Testing fan kit operation?

Let the bike idle for 5 to 7 minutes and it should come on.

Yes. Just cross the two connectors on the thermo switch while the bike is running and the fan will come on.

That sucks! It sounds like the thermo switch isn't working. You know, my fan hasn't come on yet either. I haven't gotten it really hot yet, but I wonder if my switch is working.....

MrX, the thermo switch is on the ground side of the circuit so there will not be any voltage on either wire of the sensor, when the bike gets hot the thermo switch closes the ground loop and then the fan should start. hope this helps.

MrX said:

rode some decent single track today- about maybe 10C outside and riding with another FE570. my fan was running everytime i shut the bike off- where as the other one had to be left idling for a while before it turned on- anyone ever heard of this?

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Look for a number stamped into the thermal switch, it should be 100. The old thermal switches were 85. Those are the numbers in Centigrade that the switch closes.

Okay, let's make sure we are comparing apples to apples. Are you or the other 570 running radiator guards? Or is there any other differences between the bikes.

My 09 570 has to idle for a while on the stand before the fan comes on. When the fan does come on it will run for a while, then it will shut off.

One problem I see is that you are running Engine Ice. I'm sorry but that stuff is junk. Tip the bottle onto one corner and look at all the white stuff that ends up in the corner. It is my understanding that is silica-not good for your shaft seals.

Engine Ice is propylene glycol, it does not exchange heat as well as Ethylene Glycol. E.G. it does the exact opposite of what it says it will do-make your bike run cooler.

I found this out years ago when I was on a trail ride in some tight stuff with about 10 other people, all the people who's bikes were boiling over had engine ice in them, including me. All the folks with plain old Prestone pre mixed 50/50 coolant never boiled over.

My advice, drain and flush your cooling system. Then put in Prestone 50/50 pre mixed coolant, and be sure to not over fill the system or it will push past the cap and the level will adjust itself as the fluid expands. When you fill the system leave the cap off and run the bike. You will see when the thermostat opens as there will be an increase in flow across the top of the right side radiator.

One last thing.....Radiator caps go bad. If boil overs persist get your cap tested, or just buy a new one.

Hope this helps,

P.S. I answered your pm, and sent you an email to the one you provided.

Bigblue said:

MrX, the thermo switch is on the ground side of the circuit so there will not be any voltage on either wire of the sensor, when the bike gets hot the thermo switch closes the ground loop and then the fan should start. hope this helps.

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Yes the Thermo Switch is on the ground side, but with the engine running you will still see 12Volt on one of the Thermo Switch Connectors as long as the Thermo Switch is under 100Degrees Celsius (ie. the Thermo Switch is off). The 12Volt comes from the Power Relay which is only on when the engine is running, then Fuse 2, then the diode, then a second in-line Fuse, then through the Fan and then the Thermo Switch.

I would start at the Thermo Switch, and identify which wire is Earth and which wire is from the Power side. Check the Earth is good using a test light. Then chase the wiring for the 12V side. You should be able to pick the faulty component. It can only be the Fan, or the 2 x Fuses in the circuit, or the diode or the wiring. You can short the Diode out to test that out (Don't short the diode out and go riding as it is there for some reason to do with the fan free spinning in the wind when not ).

I actually just replaced my Thermo Switch as it was faulty. My fault problem was it was short circuit and the fan was on all the time when the engine was running.

The Diode is there to keep the fan from pushing current back into the "system" when it windmills as you are riding. It is a DC motor with a winding, and permanent magnets, so when it windmills it acts like a generator.

Hi Dale, this windmilling effect you described can only happen when the Thermo Switch is closed. Otherwise the Fan free spinning can't push current anywhere because it is not grounded.
So, how much wind would you need to spin the Fan even faster than it is already spinning when the Thermo Switch is closed? Then what current would you get? It would be bugger all and not enough to do anything to the system in my humble opinion.

Maybe it is to stop wear on the Fan Brushes if the windmilling effect starts to happen?

I reckon even Bushies mighty 7hungie would have trouble generating enough current to ignite a fart from a Fan that small working as a wind generator. Especially with the way his supension is set up and the cam he is running :lol: (Only joking Bushie :lol: )

MrX said:

so i got my fan kit all installed and everything went smooth, now i want to make sure it operates as it should but i cant seem to get the fan to come on- ideas?

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I always make it a practice to check the on/off temp of my thermo-sensors with the sensor in a pan of hot water over a stove with a thermometer along with a volt meter attached to the sensor leads. Sometimes the actual temps match the markings on the sensor and sometimes they don't.