Fan gets super loud every 15 seconds!
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AC running?
If so, is the LOW speed on the cooling fan operating? If not, there's your problem.
If yes, have A/C pressures checked. The high side pressure is getting too high and causing the fan to increase its speed to cool off the condensor.
If so, is the LOW speed on the cooling fan operating? If not, there's your problem.
If yes, have A/C pressures checked. The high side pressure is getting too high and causing the fan to increase its speed to cool off the condensor.
Condensers and radiators are age old bug collectors, have to clean mine frequently during the summer months, one only nice thing about winter. Low coolant is yet another possibility.
Here is the cooling fan circuit field tapped motor for three speed, those relays controlled by the ECU are located in the underhood fuse/relay box.
View attachment 189490
Radiator in the Cruze is actually quite oversized for that small engine, my radiator fan hardly comes on, period. But has to be kept cleaned for good airflow. How is your recovery tank? Many complaints here about coolant leakage.
Here is the cooling fan circuit field tapped motor for three speed, those relays controlled by the ECU are located in the underhood fuse/relay box.
View attachment 189490
Radiator in the Cruze is actually quite oversized for that small engine, my radiator fan hardly comes on, period. But has to be kept cleaned for good airflow. How is your recovery tank? Many complaints here about coolant leakage.
If you've had the air cleaner assembly apart check the connector on the inlet air temperature sensor. If this sensor is disconnected while the battery cable is attached, the fan goes to high rocket speed.
Why it's cycling though is a good question.
Nick- I think the speed resistor for the radiator fans is actually attached to the fan assembly as a small box on the drivers side of the radiator. To my knowledge it's not available without buying an entire fan assembly.
It's like spark plug boots. I believe it's removable if you could find a different one, without pulling the bumper off to remove the entire fan assembly.
The fan assembly might come out from the inside, but if this is the problem you may have to pull the bumper cover off, then the radiator, then the fans.
Don't be scared by the cover. this actually looks like a pretty good design, provided you can get the cover off without cracking the tabs.
Why it's cycling though is a good question.
Nick- I think the speed resistor for the radiator fans is actually attached to the fan assembly as a small box on the drivers side of the radiator. To my knowledge it's not available without buying an entire fan assembly.
It's like spark plug boots. I believe it's removable if you could find a different one, without pulling the bumper off to remove the entire fan assembly.
The fan assembly might come out from the inside, but if this is the problem you may have to pull the bumper cover off, then the radiator, then the fans.
Don't be scared by the cover. this actually looks like a pretty good design, provided you can get the cover off without cracking the tabs.
Problems like this may take a couple of minutes to check out, fan could be okay but the ECT sensor could be intermittently shorting out that would kick the fan into high speed.
Fan has three speed terminals and a ground, hitting each terminal with 12 V with an ammeter checks this out, typical high speed is around 30 amps.
I would say his symptoms are not normal and dey all do not do dis.
Fan has three speed terminals and a ground, hitting each terminal with 12 V with an ammeter checks this out, typical high speed is around 30 amps.
I would say his symptoms are not normal and dey all do not do dis.
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5,722 Posts
Hello amills,
I certainly understand how concerning this noise is for you. If you're thinking you'd like to have a certified technician take a look, we'd be happy to contact them on your behalf. We're available via private message and only need your VIN, mileage, contact information, and preferred dealership to move forward!
Jasmine
Chevrolet Customer Care
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8,003 Posts
It looks removable, but based on some pictures posted in another thread, it's hard-wired into the fan on the back side. It's possible what's burning out the resistors is a bad fan motor, so replacing the fan might have been necessary anyway. But if you're into digging into things, there's a thermal fuse inside the resistor block that might have opened.
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145 Posts
The resistor module, or whatever it's called is attached to the fan assembly. It's also clearly marked "do not repair", so you kinda have to replace the whole fan assembly if that part is bad, and you lose the lower fan speeds, which means you only have the highest speed that annoyingly kicks on and off when the fan is needed for cooling.
I've had this issue for the last year, and while I have a new fan assembly sitting in my garage, the first attempt at a DIY repair was a fail. It would be very difficult to remove the fan assembly without removing the front bumper cover because of how it's held in place by two tabs on the bottom clips. Anyway, I got the bumper cover off, got the clips undone, and couldn't figure out how the assembly could possibly come out without removing one of the metal AC lines. What I didn't realize though (because it was very late, and I was tired) was that the metal bracket that sticks out for the hood prop bolts off. I think with that off, you probably get enough room to start working it out.
The problem here, if it's not covered by warranty, is that a new GM fan has a list price of like $270, plus probably at least 2-3 hours labor...so you're looking at around $500 real quick for a bad resistor? The aftermarket fans run about $100.
I've had this issue for the last year, and while I have a new fan assembly sitting in my garage, the first attempt at a DIY repair was a fail. It would be very difficult to remove the fan assembly without removing the front bumper cover because of how it's held in place by two tabs on the bottom clips. Anyway, I got the bumper cover off, got the clips undone, and couldn't figure out how the assembly could possibly come out without removing one of the metal AC lines. What I didn't realize though (because it was very late, and I was tired) was that the metal bracket that sticks out for the hood prop bolts off. I think with that off, you probably get enough room to start working it out.
The problem here, if it's not covered by warranty, is that a new GM fan has a list price of like $270, plus probably at least 2-3 hours labor...so you're looking at around $500 real quick for a bad resistor? The aftermarket fans run about $100.
Not exactly happy with that radiator/condenser plastic cover on the Cruze either, first vehicle I have every owned where you can't clean those fins from the top, have to remove the entire front end first. That distance between the condenser and the radiator can really accumulate the debris, seen some loaded with debris clear up to the top. That really can block airflow.
See a lot of stuff that says, do not remove the cover, no user replaceable parts inside. Key reason is they don't want you to see the crap that screwed you with.
Two ways to design a fan, good way is with a wound series field winding with taps on it, ha, even a cheap 20" three speed fan for 17 bucks was designed this way. The stronger the magnetic field of the field winding, the slower the fan will run.
Cheap way is to used a molded permanent magnet field with resistors in series for the two lower speeds, not nearly as efficient, and if the fan stalls for any reason, those resistors are the first to blow.
Many blower blower motors were designed this way, instead of using a large gauge of nichrome wire and more turns to get the resistance, use the thinnest gauge possible with the fewest number of turns. Some I have modified using the larger gauge wire, then they became problem free. Cheapest bronze bearings are used with no way to lubricate them.
Suspecting the Cruze radiator fan is this way, but won't know until I have reason to take it apart.
270 bucks for a fan that is not even as good as a 17 buck fan from Walmart is a bit out of line.
Sure was a problem in the late 70's with FWD coming out, engine driven fans were out, why can you put a right angle drive driven off the camshaft to run that fan? Too expensive, we are going electric. Worse case is in city traffic, engine RPM's are low, alternator output is extremely low, fan current is the highest. And wanted an alternator design, CS series to be exact, cheaper than the older 10SI series. Using more copper and steel would be the easy way, but way to expensive, so had to drive the pants off of it.
Cheapest solution was to install two fans inside of the alternator, you won't see these in older alternators or generators. And whenever there is a fan, is debris buildup, but this was not our problem, was the consumers. Condenser and radiator debris buildup hasn't been solved in the last hundred years, and still is our problem.
Don't blame engineers, either to it their way or won't have a job. I did get a patent on a voltage regulator that could operate up to 195*C without failure, SAE specs are 125*C. This made a lot of money for my company, my reward? I got to keep my job.
See a lot of stuff that says, do not remove the cover, no user replaceable parts inside. Key reason is they don't want you to see the crap that screwed you with.
Two ways to design a fan, good way is with a wound series field winding with taps on it, ha, even a cheap 20" three speed fan for 17 bucks was designed this way. The stronger the magnetic field of the field winding, the slower the fan will run.
Cheap way is to used a molded permanent magnet field with resistors in series for the two lower speeds, not nearly as efficient, and if the fan stalls for any reason, those resistors are the first to blow.
Many blower blower motors were designed this way, instead of using a large gauge of nichrome wire and more turns to get the resistance, use the thinnest gauge possible with the fewest number of turns. Some I have modified using the larger gauge wire, then they became problem free. Cheapest bronze bearings are used with no way to lubricate them.
Suspecting the Cruze radiator fan is this way, but won't know until I have reason to take it apart.
270 bucks for a fan that is not even as good as a 17 buck fan from Walmart is a bit out of line.
Sure was a problem in the late 70's with FWD coming out, engine driven fans were out, why can you put a right angle drive driven off the camshaft to run that fan? Too expensive, we are going electric. Worse case is in city traffic, engine RPM's are low, alternator output is extremely low, fan current is the highest. And wanted an alternator design, CS series to be exact, cheaper than the older 10SI series. Using more copper and steel would be the easy way, but way to expensive, so had to drive the pants off of it.
Cheapest solution was to install two fans inside of the alternator, you won't see these in older alternators or generators. And whenever there is a fan, is debris buildup, but this was not our problem, was the consumers. Condenser and radiator debris buildup hasn't been solved in the last hundred years, and still is our problem.
Don't blame engineers, either to it their way or won't have a job. I did get a patent on a voltage regulator that could operate up to 195*C without failure, SAE specs are 125*C. This made a lot of money for my company, my reward? I got to keep my job.
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