Ford Fiesta 2009 Onwards MK7 Cooling Fan & Aircon Issue, Diagnostic and tear down

A not so obvious cooling fan problem. Oily smell and aircon not working. A Terrible ECO design and poor motor life.. Motor tear down and diagnostic. How to test ...

[@davidhorton1488]

Thanks for this - helped find exactly the same problem with mine. Carbon brushes completely turned to dust (right mess when I opened it up) Stupid car is designed to put fan on whenever aircon operates, not just when overheating. No wonder it goes through brushes.

[@razenby]

I agree.

[@bjornsorkin7092]

Thank you, this helped me pinpoint my similar problem. Same as yours as the fan does not move even with direct connection to a battery. Replacement part ordered from Germany.

[@razenby]

No problem

[@DoubleT90T]

Same! Hooked up power and nothing. Thank you for the great video!

[@frosportinternationale]

Great tips on checking the fan operation. My case was a dead relay, but helped with the trouble shooting!

[@razenby]

Glad you found it interesting.

[@christophertelford]

When the cooling fan got stuck on on my 2009 fiesta 1.6 TDCI I was able to get it working again by tapping the cooling fan relay in the electrical fuse box next to the battery. A very small amount of percussive maintenance was all it took to get things working properly again. I had read that the relays sometimes get stuck so jiggling them a bit can help. I was lucky this was the problem for me as this approach took about 5 minutes start to finish to fix everything (not including thinking time). I would recommend anyone look at this potential simple cause first while hoping it's nothing more complex.

[@razenby]

We diagnosed the relay was OK in the video. If the Relay got stuck then you need to replace the relay. It will get stuck again and either wear out the fan (stuck closed) or overheat the engine (stuck open).

[@christophertelford]

@@razenby Good advice, thank you. I will look to replacing the relay as soon as possible but at least at the moment my battery isn't flattening itself as I type this. If my cooling fan gets stuck in the off position what kind of warnings will I get other than a quiet fan?

[@C0untersignal]

this sounds like my exact issue. im gonna give it a go.

[@razenby]

Good luck. Thanks for watching. If you can subscribe that would be appreciated...

[@bradsg3465]

I’m having a similar issue, car has overheated and I’ve realised that the radiator fan isn’t working as it is usually constantly running when the A/C is on and it now isn’t. I’ve also had the engine up to temperature and the fan still won’t kick in. I’ve tested the relay and can hear it clicking so presume that’s okay. I’ve got 14v to the connector for the fan motor when the engine is running. So I believe it to be the fan motor. I bought a fan from a breakers. Put 12v to it and it worked so I fitted it. It worked for about 5 minutes before it stopped working. I did all the same tests again and they were all fine, presumed faulty fan from the breakers. Took the fan out and when connecting 12v to it, it runs, but it doesn’t run well. I went and got another fan motor from U-PULL-IT as I wanted to test whether this would act the same and it does. The fan will run with 12v from a battery but won’t run when in the car. The fan blades turn freely and aren’t restricted. The plug looks fine so the power is definitely getting there. Any thoughts?

[@razenby]

It sound most likely that you have a sticky or intermittent relay or an intermittent break in the wiring . Easy to overcome by trial. Run a fused wire to the fan and a switch to check the fan itself is reliable if you establish that change the relay and run a new wires for the relay and feed wires to the fan. Have you checked the ECT with an ODB reader. Could it be the temperature sensor messing with you?

[@bradsg3465]

@@razenby thank you for your response! I’ll do what you’ve suggested and I may as well get a new relay and temp sensor and go from there!

[@jrwiggles12345]

Great vid, loved the motor tear down and detailed explanation

[@razenby]

Thanks 👍 Hope it helped.

[@markegley1129]

having similar problem. How do you connect across the two large phase connectors to see if the fan spins? I want to try this before I purchase a fan. Good tutorial by the way,

[@razenby]

I used jump leads and wires but it is risky. The safe way is to you bridge the fan relay contacts in the fuse box it should run. These fan motors fail a lot so it is likely the motor.

[@bigron26048]

I agree with this guy 100% why can't you just buy the motor instead of having to buy the whole assembly?

[@razenby]

Crazy isn't it. poor planet.

[@MySilentEcho]

Probably a long shot but dont suppose you can remember where you bought the new fan from, not sure if im having the same issue as there does seem to a lot of fan noise but the air con isn't work the way it should

[@razenby]

I bought it from eBay from a polish supplier. The aircon should work OK when the vehicle is moving if not then it is very likely that you have low refrigerant. Note that most of the time the schrader valves in the access ports under the screw caps leak so don't refill the gas without changing the valves. If you have gas left then take teh caps off and squirt a bit of WD40 in the port and look for bubbles. Washout with brake cleaner after the test.

[@forhadhussain6493]

Hi i own a Ford Fiesta mk7 2010 titanium 1.4 and I’m not sure if I have the same problem as the car in the video but whenever I put the heating system on low cool air does not blow instead hot air comes out and also I believe my ac does not work too and I’ve checked my coolant and it’s at the level it should be

[@razenby]

I would connect an ODB reader and see if the car's HVAC module is reporting any faults. Constant hot air could be a temp sensor fault, a heater flap motor or the control system. Aircon not blowing cols could be that it is overpowered by the constant hot feed. Does it blow cold (colder than ambient) when the engine first starts? Sort out the constant hot before you work on the Aircon.

[@careypatmore2576]

Red to red love it

[@razenby]

Thanks for watching,.

[@voice.of.reason]

Great video. Could you tell us which German company or website you used to acquire the replacement fan? I don't have a faulty fan I have a coolant level dropping problem that causes my fan to come on when driving plus the relay sticking problem

[@razenby]

If you change the relay will it fix it? Water loss can be causes by mild overheating. Sorry, I cant find the order details. I remember that there a a couple of versions of this assembly. Some to fit older models that are cheaper. The only difference is that is in the power connector: The key-way is slightly different on the cheaper version - I think the most likely reason for the difference to keep you paying more for fans to fit recent models. You can buy the cheaper one but it is necessary to trim a bit of plastic from the socket as they changed the keyway in the connector to stop you fitting the cheaper version.. It doesn't effect operation.

[@andreigliga7163]

Hello man, i had exactly the same problem, i replaced it and now i have an error,on tester says the step 2 of fan doesn't work and i cheked it,it works pretty good,i don t know what to do.

[@razenby]

Which tester says step 2 doesn't work. You mean an ODB code reader or?

[@billtweedy5677]

Hello Nice video and good to confirm I had been looking at the right relay and fuse. I have been having a look at my Grandson's car today [same as in the video] and have tested the fan and that works OK. The fuse is OK and the relay clicks when I apply voltage across the small connections. When I test the wiring to the fan socket from the relay socket I get continuity on the earth lead but not on the positive cable. Not having a wiring diagram I assume the positive cable must go elsewhere before it gets to the fan socket. The fan also does not come on when the Air Con is turned on. Any pointers would be welcomed.

[@razenby]

Did you find the wiring diagram.?

[@billtweedy5677]

@@razenby Yes it's all sorted now. Although the fan worked with a direct feed I had to fit a new fan and that fixed it. It also cured the Air con problem as well. Don't know why the fan wouldn't work with the control module but at least the problem is solved.

[@razenby]

Good to hear

[@williamneilson5784]

Good Video, just done this job on my daughters car. Fan was blowing the 40 amp fuse, like you I opened the fan up to have a look inside. Surprised it was still running as a lot of the windings were burned out. Did you have any problems getting the plug on to the new fan. The EIS eurocarparts one is a different shape. I had to modify the plug on the loom in order for it to go in. Not ideal!!

[@razenby]

Thanks. Yes - I have done a couple where they have put a key on the plug. I modified it and held it in place with a tie-wrap.

[@williamneilson5784]

@@razenby yes, that's exactly what I did, I could not get it to lock in so used a tie wrap to secure it. It took me longer messing about with the plug, than swapping out the fan. I've emailed eurocarparts about this issue. No response yet. I can't think why the EIS rad fan has a different shaped plug, wonder if ford use a different plug on later models??

[@razenby]

@@williamneilson5784 The FAN and housing is an old design dating back to the 2000 Transit. They do it so it is necessary to buy the expensive version to fit the latest models. Just to protect spares pricing,

[@timbroadbent3963]

I just changed mine with 316000ks on clock it was the stock fan to

[@razenby]

This one one of the very Early versions of the car. The later ones seem to switch the fan on and off -as required by thermostat. A tuber told me in the early ones the fan is running all the time when the climate is on.

[@davidthompson8213]

I've just had this sound from engine like a lolly stick in a back wheel I liked bonnet and noise was slowly goin I looked down to the kenlo fan and saw a spray or mist at the bottom of kenlo fan any idea's

[@razenby]

Likely be the refrigerant gas leaking out if the heat exchanger

[@r44flyer]

Good video...many thanks. I have further problems though, if anyone can help? Fan is OK, runs with ac on. Regassed the system and cabin air is icy cold when moving, but ambient when at a stop. My thinking so far is a blocked condenser. Somehow the fan is not enough to cool the condenser when stationary, but it's fine with airflow when driving. Any thoughts?

[@razenby]

On my fiesta as soon as I turn the aircon on the fan immediately powers up? Does yours? You can't miss it. When the fan is working properly it is LOUD. I have seen Ford fans assumed to be working OK by fellow mechanics but I discovered they lacked a oomppff. So is the fan on? (car sounds like a hovercraft) when the aircon plays up you are stationary? It could be a bad compressor not doing the doo at low rpm due to dodgy seals or low oil.. Never seen a bad condenser on a Fiesta but you cant rule it out. I find it very difficult to diagnose without connection the pressure guages. the high and low side pressure tell you a lot. The thing that get blocked the most is the small orifice in the Aircon matrix often cleared by reverse flushing.

[@dedywahyudiyanto9207]

Hey.. I have a question about the fan Does it stop working when the ac cutt off Mine keeps spinning even though the ac already cut off What should I check Thx

[@razenby]

If the engine is hot runs on for a while when the AC turns off and sometimes even runs after the engine is turned off. It should stop after a minute or two. Check the relay is working.

[@joshhowells1097]

Hi I have an issue with my 2011 Fiesta titanium where my car starts to judder and randiator makes a massive noise every now and again could you give any insight on this ??

[@razenby]

Is it under heavy acceleration that it judders?

[@jrhndjdnnfjcm]

Did u ever find out what the cause for it was? Mine is the same

[@BrianWong0816]

The fans in the MK7 fiesta is kind of dodgy. I have recently changed the fan last September and it failed just now. It only lasts for just more than half year.

[@razenby]

Mine lasted 10 years 100k miles.

[@BrianWong0816]

@@razenby thats ridiculously durable!

[@elvedingrabovac7948]

Hi, any advice my a/c not working. Been told to check if pump receiving electric or output electricity

[@razenby]

Most likely cause is that the gas has leaked out. If the pressure falls below a threshold then the compressor clutch won't engage. Check the /C climate fuses too.

[@angusmctavish2345]

I've had the same problem with a 2009 fiesta and changed the fan. The fan now comes on when I turn on the aircon so I know its working but it doesn't seem to come on automatically when the engine gets hot.. I'm curious to know what you would have done if the fan had worked when you tested it on your jump leads?

[@razenby]

I would check the engine temperature sensor and wiring. How do you know that the engine is hot enough to require the cooing fan? It only comes on at the point where it is overheating or idling for a long in warm weather . (UK warm >25 degress < 30C).

[@angusmctavish2345]

@@razenby Thanks so much for your reply. I had a situation where the engine oil got so hot the rev gauge started bouncing and eventually stalled. Was advised the radiator fan had gone so had it replaced. It now comes on when i turn the A/C on but it doesn't come automatically like it used to. I've taken it on a 45 min drive and sat in stop start traffic, left it running when I got home but it didn't kick in at all. When I lifted the bonnet the engine was really hot. The coolant tank was hot and I could see the coolant was circulating. Was wondering about the relay or temp senor but guess it could also wiring. Thank again for taking the time to reply

[@zali1457]

@@angusmctavish2345 9

[@andorosello]

Why can't Ford correct such perennial problem? Are they not capable? My Ford fiesta 2015 has the same issue, the whole auxiliary fan is now replaced😷

[@razenby]

Just poor quality fan motor and for some reason the fan is running a lot whilst driving. On my model there is only one fan that runs whenever the aircon is switched on (even when speeding cruising ) and is also runs when the motor needs cooling. It seems it isn't controlled properly as I am sure it isn't needed when cruising. if the aircon is on the fan is on. Probably wore it out. Car has no temperature gauge and never warned me that it was hot. First sign of trouble was a hot oily smell. Not a sophisticated control system.

[@Sylvester826]

My ford fiesta engine fan keeps running 24/7, as soon as ignition is on the fan runs, i bought a new relay nd it still running😢im so tired of this issue even my aircon is not working

[@razenby]

The fan will run when the aircon is switched on. It could be the temperature sensor wiring has an issue or the Temperature sensor itself has failed. They are cheap and easily replaced. Worth a try before you despair.

[@billtweedy5677]

I've now tried connecting across the big terminals and the fan doesn't run. The fan runs OK when supplied directly with earth and live. Is the the wire going away from the fuse box an earth wire and does that go directly to the fan? Can anyone confirm the wiring from the relay socket large terminals and the plug that goes on the fan.

[@razenby]

Did you find the wires? I have a manual somewhere..

[@bornl001]

Long shot that you'll see this reply, but did you ever solve this? My fan no longer runs when the AC is switched on and when engine temp climbs above 106 nothing is happening, but when supplying direct power to the fan, it does spin. We've checked the relay and fuse and both are seemingly ok. Was there anything else you found? Also thank you @razenby for the video - this is the exact issue I'm facing. Seems to be a common problem on this model!

[@ridwan9440]

Hi mate hope you're well.. I have a 2011 fiesta, coolant always seems to be below minimum when cold and rises to max line when reaches operating temperature., Is this normal? I noticed the coolant in your fiesta is at the same level mine is (around 1.5 inches below minimum)

[@razenby]

It will rise when warm but not usually by that much. Do you need to keep refilling it? If not then I wouldn't worry.

[@ryanmansfield7262]

I have had the exact same problem with my Fiesta, as far as the AC goes when the car is moving along it works but when the car is stationary the air-con does not work presumably because the fan is not keeping the compressor cool. Could this damage it over time as it has been like this for a while. Also the engine begins to overheat when stationary. It is not a fuse I've checked

[@razenby]

Yes, if the fan is not working, when the warm weather arrives your car will overheat when you are in traffic. Running the engine too hot make the oil to thin and the tolerances inside the engine will be out. Especially the pistons will be tight in the bore.

[@ryanmansfield7262]

@@razenby thanks for the reply I will try changing the fan then and see if that fixes it. What I was trying to say is could this damage the air conditioning as when the car stationary it makes quite loud clicking and hissing noises.

[@razenby]

If you haven't already then best to check the motor is the root cause before you go out and buy one.

[@rauldcardos7513]

Is anyone knows what temperature should the fan kick in? changed the coolant on my 2009 fiesta 1.4 diesel and noticed that the fan didn’t come on while i was bleeding the system. I wired the relay connectors and the fan was working but i was pushing the engine temp above 95C and the fan still didn’t work. Any idea? thanks

[@razenby]

95 seems to be about the temp it should kick in but it is the radiator temperature. Did the thermostat open and the radiator get hot. When not under load.It is difficult to get fully run-in Diesels to fully warm up to the point where it requires cooling from the fan.

[@rauldcardos7513]

@@razenby thank you for the reply. The thermostat seems to be working as the the radiator hoses are getting hot. And they getting hot at around 90 degrees. But why im super confused is that, the fan is not coming on when the AC is on. It only seems to be working when i jumpers the relay. (relay and fuse is fine they were tested)

[@Plokus]

Hey, love the video, bout to try the fix on my car. Also, fck ford for not making the motor available seperately

[@razenby]

Thanks. Someone said the motor was available separately but I haven't managed to find one.

[@notorioussor]

my car keeps turning the engine off when slowing down or idle it turns out a main fuse has gone which controls the air con and cooling fan which was over heating the engine

[@razenby]

Useful info

[@chonchopw]

Could you tell me which fuse is? I have the same issue only with ac on, if the ac is off, my car runs perfectly.

[@andorosello]

Overheating is a perennial issue of Ford fiesta ever since..and it's already 2023, yet ford has not really done anything to correct such issue with their car😷

[@razenby]

I never had any problem when the fan motor was good. Mine only overheated because the electric fan was bad. It never lost any fluid from the cooling system.

[@declansgamereview6523]

You defnitely know you stuff - if you got a min I have a question please. My Fiesta fan only kicks in with the A/C, I took it up to 107c and no fan came on. I been researching for hours now. If the secret menu shows 107c that means it can't be the coolant sensor right ? I am trying to eliminate faults. Secondly do you maybe think I must check the relay ? Thank you from South Africa

[@razenby]

Hmm, if the ODB live data shows the correct engine temp then that is strange. The BECM controls the fan. I am not clear if the ECM requests the BECM to turn the fan on for engine cooling. Is yours the same model as the one in the video? If so, I have a manual here - I could check if there is a convoluted way of fan demand / circuitry. It could be that here are two relays for the fan. It seems unlikely but it could be the relay drive wire between the ECM and relay is OC. It could be that the HVAC fan request is on a different wire. What code reader do you have ? Is there a test menu -that you can activate the cooling fan in test mode?

[@declansgamereview6523]

@@razenby Thanks so much for your kind assistance. I just removed the radiator yesterday as it blew the seam so I will only get to try the process of elimination again this weekend. I used the live data in the secret menu as I dnt own a scan tool. It looks similar to your video yes, the 1.4 version. Today I found 2 relays that relates to the fan so I swopped them around with 2 other relays that controls other things bt couldn't test it as yet. The next thing I want to test is a resisor that I found attached to the fan. The problem is I have gone through so many forums and KZbin comments but I swear people just comment without experience. You definitely know what you are talking about. I need to sell this car asap but my moral conscience wants me to sell an honest car. 2 blown headgaskets so far this year and 2 popped radiators so im starting to give up

[@declansgamereview6523]

Sorry replying here after my previous comments so as to not waste your time. Its 10pm and I just tested a fan resistor I found on the fan housing and there is no continuity. Apparently there are 2 relays, one for low speed which I can only assume gets its signal based on coolant temp and another relay activated by the AC. It is therefore my resistor housing or the relay but then again its going to be trial and error as I have come across so many theories

[@jeffchin1127]

Thanks for this informative vid. I agree with U about how disgraceful it is to have to throw to landfill. You inspired me to have a go replacing the brushes, so if anyone needs tips on that and the specs... kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3eWYa1qrs-BjKsfeature=shared Thanks again

[@razenby]

Thanks. That is useful.

[@johnkeenan4248]

If fan works what else could it be

[@razenby]

I don't know. What is wrong with the car?

[@bigron26048]

Check the fuse, relay, and coolant temperature sensor.