# Electric fan hard wiring. does jeep run too hot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [August 13, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569 "2014-08-13T03:48:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/1 "2014-08-13T03:48:30Z")
my jeep has a continuous fan and an electric fan. the electric fan is not working, and has not worked. it seems to be wired into the harness, but the radiator was taken from a newer Cherokee so im not sure. my son believes that it is the temp sensor that is screwed into the radiator that has failed. if that is not the case, would it be ok to wire it so that it came on when the car started and ran continuously? my jeep runs at a fairly high temp but does not overheat. it gets to about 210-215 then the t stat opens and it runs at 180- 190 or so. at 210-215 the needle is about straight up, or halfway. my red line is at about 240. its hard to tell because the gauge has 4 sections like a gas gauge but the numbers don’t line up in a evenly divided manner. all the way left is 100. str. up, or halfway is 210. all the way right is 260. the red line starts at a little past the 3/4 mark is this too hot? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/2 "2014-08-13T04:07:03Z")
The electric fan is there when the AC is turned on. As long as the temp gauge doesn’t go into the red zone, the engine isn’t overheating. Tester ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/3 "2014-08-13T04:11:17Z")
ah, that makes sense. my ac does not work, but I wonder if the fan would come on if I turn it on? I need to check that. I was told it needed a recharge when I bought it but never bothered to check. I m not a fan of ac unless its over 92-93 F ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/4 "2014-08-13T04:19:45Z")
I m used to my fords where the temp stays below 1/4 of the gauges range ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/5 "2014-08-13T04:40:15Z")
The early 90s Cherokees often ran marginally hot when idling in hot (90\*+) weather. If there was a long delay such as waiting for a long train I made it a habit to shift to neutral and race the engine to 1500rpm. That kept the gauge left of center and the AC blowing cool. The radiator is about 3 feet wide but only 1 foot tall with a minimal core depth. I have seen them heat up in heavy traffic and blow a tank off. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/6 "2014-08-13T04:49:58Z")
if im not mistaken, there is a temp sensor from the fan to the radiator. the temp is fairly consistent even in hot weather. but I don t run the ac, as it does not work anyway ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/7 "2014-08-13T04:51:36Z")
i guess my fan would spin faster at higher idle rod, that s a good tip. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/8 "2014-08-13T04:54:40Z")
i should clean my fins to remove oxidation. when i did heating and air work after high school we could get 8 degree cooler air from window units simply by acid washing the aluminium fins ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/9 "2014-08-13T04:55:55Z")
by the way, the coolant leak seems to have miraculously disappeared… ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/10 "2014-08-13T05:05:26Z")
“I m used to my fords where the temp stays below 1/4 of the gauges range” Sounds like those Fords might have a stuck open thermostat Here’s something funny . . . A guy a work with . . . not a mechanic, by the way . . . recently had a check engine light come on, due to P0128. His thermostat was stuck open. After replacing it, he was concerned, because the needle was now at about the 1/2 mark, and before it had been at around the 1/4 mark. I explained that his old thermostat was stuck open, and that his engine was now getting up to normal operating temperature, unlike before. But he was unhappy that the needles was at the 1/2 mark. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/11 "2014-08-13T05:10:24Z")
i don t think so db. that seemed to be how the gauge was set up. i had three cougars a 87, 88 and a 97, two 75 supercabs and two mustangs, 79 and 80. all of them operated in that range ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/12 "2014-08-13T05:11:25Z")
the gauges had no numbers just an L and an H, on either end of the scale ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/13 "2014-08-13T05:13:09Z")
all of the oil pressure gauges were the same and ran at 1/4 of the scale when operating normally ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/14 "2014-08-13T05:13:54Z")
if i remember correctly, i am a big gauge watcher ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-fan-hard-wiring-does-jeep-run-too-hot/86569/15 "2014-08-13T05:15:07Z")
these were all V6 V8 OR str6 motors