96 2.2 auto, cooling fan always on...how do i check the relay to find out if it's still good or not

If it's always on when the car is running, just leave it, it will just help cool the engine. But if it is on even when the car is not running, then just go buy a new relay and replace it.. I'm not sure how you would check a relay though.

your fan goes on when your a/c is on.



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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -

Okay first off why are you tossing parts at it? A relay isnt going to make it stay on, on a side note you check the resistance of the relay contacts.

Next a faulty ECT sensor ( tells the PCM to turn on the fan) that is reading to hot all the time wil cause the fan to stay on all the time.




- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new

If the PCM thinks the engine is running lean, it will kick the fan on. There's a pending P0171 lean code that will kick the fan on without turning the check engine light on (this is the problem my car is having... though intermittently). If I drive the car hard, the check engine light eventually comes on.

Have you checked for pending engine codes? Try autozone or someone with a scan tool.

John- thanks for the info, i've got a scan tool but there are no pending codes

and thanks to all the guys who r gonna say it kicks on with the a/c, i wasn't sure about that one

rob- who told you i was tossing parts at it...if the relay is faulty it will default to the on position for safety reasons and i don't know how to check if it's operating correctly...everything else works fine (ect, thermostat, a/c) got the gauges to prove it

You take a ohm meter, and check the resistance of the relay contacts. I dont know if these are typical Bosch 5 point relays so I'm not sure what contacts you need to touch.




- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new

better on 2 wheels wrote:and thanks to all the guys who r gonna say it kicks on with the a/c, i wasn't sure about that one

Yeah, when you put the A/C on, the fan comes on. It brings air across the condensor so it stays on all the time.

If it's been hot where you are and you've been running the A/C all the time and then noticed your fan is always on then that will explain it.

Back from the dead

Why is it my fan comes IMMEDIATELY on when I first start my car up after 1 or 2 days just sitting? Now thats weird. My car is pretty much stored for the winter and I start it every couple days... My fan kicks right on.. Why is that? Anybody know ?











~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ

It's bored from not being driven?




Sold 6/30/06.

Is your A/C on? Note that if you go to the front defrost mode, that uses the A/C.

No it wasnt on.. I had a CEL p0113... High IAT intake voltage.. I cleared that, the fan went off lol..











~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ