Ford Bronco Fans & Kits
The Ford Bronco’s motor is kept from overheating in part because of its cooling fan. When the fan needs maintenance, replacement parts are often needed. You can find the right cooling fan and related parts for your Bronco and learn about them here.
How does the cooling fan work?Most Ford Broncos use belt-driven cooling fans, meaning that the fan is turned by the serpentine belt rather than an electric motor. The cooling fan is attached to a fan clutch, which is a device that changes the speed of the fan depending on the temperature of the motor. This allows the fan speed to increase as the motor heats.
The cooling fan aids the radiator in dissipating the heat in the hot coolant that circulates through it. The radiator consists of a grate with holes through it for ventilation. When the cooling fan blows air through it, the coolant is cooled rapidly so that when it returns to the engine, it can bring more heat out of the engine block. In this way, the motor’s operating temperature is controlled so that it doesn’t overheat.
What can cause the cooling fan to fail?- Fan blades: It’s possible that the fan blades are jammed by damage or a foreign object.
- Fan clutch: On a belt-driven fan, the clutch can wear out, causing it to slip and not engage the fan on the gear that it should. This can cause the fan to fail to turn or not run fast enough to cool the engine.
- Thermostat switch: Electric cooling fans are triggered by the temperature detected by a thermostat. If the thermostat fails, the cooling fan won’t operate correctly. The result can be an overheated engine, or it may run hotter than normal. The problem can be intermittent, causing the fan to run correctly most of the time, then fail momentarily.
- Loss of power: Electric fans can also be defeated by electrical faults that deprive them of power or ground. Without both, they won’t run.
- Overheating: If the radiator doesn’t get enough air flow, the coolant will stay hot and fail to cool the engine. The result can be a hot-running motor or overheating, depending on the severity of the problem and driving conditions.
- Check engine light: The engine computer will notice when there is a problem with the cooling system and turn on the check engine light. Some vehicles may have sensors that monitor the cooling fan and detect when it fails.
- Weak A/C: Because the air conditioner has a heat exchanger called the condenser mounted with the radiator, a failing cooling fan can also impact the performance of the A/C.