I searched, and everyone's issue seems to be exclusive to their own circumstances, so here we go:

Neither of my radiator fans ever turn on.

The car only runs normal when I'm on a highway at a higher, consistent speed. (heat blows hot and is at a normal operating temp).

At idle, after the motor is fully warmed up, the needle begins to slowly creep past the center line, and my heat turns cold.

The problem wasn't as bad until I changed my thermostat a few months ago, and it just seemed to overheat at idle at a much quicker rate after I changed it.

No, I did not flush the coolant when I changed the thermostat, I just added the approximate amount of coolant I lost when changing the thermostat. Would that cause this issue though? I don't see any coolant leaks.

Is all this just symptoms of my fan not working? The fuse is fine and it's wired correctly..

Any useful input would be appreciated. Thanks

 

Had this same problem with my old GSR, turned out to be the fan switch. Try to jump the fans, if they come on it's the switch. It's mounted onto the thermostat housing. I replaced mine with OEM, it was an inexpensive fix. Good luck!

EDIT: If you have a DVOM, you might want to tap into the fan switch connector with a t-pin and make sure it's getting voltage.

Also have you done anything to the car recently, modification wise or fixed something else? Or did this literally start happening out of nowhere?

 

check to make sure your fan switch is actually bad, and not just a problem with the wiring or the fans themselves. and did you bleed the system after changing the thermostat or just refill it?

 

Youll want to do a proper flush either way.

I had a cracked radiator that led to overheating but sounds like its your fan switch (or fan itself) if they never kick on. How long have you been dealing with this?

 

well first of all does the fan kick on when overheating in idle?
2nd bleed coolant until fan kicks on then go inside turn heat on blast to get rid of air lock

 

Completely rebuilt the motor before the summer. It started overheating at idle just after the summer, but it would take it a lot longer to start overheating than it does now.

Just refilled, never bled or flushed.

It's hasn't been normal for a while now, just started getting to the point though where it actually overheats while I'm basically driving rather than just idling for a while.

The fan never, ever comes on.

Do you mean bleed all the coolant out and see if the fan comes on?

 

I have to look up how to actually flush the system and how to find out if there is some kind of electrical issue with the fan.

Maybe a good start will be to just replace the fan switch.

 

Before you guess anything else, fix your "fan never on" problem first. (Shaking head)

 

Like others have said, get the fans fixed.. Your car will run ok driving on the freeway without fans because it is getting good airflow to the radiator.. At idle sitting at a light there is no air forcing its way into the radiator which is why you temps creep up.. Normally once the car hits about 198 degrees the fan kicks on until it can get your car back under the 198..

It doesn't really sound like you have an air bubble in your system but two things a bad fan switch or a bad fan motor, I have had both happen to me.

Before you go buy a new fan switch test your fans first, if both of them work with the test, next step would be fan switch..

 

The fan must be fixed. If you can't afford a fan switch for a proper fix, you need to hook the fans up to a switch inside the car; so when you see the temperature going up (~40mph and below), you can kick the fan on manually.
Also, you should ALWAYS bleed your coolant after doing any work that involves loss of radiator fluid.

 

Ive had a fan motor go bad as well.

 

Thanks guys. I'd rather spend the money on a new switch than start to mess with the fan wiring. No sense in hacking something together rather than spending $40.

Anyone have the part number for the fan switch?

 

Had the Same problem on my 94 LS. In my situation i jumped the fans but even then it was still overheating. so i took the thermostat off and just drove it like that. (Only until my thermostat got in, it was in the summer time so it wasnt bad). After i took the thermostat off it was working perfectly fine, no overheating and the fans turned on regurlarly. I only drove it for a week because i got rid of the car. but even after i sold it, the car was driving fine until the guy totaled it. Maybe your thermostat is difective? Best of luck!

 

My thermostat is aftermarket so I suppose that could be the issue. When my heat actually works though it blows nice and hot. My heat just doesn't work at idle.

How do you jump the fans?

 

Figured out how to test the fans. If the fan works I'm just going to replace the fan switch, and replace the aftermarket thermostat with OEM, flush the coolant, and go from there.

 

Ok so I tested the fan motor and it works, fan came on. Replaced the fan switch and the fan relay under the hood, and the fan still does not come on. I am at a dead end.

 

Im sticking to the thermostat. You even noticed it got worse after you changed it. Seems to be defective.

 

Thermostats fail open, he would notice the motor never reaching operating temp if that was the case. Might be a ground wire? Something electrical I would assume if fans still arent running and you replaced all that.

 

hmmmm.... But holding open would raise temps no?

I would get that thermostat outta there.

 

To replace with an OEM thermostat is $17 from Honda so it's worth doing to rule it out. I'll order tomorrow and install it Thursday.

Does anybody know if the cooling fan ever runs after you turn the car off?

 

Thanks for the responses so far guys, I really appreciate all your help.

 

Not at all they can get stuck shut too... happened to me. I went through just about every option possible. Took the thermostat out and it would raise to regular temps and wouldnt pass it.

 

Unplug the thermo switch at the thermostat housing and jumper it with a paper clip. If the fans do not come on then you have a wiring, relay or fan motor fault.

 

It would be dumping coolant through constantly while open so the motor will never reach proper operating temps.

 

Before you go any farther please bleed your coolant system. i mean really. your spending money to replace parts and you havnt even bled your coolant system. you loose a decent amounth when changing thermostat and your bound to have air in there.