Electric Fans from a '00 Taurus

So, I snagged a pair of them from the local JY ($33 for both) and have a question as to the wiring. Everything I have read says three wires (check) one is the Ground (check again) one for high speed (uh, no) and the other for low speed (again, no). Interestingly, both the left and right fans are two speed. Most accounts say that only one is two speed, the other single.

What these fans have are as follows:
The black lead is ground. Either of the two leads (red w/ orange tracer, grey w/ red tracer) will give low speed. It is only when both leads are powered do you get high speed.

Anyone out there that can confirm the Ford wiring? I have been just amazingly unsuccessful in finding a schematic online.

Okay step back. 3rd and 4th gen taurus use two fans instead of the single large fan that was used on some of the earlier models. Each of the small fans use a single winding on the fan motor, and as you have already determined, the two "hot" wires both go to the same motor input and give the same speed.

Instead of using two windings on the motor, these cars use different inputs in the harness to control the fan speed. Specifically the 3rd gen uses a "low speed" circuit in the harness with an inline resistor that drops the 12v down to something like 9v (don't remember the exact voltage), and the PCM switches between the circuits based on engine temperature. On the 4th gen there is actually only one hot wire into the fan motors, and the PCM uses pulse-width modulation (PMW) to bump the fan motor faster or slower--it's all done by the computer and there's just one circuit into the fan motors.

I found some of this info on the Taurus Club forums but most of it came from schematics in the Snap-On manuals (basically the FSMs).

I am using one of these fans in my dual-electric setup link. They are pretty good fans.

Thanks for your response. I hear you.

I did indeed pull two fans off the vehicle. Held in with one bolt each, easy peasy

Thing is, if I power both leads, the fan speeds up. The PDC was not labled for function, just fuse amperage. Highest rated fuse was 30 Amp. So I guess I can do the math to calculate a dropping resistor. The wattage will be intense. Mayhap I should make a return trip to the yard and look for the Ford part.

o-gauge-steamer said:

Thing is, if I power both leads, the fan speeds up.

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You're getting more wire surface, allowing more amperage to be drawn by the motor. Check your wiring for ohms resistance. When I use heavy-gauge wire on my setup, the fan speed stays the same with one or both pins connected.

I guess I can do the math to calculate a dropping resistor. The wattage will be intense. Mayhap I should make a return trip to the yard and look for the Ford part.

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On the 3rd gen they are behind the front right fender, where the skirt meets the bumper. I saw one on ebay once it's a big ceramic thing. You could probably get the part number from Ford and maybe determine the resistance from that. Once I get my supplemental PDC setup I am planning to use the ballast resister that came stock on the XJ.