Joe in NY
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- June 5, 2014
- Messages
- 941
- Reaction score
- 88
- City, State
- Binghamton, NY
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2002 Eddie Bauer V8 4X4
Hello all,
Yes there already is an electric fan thread posted here. I personally find a few major issues with it but that is not the point of this thread. I'm working on installing an electric fan and having it be variable speed and running on it's own.
A few notes:
The mid 90s Crwon Vics, Marauders, and Town Cars come with an electric fan between the radiator and clutch fan. No variable speed. I believe they are one speed. They are however just a round fan inside the clutch fan shroud would be useful to many people for many projects. Looks like this:
The late 90s to early 2000s Crown Vics, Marauders, and Town Cars come with a thick and average electric fan that is at first two speed controlled by relays via the PCM but then Ford added a variable speed controller. The fan wont work for us as it is too thick. But the speed controller will work for other fans. The metal can is speed controller. Looks like this:
The late 90s Continentals though came with a very powerful two speed, high static, electric fan. (High static due to the wide blades with shallow pitch) They were two speed and then later variable speed but with a more complex controller. Looks like this:
The later Crown Vis came with pretty much the same fan but with an improved fan controller. Controller looks like this:
How the fan controllers work:
The earlier fan controllers are always on and driven by the PCM. They actually control the current to GROUND. 12 Volts is ALWAYS provided to the fan but it is the ground path that is limited. The fail safe for these is to run the fan at 100%. So look out for that if you are testing fan controllers.
The PCM drives the 90s controllers with a 100Hz PWM control signal. The fan controller runs on active LOW. The fan controller supplies 12 Volts @ a max of 8mA on the signal wire. The PCM sinks this signal wire to 0 Volts to trigger the fan controller.
The 2000s controllers use a 200Hz PWM signal but in the same manner.
(Big thanks to people on youtube diagnosing failed fan controllers and using scopes so I see the setting and count the cycles and figure out the frequency)
Both styles of controllers follow this duty cycle table:
I grabbed myself a Continental fan as seen above and a fan controller from the late 90s Crown Vic. Using a Teensy 3.2 I have successfully driven the fan controller with PC fans and just tonight I drove the Continental fan. Starting with 180/255 PWM in Active HIGH which translates to 75/255 for Active LOW. I started at a low speed, controller starts at 20% fan, and then I commanded 100%. The controller slowly ramps up/down to what is commanded. Takes about 10 seconds to ramp up to 100%. HOLY SMOKES THIS FAN MOVES SOME AIR!!!!!!!!
I will continue posting updates as I go. Hope you find it interesting.
Yes there already is an electric fan thread posted here. I personally find a few major issues with it but that is not the point of this thread. I'm working on installing an electric fan and having it be variable speed and running on it's own.
A few notes:
The mid 90s Crwon Vics, Marauders, and Town Cars come with an electric fan between the radiator and clutch fan. No variable speed. I believe they are one speed. They are however just a round fan inside the clutch fan shroud would be useful to many people for many projects. Looks like this:
The late 90s to early 2000s Crown Vics, Marauders, and Town Cars come with a thick and average electric fan that is at first two speed controlled by relays via the PCM but then Ford added a variable speed controller. The fan wont work for us as it is too thick. But the speed controller will work for other fans. The metal can is speed controller. Looks like this:
The late 90s Continentals though came with a very powerful two speed, high static, electric fan. (High static due to the wide blades with shallow pitch) They were two speed and then later variable speed but with a more complex controller. Looks like this:
The later Crown Vis came with pretty much the same fan but with an improved fan controller. Controller looks like this:
How the fan controllers work:
The earlier fan controllers are always on and driven by the PCM. They actually control the current to GROUND. 12 Volts is ALWAYS provided to the fan but it is the ground path that is limited. The fail safe for these is to run the fan at 100%. So look out for that if you are testing fan controllers.
The PCM drives the 90s controllers with a 100Hz PWM control signal. The fan controller runs on active LOW. The fan controller supplies 12 Volts @ a max of 8mA on the signal wire. The PCM sinks this signal wire to 0 Volts to trigger the fan controller.
The 2000s controllers use a 200Hz PWM signal but in the same manner.
(Big thanks to people on youtube diagnosing failed fan controllers and using scopes so I see the setting and count the cycles and figure out the frequency)
Both styles of controllers follow this duty cycle table:
I grabbed myself a Continental fan as seen above and a fan controller from the late 90s Crown Vic. Using a Teensy 3.2 I have successfully driven the fan controller with PC fans and just tonight I drove the Continental fan. Starting with 180/255 PWM in Active HIGH which translates to 75/255 for Active LOW. I started at a low speed, controller starts at 20% fan, and then I commanded 100%. The controller slowly ramps up/down to what is commanded. Takes about 10 seconds to ramp up to 100%. HOLY SMOKES THIS FAN MOVES SOME AIR!!!!!!!!
I will continue posting updates as I go. Hope you find it interesting.
