6 Causes of Car Radiator Fan Not Spinning & Their Solutions

You have probably experienced the problem of a car radiator fan that won't spin. This issue causes the car engine to overheat and makes the temperature inside the car feel hot.

Although this problem often occurs, many people are still unaware of the causes of a dead radiator fan. Here are some of the causes and their solutions.

6 Causes of Car Radiator Fan Not Spinning

What causes the radiator fan not to spin? Here are 6 causes of a dead and non-spinning car radiator fan:

1. Broken drive belt

The first cause of the radiator fan not spinning is a broken drive belt. Essentially, the drive belt is made of rubber, which is very sensitive to heat, dust, and oil.

A drive belt that comes into contact with oil will cause the surface to become slippery. This condition will make the drive belt slip, resulting in excessive friction.

This causes the drive belt to break. As a result, the cooling fan, power steering pump, and alternator become damaged.

2. Broken fan fuse

The fuse or circuit breaker functions as a cutoff for excessive electrical current. When the fuse blows, the electrical current to the radiator fan also stops, causing the fan not to spin.

3. Broken fan cable

The radiator fan not spinning can also be caused by a broken fan cable.

This can happen due to rodent bites or cable expansion. A broken cable will not be able to conduct electrical current.

4. Fan installed backward

The next cause is the installation of the radiator fan being backward. A backward fan causes the airflow to also reverse, preventing the fan from spinning.

5. Radiator fan motor not functioning

The fan motor serves as the driver for the radiator fan. If this component has issues, the radiator fan will stop working. A damaged fan motor usually cannot be repaired and must be replaced with a new one.

6. Loose socket

Another cause is due to a poorly tightened or loose socket and the age of the socket.

How to Fix a Radiator Fan That Won't Spin

Confused about how to fix a radiator fan that often has problems? Don't worry, we have an easy solution. Here’s how to address it:

1. Check the fan motor relay

The first step is to check the fan motor relay to see if it can still spin or not. Use a multimeter; if the component can spin, then the temperature sensor is the problem. However, if it cannot spin, you need to replace the fan motor relay with a new one.

2. Replace with a new fuse

Check if the cause of the radiator fan not spinning is indeed due to a problem with the fuse. If so, replace it with a new fuse.

3. Test electrical current

You can automatically fix the radiator fan by testing the electrical current. It’s quite easy; connect a cable to the fan motor or jumper the relay socket to the fuse box.

If the fan spins, then the electrical circuit is not experiencing issues. However, it could be the battery that is problematic, causing the radiator fan not to spin.

4. Replace carbon brush with a new one

The carbon brush is a component inside the fan motor that functions to distribute electrical current from the stationary motor to the moving motor.

Worn-out carbon brushes will prevent the radiator fan from spinning due to a lack of electrical current. To resolve this, it is advisable to replace the carbon brush with a new one.

5. Know when to contact a technician

If you have tried the steps above but still cannot get the radiator fan to spin, it is best to contact a professional technician or visit the nearest Daihatsu dealer.

Those are some causes of a car radiator fan not spinning and how to fix it. So, there’s no need to panic when this condition occurs with your car's radiator fan. Good luck trying.

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6 Causes of Car Radiator Fan Not Spinning & Their Solutions