Hi all

My 2008 S40 has 49000 Km (or approx 30K miles) on it. Been a reader for over a year now (since I bought my S40 used last year) and would thank all who contribute. I am in Qatar for work, and hate the stealerships here. So far I have stayed away from the sole Volvo stealer here while I did the transmission fluid change (drain & fill x2) and passenger side motor mount. I have got the following lined up: driver's side mount (hydraulic - got it from Tasca few weeks ago), torque mount, cabin filter.

Last week, the car AC started blowing hot air as I parked the car. Later, while driving on the highway, the AC seemed to be working fine. It turned out that the radiator/condenser cooling fan is not working, and the car starts heating up with or without AC on (it's 40C here) when idling or in traffic.

I searched the web and the forums and could only find a guide for the older generation of S40 where the relay was mounted just below the radiator cover on the front bumper. I believe I can't even access or remove the fan assembly without removing the front bumper on my car.

I did however test the following with a multimeter:

- Cooling fan fuse / breaker (No. 1 on right side of the fusebox rated at 50A). Visually it didn't seem blown up, and I could detect a small amount of current between the ends.
- Disconnected the cooling fan plug / connector and tested the female connector (cable coming in from the fusebox) and it showed approx 12.5 volts.
- Tested the male connector (connected to the fan assembly) for current, and it showed a very small amount of current (cant remember how much). Not sure what that indicates. Perhaps that everything except the motor is fine (please correct me if I am wrong).

I also have DiCE (thanks to Aliexpress) that I hooked up to my VIDA running laptop, and it indicated a cooling fan (FC) issue (I will post the actual code when I get home). I tried activating the fan manually through VIDA but it didn't turn on. I also tried running jump wires from the battery to the male connector of the fan assembly, but that also didn't do anything.

Would I be correct to assume that I need to replace the fan (or there's some relay that I missed out)? If yes, should I buy the complete fan assembly or only a fan / motor (if that's available somewhere)?

If I go the complete assembly route, I'd probably order the TYC or Dorman fan from Amazon.com shipped here (Qatar) - reviews for either? I am inclined to buy TYC because: 1. it's a lot cheaper shipped than Dorman, 2. apparently, it's made in Taiwan and I read some favorable reviews for them, albeit on non-Volvo forums. Local stealership wants almost $700 for the fan alone, labor not included, and no other OEM/aftermarket products available in the local market. BTW I'd be doing the replacement myself (will turn to VIDA and the forum for guidance).

Is there anything I should try before ordering the fan?

Appreciate your feedback.

Thanks.

 

Never had this issue so no direct experience to help. You seem to have covered all the bases though.

When you said you tried to hook the fan directly to the battery and it would not work that told me the fan motor itself is bad. Is there any shops that do electric motor repair? Any hobbyists?

What brings you to Qatar if I may ask? (I'm in Shanghai working a contract airline job)