and no fast running fan (dust storms)at idle:
The other day I started the engine cold and was doing some leak checks back there and my fan suddenly went to a high RPM. AC was off, fuse was good, so this didn't seem right for a cold engine. So I crawled under where the fan controller is and started playing with the wires going to the fan controller and the solenoid. The fan went to low RPM when I moved the wires a certain way, then back to high RPM when shifting the wires back to the original position. I removed the controller and cleaned all the connectors with some good cleaner and after putting it back together again, the fan stayed at low RPM. A fluke? A coincidence? Who knows, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Hope my MPG improves.

Re: Fan controller one more time

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 75189
I always carry contact cleaner and contact cleaner lube. While dealing with my issues any time I un plugged or plugged connectors i always cleaned the contacts. You just never know when dealing with low voltages. That means RF connectors, too.
TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731

Re: Fan controller one more time

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 75195
Thomas, great write-up, question can you detail the "high output configuration" that helped solve your problem? Was it higher RPM's at the Low, Medium, High settings?

thanks, Mike 03 Allure 1st Ave. #30898 ISL upgraded to 400HP

Re: Fan controller one more time

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 75197
A little back ground first. I was a musician through my schooling and I am an audiophile also. So, being a Sound tech and later a design engineer of sound systems was a natural for me, which was my profession for 38 years.
So when my temps started acting up and I learned what high fan sounded like, it was a simple matter of knowing when the first controller was replaced by the defective second, that something was wrong when the engine got hot. We have a road called Trans-mountain with 8% grades. It was an easy test to drive up the hill with the air off and listen to the fan, running at medium, which is about the same level as engine idling noise at a 4 foot distance. The temps wouldn't go down and coolant was leaking out the over flow, I had to drive down the hill to get the temp to drop, and then it would go down to about 180 before returning to normal 190 indicated and not stay steady. You see the temp change and hear the fan go up to medium high when the AC was on. At the bottom of the hill I unplugged the controller the fan speed went up to high which masks or covers the engine noise at 4 ft. and went up the hill again. When I got to the top their was no over flow and the temps dropped immediately down to 170 while the engine idled. So I knew it was the controller and not a stuck thermostat, which was Sauer Danfoss original guess. After Chris installed the new controller and I started the engine the fan returned to its normal pattern of reaching high after 30 seconds or so to depressurize the AC system for about 15 seconds and returned to as normal. So I didn't use any test equipment to verify proper or improper operation. I just used my ears as I have for many years detecting bad or mal-performing sound systems. As the speed of the fan changes from 2100 to 2800rpm as the rpm of the engine changes from 650 to 2100 rpm in the high mode you learn to recognize this sound also. When climbing a hill at 2050 rpm you can hear the scream of the fan even with the driver access window closed. When its running 2200 in medium high, or low high you cannot. Then something is wrong.
Some women have perfect color retention, other men and women have perfect pitch and know when a sound is in tune or not. I have a form of sound memory. Its either right or its not (relative sound). Its like relative pitch, once you have heard the note you can match it, even if its not perfect.. It's like being able to hear a sticky lifter or a bullet traveling 2800 ft per second. Neither one of which I have trained myself to hear. But my Dad could, had perfect pitch, and could also tell the difference between a Hamilton prop or how others sounded due to the shape of the propeller blades, plus the difference between wood and metal.
Explaining all this to a engine or RV tech that only has a meter or a gadget to tell himself what is right or wrong is a real challenge. And having been on both sides of the fence, in my career, I understand and try to be patient. That's the main reason I didn't want to get involved with Cummins this time.
TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731
 

Re: Fan controller one more time

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 77696
I know this is an old post but I wanted to follow up with my fix. In case someone else searches for fan cooling problems.
It was suggested by several people that the air and coolant sensors may be the problem. I had the sensors checked and they both showed open circuits. I ordered the two sensors and had them installed in January. It wasn't until this week that I got a chance to drive the coach any significant distance and I'm pleased to report that on the 3 days it took me to go from Orlando, FL, to Houston, TX, I never had an overheat problem. The temperature cycled between 186 and 194.

A big thank you to this group for your help.

Pete

2000 40' Magna #5892
Pete
 2000 40'  Magna #5892  CAT C-10