Radiator fan not working properly.

[pete57]

Hi guys,
I had the AC repaired on my 2011 Patrol (Y61/GU with ZD30 engine)
The AC repair guy mentioned that, when idling, the AC pressure goes too high due to the radiator fan not working (cooling) properly and this doesn't necessarily show up on the temp gauge.
The fan is spinning, but he suspected it to be slipping or the thermal connector being faulty.
Has anyone had similar problems/
Thanks
Pete

[jff45]

Doesn’t the ZD have an electric fan that comes on with the AC?

[pete57]

Yes, it is electric. Spinning, but apparently not enough.

[mudski]

Can you hear the fan. I can hear mine whooshing away when on.

[jff45]

Possible voltage drop. Try to power it directly to see how it spins.

[mudski]

Check the condenser and make sure its not blocked with anything like mud etc.

[pete57]

So, I finally had some time to check under the bonnet. What the AC-guy meant was that the radiator fan that is attached to the water pump via a coupling is slipping a little bit and not spinning enough to cool. Hence, the engine is over heating, especially when the AC is on and at low revs. This doesn't show up on the temp gauge though and to me, the fan is spinning, but obviously not fast enough according to the AC-guy. At low revs, this also leads to a too high pressure in the AC gas lines(which smashed my evaporator) Anyone has an idea how to trouble shoot this one??? Thanks for all replies and sorry for the first post with some confusing info.
Pete

[mudnut]

There is a fix for this, rebuilding the hub, using a silicon oil from Toyota. I have tried searching for a thread that deals with it. Hopefully someone sees this thread and can point you in the right direction.

[mudski]

There is a fix for this, rebuilding the hub, using a silicon oil from Toyota. I have tried searching for a thread that deals with it. Hopefully someone sees this thread and can point you in the right direction.

The ZD hubs are sealed. Only the TD hubs can be re-oiled.

As for the OP. Check both radiator and condenser to see if they are blocked or not. Air flow is key, especially at low speeds.

[jff45]

The AC system has a pressure switch that safeguards against too low/too high pressure. It cuts the AC before damage can be done.

Has your dashboard been completely removed to replace the "smashed evaporator"?

[mudnut]

The ZD hubs are sealed. Only the TD hubs can be re-oiled.

As for the OP. Check both radiator and condenser to see if they are blocked or not. Air flow is key, especially at low speeds.

Thanks, mate. Good to learn something new. What a bastard having it sealed. I wonder if drilling a set of holes, draining the oil, and fitting bolts through the hub is a possible Quick Fix?

[pollenface]

There is a fix for this, rebuilding the hub, using a silicon oil from Toyota. I have tried searching for a thread that deals with it. Hopefully someone sees this thread and can point you in the right direction.

I just happened to be lookin at it on patrolapart ...
https://patrolapart.com.au/product/toyota-viscous-hub-silicone-oil-fluid-fits-nissan-patrol-gq-gu

Edit: just read the post above. I've drilled holes in things to drain/replace fluid before (on motorbikes).

[pete57]

The AC system has a pressure switch that safeguards against too low/too high pressure. It cuts the AC before damage can be done.

Has your dashboard been completely removed to replace the "smashed evaporator"?

I don't know if the dashboard was removed I left it one day, picked up the next. The AC guy didn't mention the pressure switch, just told me that the pressure "smashed" the evaporator and will continue to "smash" other AC components until fixed.


I did find a clip on Youtube how to easily check a viscous fan. Take 4-5 pages from a newspaper, roll them up and try to stop the fan with the roll just after you've started the car. The fan should be easy to stop. Then idle until the engine has reached max temp. When trying to stop the fan now, the newspaper should be ripped to shreds and the fan impossible to stop. This didn't happen to me.... the oil has obviously leaked out.

I did find some oil on a plug below the water pump, see attached pic. Could it have anything to do with the fan oil or totally unrelated?



Thanks everyone who replied.

Pete

[mudski]

I don't know if the dashboard was removed I left it one day, picked up the next. The AC guy didn't mention the pressure switch, just told me that the pressure "smashed" the evaporator and will continue to "smash" other AC components until fixed.


I did find a clip on Youtube how to easily check a viscous fan. Take 4-5 pages from a newspaper, roll them up and try to stop the fan with the roll just after you've started the car. The fan should be easy to stop. Then idle until the engine has reached max temp. When trying to stop the fan now, the newspaper should be ripped to shreds and the fan impossible to stop. This didn't happen to me.... the oil has obviously leaked out.

I did find some oil on a plug below the water pump, see attached pic. Could it have anything to do with the fan oil or totally unrelated?



Thanks everyone who replied.

Pete

Drive the car to get it to temp. Fluctuating revs will assist it reaching the desired temp and with oil flow through the vanes of the hub.

[pete57]

Drive the car to get it to temp. Fluctuating revs will assist it reaching the desired temp and with oil flow through the vanes of the hub.

Yes, did so and still fan is still not working properly. Definitely bad.
Any idea from the pic what that oil leak might be? (what is that plug between the crankshaft and the compressor?)

[mudski]

Yes, did so and still fan is still not working properly. Definitely bad.
Any idea from the pic what that oil leak might be? (what is that plug between the crankshaft and the compressor?)

Yeah not sure what that is, not even the parts catalogue tells me. It does look like its leaking from that plug though. Maybe clean it up and monitor it??