[kevster]

Hi all
I have tried doing a search for something about two speed fans for acc but can't find it now so I'm posting my own question.

I have ACC on my 9000 but the fan on the condenser/radiator is only single speed. The wiring is there for a three speed so I guess at some point the original fan has failed and the incorrect one has been put in.

I hadn't appreciated this may be a problem for my ACC until a recent post rang a bell....that my fan only runs when the engine is over-temp' and does not kick in to cool the air con' when stationary, resulting in ineffective cooling when stuck in traffic.

Am I right in thinking that the low speed fan should kick in when the car is slow/stationary to cool the condenser and that it can't do this with a single speed fan? I also seem to remember someone saying that they 'fudged' a two speed fan from their single speed plus a couple of parts from RS. If this is possible can you tell me what I need?

Sorry for repeating this subject but, as I say, I can't find the original post.

Thanks
Kev

 

[MikeH]

I thought it was me (again).I too was looking for I think the same post,in it someone gave a supplier and the values of the low speed resistor,the one on the fan cowl.Spent over an hour yesterday looking for the post without success.
Mike

 

[kevster]

That was the one Mike,as you say....a resistor added in there somewhere that was used to produce a low speed (presumably),a nd which could be by-passed for the high speed. Now jsut need to find it..

 

[StephenA]

Some 9000s only seem to have single speed fans.

My brothers J reg 2.3FPT with ACC has a single speed fan.

My P reg (2.0ECO) has a single stage fan.

My K reg 2.3FPT has a two speed fan - radiator wired to only use the slow speed with ACC apparently wired to the High speed control only (which might be why it blows up from time to time).

As the resistor slows the speed down then the single speed fans are, in effect, always running on high speed.

The fact that the wiring is there doesn't mean its ever been in there ... my P reg has all the extra sockets and stuff in the loom for the 2 speed fan but its never had one.

Steve

 

[djtaylor]

The high pressure switch for the a/c turns on the high speed function or on a single speed, the fan (period!).

T'was me that fudged the low speed function and the resistor that I used was a 0.22R 100W from RS Components.

I had been discussing it here too http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/viewtopi...t=30494&start=0

I can't link directly to the page at RS Components because you need to be logged in but that's free so once you've logged in, in the search field on the left just enter the word "ARCOL" and you'll see the range of high power resistors. I used a 100W one which is a little larger than the mountings suggesting that the Saab chosen one might be 75 or 50W (but that's why their's burn out and mine won't)

Incidentally, if you search here on "resistor" and my display name, you'll find the other discussions here.

David.

David.

 

[djtaylor]

Kevster, you need to get that fan sorted too because if the pressure rises and the fan doesn't cut in, there's a chance you'll "do the concorde" when the pressure relief vents all your refrigerant from the compressor.

HINT: It's the blue wire that corrodes it seems. If you do the searches here, you'll find a link I posted that gives a good wiring diagram.

David.

 

[Richard C2S]

Good evening. I'm brand new to this board and offer greetings from the US of A. I've had several SAABs over the years, dating back to 1976 when I purchased a 4 stroke 96 Deluxe (had a Triumph engine, I believe, and a tach - that made it deluxe!). After that a few 900 Turbos, an '87 9000T and since '92 a '92 9000T.

I've got the same questions and problem with the climate control system. My car does have a two speed fan and it seems that it is only coming on when the needle on the temp guage is well up in the green range, perhaps 80% of the way.

I understand that there is a switch in the radiator, I guess like a temperature sensor or sender, that is supposed to tell the fan when to turn on.

Any other suggestions of what to check?

Thanks very much in advance.

 

[djtaylor]

Do the search with the parameters as I suggested to kevster, its all here.

 

[kevster]

Hi David, and cheers

. The part number on RS is 188-059, does this look correct? That is one beefy resistor. Biggest I've used before is 2w.

So to clarrify a couple of things....do I add a three contact radiator switch and then join up all the in-place three-wire looms? And then allow the engine to warm up and have the low temp-live wire to connect through the resistor, and the high-temp live wire bypassing the resistor? Since all the three-wire stuff is in place am I likely to have the second relay already in place?

Having sorted this I believe I still have to locate the problem with the fan not coming on when the ACC is on. I'll check the blue wire but could it be that the currently-unconnected wire in the three wire looms is meant to switch the fan on for the ACC but that with only a sigle speed fan in place it simply isn't coming on (I see what every one is saying about it may never of had a two speed fan, but then again maybe it did?)?

Cheers
Kev

 

[kevster]

Wohhhh...I can't believe that this thing only costs a tad over £5. It is 47mm x 88mm and looks like some kind of flash power amp

 

[djtaylor]

kevster, yes that's the one I used. It's a little bigger than the standard Saab one, you'll only get one hole to fit the radiator mount unless you drill another hole in the resistor.

You'll have to add the high speed relay, if your car was like mine. I shouldn't get worried about what it's called, just see it as 2 relays, one does low, one does high. On a single speed, the "low" speed relay turns on the fan (on the only speed it does - high) so adding the other relay just gives you the "other" speed.

I didn't bother with a connector (couldn't be arsed to source one) so just soldered some juicy wire into place to connect up the other missing wire that is presented next to the existing connector. I'll take a pic later this evening if I remember.

You will also have to add the 2 temp switch to the radiator. I didn't as my goal was to pul the fan on low speed with the A/C compressor (non standard bodge).

As for cost, it's just a resistor in an alloy jacket but see the cost on eeurocar parts, $158 for the "Saab assembly". Want to place bets on just precisely how many resistors Saab manufacture themselves?

 

[MikeH]

Thanks David,searched for resistor but of course could not remember your name,cannot allways remember mine
mike

 

[kevster]

Originally posted by David Taylor:
[qb]You'll have to add the high speed relay, if your car was like mine.  I shouldn't get worried about what it's called, just see it as 2 relays, one does low, one does high.  On a single speed, the "low" speed relay turns on the fan (on the only speed it does - high) so adding the other relay just gives you the "other" speed. [/qb][/b]

I am wondering if I only have the high speed relay as my engine seems to get very hot before the fan kicks in...about 3/4 of the way up the range.

[qb]I'll take a pic later this evening if I remember.[/qb][/b]

That'd be great

[qb]You will also have to add the 2 temp switch to the radiator.  I didn't as my goal was to pul the fan on low speed with the A/C compressor (non standard bodge).[/qb][/b]

Ahhh..I already have a two-speed switch as a second hand radiator I bought had it on already

[qb]As for cost, it's just a resistor in an alloy jacket but see the cost on eeurocar parts, $158 for the "Saab assembly".  Want to place bets on just precisely how many resistors Saab manufacture themselves?       [/qb][/b]

I recon their acountants jsut looked at one and said 'wow, we can easily get away with charging 10x for that'

 

[djtaylor]

My fan only comes on at the upper end of the scale, that's what you get with the all or nothing fan it seems. Just take a quick look in the relay box to see what you have.

I went to an electrical auto factors to get a relay, cost me about £8 if I recall. It's not the same as the other relay, this one has a big tab and is single pole single throw, just 4 contacts. Shouldn't be a problem to source, might even be worth seeing what the Saab dealer quotes.

Here's the pic, as you can see I wasn't after any concourse awards, I just soldered on a couple of lengths of wire, bared the wires, soldered and then covered with insulation tape. In an ideal world I'd have used the proper connectors.

If you see the wiring diagram in the post I provided earlier, you'll pick up the correct wire, it was either green or white with green trace if I recall correctly. Simple enough to test, pop the relay in, ground either of the wires on the radiator switch and see which connector on the 3 pin socket provides 12V.

David.

 

[kevster]

Hi David
Thanks for the picture. I can see the additional live from the three-way cable for the new low-speed fan feed (top blue going into the resistor) but how are you getting htis into the fan? I think I can see where the blue comes out of the other end of the resistor, but it then appears to diappear into the two-pin connector. Is this spliced into the high-speed fan live? I've had a look at the wiring diagrams but it might take a bit more head-scrtching before I have orientated myself fully

BTW, were you comfortable sitting on the engine to take that picture?

 

[djtaylor]

Basically the 3 pin connectors provides, ground, and 2 12V sources, one is provided by the low speed relay and one via the high speed relay.

Simply, one goes straight to the green wire one the 2 pin connector (the black is the ground) and that's the single speed arrangement.

The second speed merely feeds from the 3 pin, through the resistor and then to the green wire on the 2 pin connector again. The reason why I went into the loom part and not the lead connecting direct to the fan was because there was more slack to allow me to bare the cable.

It's as simple as that.

As far as location, you'd be surprised the camera angles I can do!

 

[kevster]

. My resistor should arrive later today. I'll pop out and see if there is a second relay in the car

 

[djtaylor]

I bet there isn't...

 

[kevster]

Your right , oh well, long shot. So I need a relay. Does RS code 178-2012 look right? Or are there better places to ge them?

I had a qick look at the blue wire on my AC compressor (its a seiko) and it looks intact ...I'll have to do more snooping around at the weekend.

Bonus to popping out to look for the relay was seeing a lovely black 9000 aero go by...only the third I've seen in Dundee including mine and Gordy's (which prolly don't count as he was here visiting me). Sounded lovely, sort of burbbly. Guess it must of had a stainless exhaust???

 

[djtaylor]

No, try this puppy 349-2137

Price is ok but you might find one locally at an auto electrical outlet although when I dropped in and asked for a "relay" the chap looked at me with one of those wilting looks and said, "which one, we stock about 80!"

I said, "well it's got 4 pins, the power is on the front/back pair and the switching coil is the side pair and the back terminal is bigger than the rest."

He got out the book and we looked at it and within a couple of minutes it was in my hand. Can't give you a part number until later when I get home and read it off the relay.

Let me know if you need that.