Hi,
I have a 1996 Volvo 850 and recently found out I am in need of a new radiator fan after my car overheated while I was parked the other day. My uncle has a 1992 Volvo 940GL which he is getting rid of for various reasons but in which the radiator fan still works fine. Would that fan fit into my new car?

The part costs about 175/200 at most places I have looked. While I will spend the money if I have to, it would be much easier on me to use my uncle's as I am still in school.

My uncle also mentioned the possibility that an OEM from a Toyota is compatible with older Volvo's. Has anyone heard of this or know anything about it?

Any help would be appreciated, including any tips on the installation. It seems to be a fairly simple job.

Thank you.

 

Hi and welcome to the site.

First off, if your car overheated, chances are, you will need more than a fan.

If the part numbers are the same, go for it. Other than that, if you are tight on money, visit a local junk yard and get a fan specific to your car from there.

Are you sure the fan is bad? Maybe you have another issue stopping the fan from coming on.

Try not to let your car sit idle. Volvo advises against this.

How is your coolant system?

 

Hi!

I am a new Volvo owner, just bought mine roughly 3 months ago and haven't had any problems. Got the car checked out and was told it was in great shape, the only thing that will need to be done soon is the struts as they are the originals.

The parts are not compatible. I went to a local junkyard and got the part for only 35 bucks. I will be putting it in tomorrow.

The car was idling in park when it overheated, wont be making that mistake again! I will admit that I am not very experienced with cars in general, but I am a quick learner and my friend is more experienced. We checked the radiator and hoses - no holes or leaks. Drove it around the block a few times, didn't overheat again. We were going to change the thermostat first since it is the cheapest fix and it didn't appear to be the radiator or head gasket (thank god). My friend recommended checking the fan again so we let the car idle to check if it would turn on. The fan did go on, however it made a loud screeching and grating sound and didn't appear to really be going. The relay and thermostat appear to be fine, fingers crossed. We are going to change the radiator fan tomorrow and see if that solves the problem. It has only overheated that one time and I haven't had any problems with the coolant system previously. Although the AC doesn't work - but I am used to not having AC and don't think this is related?

Does that sound like it could just be the fan or is there something else you would suggest checking?

Thanks

 

A bad fan sounds reasonable.

Here is my concern... did the car overheat to the point that it damaged the motor? What happened to make you know it overheated? Was it spraying coolant from somewhere? Did you see the needle hit the red? Was the needle ALL the way up?

The car should run at 198 degrees, when sitting around, idle, it will get hotter because there is no air flowing over the radiator. When the coolant temp reaches 216 degrees, the fan should come on and stay on until the temp cools to 204 degrees.

Now, water boils at about 230 degrees, coolant will boil at about 260 degrees and coolant under pressure, like in these cars, will boil at 275 degrees. At some point, the head will start warping and blow the head gasket. The head warps and the gasket no longer make a good seal. When the seal is compromised, one of 3 things will happen: 1. Coolant will mix with oil; 2. Oil will mix with coolant; 3. Combustion air will escape the combustion chamber and force combustion air into the coolant chamber, which will force the coolant out of the motor and cause a leak which will cause another overheat.

Crazy thing is, #3 usually happens to these cars. So, my suggestion to you is to do the following test:
1. When the car is COLD, before you start it in the morning, make sure the coolant level in the coolant reservoir is between the min and max mark.
2. Start the car and drive it at least 10 minutes. Then drive down a highway or some road for 5 more minutes that you do not have to stop on. Then pull over and check the bottle level to make sure it hasn't risen. If the level is raising, you likely have a breach in the head gasket.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0krQR2MVTA

 

Thanks for the video link - it was very informative. That guy is awesome - I have actually watched his videos before in order to find out how to fix my odometer.

The car was in park and when I looked up the needle was all the way up. I do not know if it was in the red or close to it because I immediately turned the car off. I sat there for about an hour and a half waiting for AAA to tow me and kept checking the needle which gradually went all the way down. My coolant was completely gone. I am hoping that I shut the car off soon enough that I did not cause any damage to the head gasket. If there is head gasket damage then I will most likely have to total the car. After installing the fan, I will do as you suggested and will let you know the results. The installation looks to be a simple job so I am hoping everything goes as it should.

Thanks so much.

 

The AC and coolant system are independent of each other. One having nothing to do with the other.

If the coolant was GONE, that would be your primary issue. You need to find the leak. The reservoir cap should NEVER be removed with the car hot or warm. So service it when cold and hopefully you purchased a Volvo or Whaler thermostat. It has a bleeder valve and allows for easy fill of the system.

Primary sources of coolant leaks are: heater core, coolant bottle (cracks), coolant hoses on the turbo (for turbo cars), coolant hoses and heater core firewall coupling. If the heater core is leaking, you can usually smell the coolant inside the car and you can find wetness under the carpet on the drivers side.

Coolant leak prevention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1OlrdloSzo

Heater core info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he1FS-y-RQE
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdKzDfvOoQA