Is there a way to test if the radiator fan is working and also the fan relay? its an 01 civic. Does the ac fan come on right away when you start the car(this one doesnt but my 95 does)?

 

The A/C fans AND the radiator fan will engage when you turn on the A/C OR when the coolant temperature reaches approximately 196 degrees(I think). When you first start the car, They should not come on.

 

yes i meant to say that when i start the car and have the ac on the ac fan doesnt turn on. does this mean that the relay is bad?

 

Is it the AC condenser fan, or the Radiator cooling fan? First you said radiator, now you say AC. Are you sure which is which? The radiator fan is closest to the battery.


The AC fan doesn't run constantly, it switches on and off. Does it never come on, even after the car has been running?

It's possible the relay is bad. It is located in the under-hood fuse panel. Remove the fuse panel cover. There are three relays lined up from top-to-bottom on the passenger side of the fuse panel. You will be testing the one on the bottom, closest to the battery. Number the terminals in a clockwise pattern, starting at the bottom-left corner.
1. bottom left, 2. top left, 3. top right, 4. bottom right.

Check for continuity between the terminals. There should be continuity between terminals #1 and #2 when power and ground are connected to terminals #3 and #4.
There should be No continuity between #1 and #2 when the power is disconnected.

 

OK, so what does it mean when my radiator fan comes on right when I start the engine?

Thanks!

 

It can mean that your temp sensor is bad....sending "hot" signal to your computer when in fact the rad is not hot. Thats the first thing Id check, and easiest. You can yank it and test it with voltmeter and pot of boiling water......

resistivity ranges can be found easily (dont have them quite handy now).....