Ok, so I finally hunted down what was making my car run hot, and it wasn't even related to the cooling system. I was trying to use an OEM ECT sending unit to talk to my autometer temp gauge, which won't work, and makes the gauge read 270* when really it's only 180*. Got the proper sending unit, all is good.

Now, I still having some problems with my fans. With the ECT switch I'm running my fans should come on at 160*, but they don't. In fact they don't come on period. Coolant temps haven't gone higher than 195* indicated, so the car isn't overheating, but the fans aren't coming on.

The FSM doesn't give much trouble-shooting help with this, and I'm driving myself crazy trying to figure it out. Could it just be that the since it's cool enough outside right now (mid 40's) the temps that the ECT switch are seeing for the coolant coming from the radiator are below 160*? Basically the cool ambient air alone is enough to cool the coolant in the radiator? The ECT sending unit and ECT switch are in different enough spots to make that seem like a logical explanation.

I'm gonna swap in a stock ECT switch and see if maybe my 160* ECT switch is broken. Also, maybe I should swap in a new ECT sensor?

 

Maybe you're just a big homo.

 

seriously, this is making me crazy not being able to figure out the problem. I'm gonna take the wiring schematics to Bud and he's gonna take a look and see if something isn't wired right.

It's great when your g/f's dad is an Electrical Engineer by trade

 

I thought my switch was bad in the CRX until I was told to close the hood and let the car idle for 30 minutes-guess what the fans came on. Just something to consider. You can test the switch by heating a pot of water and using a thermometer get the temp that is called for to open the sensor-put sensor in the water with an Ohmmeter on its terminals (keeep them dry <G&gt and see when it closes.

 

Yeah, when it's cool out like this I don't know that my fan comes on at all, and I have the dinky civic radiator.

 

well, I think my 160* fan switch went bad. I shorted the ECT switch just to make sure the fans work, and they do. I went ahead and swapped the stocker back in.

I'm going to go ahead and wire up a manual override switch anyway.