13 replies to this topic

[Carlsmini]

Hey people.
I own a mainstream cooper and it has an extra fan in left wheel arch. I have the connector loose in the engine bay because i no longer have the switch.
I wish to use this fan again but im unsure how to go about wiring it back together. Do i need a relay and or fuse?
I have a green/black wire and orange/black wire.
We have taken a live off of the fuse box and connected it to the orange/black wire and the fan worked when the ignition is turned on but the green wire doesnt do anything.
I want to have a switch to the right side of the steering wheel so i can turn the external fan on or off?

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Carlsmini]

Sorry for the essay lol

[KernowCooper]

The fan would have had a thermo switch which were usually plummed into the top hose either a Kenlow copper bulb inside the hose or an adaptor alloy  adaptor you cut the hose and slipped it in this then worked a relay to auto come on/off.

 

In your case use a relay with the feed off the main 12v supply on the solenoid which you can fuse and then onto the fan, then your ignition fed via a switch 12v supply brings in the relay.

[Yoda]

You have a 91 cooper. all you need to do is wire a switch on to the original connector that was on the original switch that was on the bottom front of the original radiator.

 

Pop round and i will take a look.

 

All you will be doing is replacing the thermo switch with a manual switch.

[KernowCooper]

To modern for me all these cars with the thermo switch in the lower rad tank lol

[Yoda]

Too modern for me too Kerncooper, but the next year they stuffed an EMU under the bonnet, or was it an ECU, or KFC, Or MTV. Whatever it was it was a mystery to me for a while. I eventually found out how to fix em though. Take it off and fit a good old carby on like it should be LOL

 

 

Oh, I just noticed your Cornish, we must be similar then i am Man of Kent. Master of the Universe!

Edited by Yoda, 16 June 2013 - 06:37 PM.

[Carlsmini]

[Carlsmini]

The fan would have had a thermo switch which were usually plummed into the top hose either a Kenlow copper bulb inside the hose or an adaptor alloy  adaptor you cut the hose and slipped it in this then worked a relay to auto come on/off.
 
In your case use a relay with the feed off the main 12v supply on the solenoid which you can fuse and then onto the fan, then your ignition fed via a switch 12v supply brings in the relay.

Thanks for your reply kernowCooper. There must be a relay in the circuit already but we couldnt we it. I think I know what you mean. We have been searching through Haynes to see if we could find a wiring diagram.

You have a 91 cooper. all you need to do is wire a switch on to the original connector that was on the original switch that was on the bottom front of the original radiator.
 
Pop round and i will take a look.
 
All you will be doing is replacing the thermo switch with a manual switch.

thanks Colin. My radiator has been changed so I no longer have the connector on the radiator so was hoping to wire it in permanent live to a switch inside the car. I might pop round soon for you to have a look. I need to get a switch for it so hoping there might be a few bits and pieces down Brands.

[Carlsmini]

Too modern for me too Kerncooper, but the next year they stuffed an EMU under the bonnet, or was it an ECU, or KFC, Or MTV. Whatever it was it was a mystery to me for a while. I eventually found out how to fix em though. Take it off and fit a good old carby on like it should be LOL

Lol yh it was an ECU that was put in 93 cars. Heard they are a nightmare and expensive to change. My friends mini is currently over reving due to the ECU.
 

 
Oh, I just noticed your Cornish, we must be similar then i am Man of Kent. Master of the Universe!

Also, you're completely nutty Yoda LOL

Edited by Carlsmini, 16 June 2013 - 07:40 PM.

[Yoda]

Ok, well the wiring in your picture is the two wires that go to the fan. In theory, one connects to the live side of the fan and the other is earth for the fan, but if the fan runs by connecting just the black/orange, all you need to do is take a live feed through a fuse (prob 10 amp) and then run through a switch to the wire that makes the fan run. the live feed can be taken from the switched live on your fusebox that is fed by a fat white wire so it is ignition controlled. As you have a non standard fusebox you will have to identify the wire yourself. Then just make sure the fan pulls air through the rad and not the other way.otherwise you will need to reverse the polarity. I will double check when i get a chance to get under Yoda's bonnet to confirm.

 

I would have thought that the original wiring was intact even though the rad was changed.

[Carlsmini]

Ok, well the wiring in your picture is the two wires that go to the fan. In theory, one connects to the live side of the fan and the other is earth for the fan, but if the fan runs by connecting just the black/orange, all you need to do is take a live feed through a fuse (prob 10 amp) and then run through a switch to the wire that makes the fan run. the live feed can be taken from the switched live on your fusebox that is fed by a fat white wire so it is ignition controlled. As you have a non standard fusebox you will have to identify the wire yourself. Then just make sure the fan pulls air through the rad and not the other way.otherwise you will need to reverse the polarity. I will double check when i get a chance to get under Yoda's bonnet to confirm.
 
I would have thought that the original wiring was intact even though the rad was changed.

Ah I misunderstood what you were saying before sorry. Yh all the original wiring is still intact. I have found the switched live on fusebox already as got a 12v socket wired to it. So the fan has got to suck air through the wheel arch and blow onto the rad?

[Yoda]

No, it draws air through from the rad and blows it out under the wing.

 

If all the wiring is intact, you just need to bridge the plug that was on the rad sender with a pair of wires extended up into switch in the dash area. This is how ours is done.

 

As you have cut off the plug/socket going to the fan, you will also need to refit that and reconnect it to the loom.

Edited by Yoda, 17 June 2013 - 10:03 AM.

[Carlsmini]

No, it draws air through from the rad and blows it out under the wing.
 
If all the wiring is intact, you just need to bridge the plug that was on the rad sender with a pair of wires extended up into switch in the dash area. This is how ours is done.
 
As you have cut off the plug/socket going to the fan, you will also need to refit that and reconnect it to the loom.

Oh ok. That plug socket wasnt connected to anything. I have still got it so can reconnect the wires to plug if needed. I'm assuming that plug socket connected to the original rad? Where abouts is the rad sender?

[Yoda]

the plug you cut off should go into a another nearby fed from the rad switch. this would have been down behind the grill at the bottom of the rad. Your best bet i suppose if you cant find it is to do as you were going to. Take a ign controlled live from the fuse box and run to a switch on your dash and then down to the fan. the other side of the fan should need to be earthed.