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Running 230+ no efan?

Adamerlock

NAXJA Forum User
Having an issue with my 95 where I have terrible cooling in traffic. Got stuck in stop and go for about 20 minutes Friday and I was 230 pushing 240. I can hear a fan running hard but not sure if it’s the mech fan going full speed or the efan kicking on. If the efan does turn on its turning on too late maybe around 225-230. Replaced temp sensors during the summer and checked the resistance on the sensor which looked correct.
 
The E fan is a supplement to the mechanical fan, if the clutch is bad on the mechanical fan it may not be able to push enough air even with the E fan running to do the job.
Side note I put a smoker in front of the E fan (mine is on a switch) and some air was pushed out the mechanical fan side. I had a really bad clutch. The engine compartment on the XJ doesn't flow air well in the proper direction. Sitting in traffic worsens the airflow as there is no low pressure under the Jeep that you have while moving.
It may also be a combination of things, the radiator may be partially plugged with lime from using tap water to fill the radiator. I always fill or top off with distilled water.
Your dash gauge can't be relied upon to give an accurate reading. My E fan turned on around 220.
What you have to be careful of is that the coolant doesn't boil, not enough pressure (bad radiator cap) or a weak coolant mix can cause it to boil at a lower temperature. Once it boils it messes with circulation and the temperatures can run way high quickly. A 50/50 antifreeze mix will raise the boiling point around 10 F and 11 PSI of pressure will raise to 250 F.
But...... where the engine temp is measured isn't the hottest spot in the motor, it's the average temp of the coolant leaving the motor. Not a lot you can do about that. Some people increase the size of the radiator so the coolant going into the motor is cooler.
I've had more than a few thermostat failures.
Too much info :) point is it may not be an easy fix. My solution was to put in a relay kit with a switch so I could turn the E fan on early when extended idling or in a traffic jam.
 
So I’ve check cap before and seems ok. Rad is somewhat gummed but was ok in the summer (drove it in the city 100 deg running mid 220s) will look into the relay kit and replacing the clutch
 
So I’ve check cap before and seems ok. Rad is somewhat gummed but was ok in the summer (drove it in the city 100 deg running mid 220s) will look into the relay kit and replacing the clutch
Search fan clutch in the forums and see what they recommend. Where I live the selection is limited. I bought a crown HD clutch and it was great for about half a year, then at a year old it was shot.
 
So I’ve check cap before and seems ok. Rad is somewhat gummed but was ok in the summer (drove it in the city 100 deg running mid 220s) will look into the relay kit and replacing the clutch

If your cap is 5 years old, I'd replace it. I'd probably do a flush. Change hoses and cap. I might think about having the system pressure tested. Possibly the freeze plugs are bad. Also, I like to use the MOPAR clutch fans. They are a bit thinner. That helps if you want to go with a ticker radiator.
The later E-Fans, say 97 and up, have better blades and flow more air.
If yours in and Auto trans, I'd think about running a trans cooler. There is a recent thread on them.
 
I flushed over the summer aswell, it will need a new rad eventually but should still be doing better than it is. Will ad cap to the list and look for a better efan from the newer jeeps. Thanks for the info, have a lot more to work with now
 
Did you replace the water pump? I had a Dodge Neon I bought off a neighbor. It was poorly maintained, not by him. It would over heat when it got to operating temps. I took off the water pump to replace it. The impellor would spin on the shaft. Are you loosing any coolant?
 
For those considering a new radiator cap, Jeep used two different pressure configurations. '91-'95 specified a 13 psi "non-vented" cap which is actually a vented cap, but requires a few psi of vacuum to activate the vent to suck coolant from the reservoir. '96 onward specifies a 16 psi vented cap which will pull coolant from the reservoir as soon as there is any vacuum in the cooling system.
 
Does your A/C work? I noticed in the past that when I had no pressure in the A/C system the e-fan got a bit confused about when it should come on. The quick and dirty solution if thats the case is to unplug the compressor. That also gives you the ability to use turning on the a/c as a way to turn on the e-fan.
 
Never had that issue, the a/c's not worked on any of XJ's but the e-fans have always come on as soon as the needle on the temp gauge moved a hair's breadth past 212*

Dunno about WP impellors coming loose on the spindle, but I had one that rusted away; so it turned, no untoward noises, didn't leak - but did absolutely nothing!
 
Never had that issue, the a/c's not worked on any of XJ's but the e-fans have always come on as soon as the needle on the temp gauge moved a hair's breadth past 212*

Dunno about WP impellors coming loose on the spindle, but I had one that rusted away; so it turned, no untoward noises, didn't leak - but did absolutely nothing!

Both my XJ electric fan come on upward of 220* verified. They were 1994 and 1996. Both very different animals in terms of their behavior.
 
Both my XJ electric fan come on upward of 220* verified. They were 1994 and 1996. Both very different animals in terms of their behavior.

As my '96 & '99 have no mech fan & the '98's got no shroud, I'm quite glad the e-fans cut in earlier. In fact (other than in overheating situations) I don't think they've ever got that hot, but difficult to tell as have metric gauges, with only a 100* marking & few graduations.
 
Also remember on your 95 the gauge sensor is at the back of the head and the fan temperature sensor is at the front.

Does that mean the fan might be coming on at at a different temp. to the one showing on the gauge?

If it does, I could use the redundant one at the back (as head is now on a '99) for a fan sensor for a 2nd e-fan, which would cut in at a different time - or am I missing something here?
 
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