How To Wire Electric Cooling Fans with Crimp Connections

Wiring electric cooling fans in a car is easy. There are multiple ways to make the cooling fans work, and to properly wire the fans to the car. If you want to understand how to wire the fans, check out this video where I show you ~ • Understanding How To W...
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[@marbletovvn]

have to put aftermarket fans in my 97 jetta after its previous owner hit a deer and this tutorial made the process a little less daunting! it may be 4 years old but it definitely helped me

[@CKilger12]

love how you used the OEM fan control module with factory connectors at the fans....its clean no switch to worry about.....using the factory module could you have wired in a manual override in case you wanted them on all all times?

[@ChoobsX]

Excellent vid! I was unsure what to do with the high speed wire (Red/Green) but putting it in parallel with the mid-speed wire is a nice tidy fix. Thanks!

[@jamesnicholson5369]

Charles; While I have used splice and seal connectors with much success, I don't have confidence with them when I have two wires going in one end of the connector. I don't think the heat shrink end seals well enough in the gap created by the two wires. A method I have used often is to wrap the wires with Scotch #2228 Electrical Sealing Tape. It has a thick mastic for the adhesive that you can press into the gap between the wires to seal out any moisture and salt. I am a veteran of countless failed GM splices, and have never had a return repair using this method. I found the tape available at Lowe's. I HATE green conductors.

[@clintfrench9332]

Ever tried using well water pump connectors? They’re more than submersible . My grand father is an electrician and even if he uses heat stink connectors he still heat shrink another tube over and still electrical tapes things if that worried about water

[@tinfoilhat1619]

So clever. I'm going to do this when I get my new set up!

[@abrammanoge]

I'm not a pro but with connectors I always make the female the always hot and male the receiving side. It just seems like an extra safety precaution if u forget to remove the fuse when the fan is unplugged for example

[@kentonhind447]

0

[@carolynekeeler]

Excellent use of a seam ripper :) Now I know what to do with my extras!

[@o_ox_x4638]

I really enjoyed this video brother. Keep up this style of content.

[@charlespartak2435]

Nice instructional. I have a puller radiator fan and a pusher ac condenser fan . Should i wire them to come on together or separately?

[@GermanEliteTuning]

great video man. your always very descriptive and provide great info for people that have not done it before. keep up the great work.

[@agus2001]

As always a clean, tidy job. Couldn't expect no less from you. Love your channel.

[@mazmawi2463]

PlqlL

[@Richo435a]

Hey Humble Mechanic. Where would you put the thermocouple sensor in a vehicle that didn't have electronic fans. Would you put it where the standard temp gauge is or at the top or bottom radiator hose or at the thermostat or somewhere else? Thanks

[@jdubsvr6]

I might have to try this setup. I've got a mk2 Jetta 12V VR6 swap with a Corrado SLC radiator and fans. In the middle of the Texas summers I have instances where my water temps get a little too high for my liking. Just to pick your brain... Did you custom fab that fan shroud or does somebody offer it for sale? What electric fans are you running?

[@albertomendez9878]

His i bought a 2003 yukon and i am planning to adapt 2 10 inch spal fans to the AC condensor since it doesnt cool at idle do you think 2 10's is enough??

[@aadheenmasood7960]

When changing a puller fan to a pusher and vice versa, remember to check your fan blades if they are in the correct direction, the blades are curved. Simply reversing the polarity of the motor will make the fan inefficient

[@HumbleMechanic]

+jim c yep. Usually you have to flip the blade

[@simpleautothings_official3549]

Wish I saw this last year... Lol

[@charlespartak2435]

​@HumbleMechanic ive never understood what flipping the blade is going to do. You cant flip a bolt around and magically have left handed threads. The blade pitch and direction will not change by simply flipping the blade

[@krismoore4290]

Not sure if you still check and reply to this video but I had a question I was hoping you could answer. I wired my fans exactly as you did. When I jump the pins I can get speed 1 to work but if I jump the 2nd set the other fan does not run. I checked for voltage between the temp switch and the plug on the FCM and found 12v when the 1st set of pins are jumped but nothing when the 2nd set are jumped. Only thing I can come up with is a break in the wire somewhere but was wondering if I may be missing something. The ac has been removed from the car if that matters.

[@arsenioogdar2343]

thank you for sharing of knowledge

[@spookylopez9682]

Can i use this method on my 2008 bmw 535i ? Theres a loud noise it makes when i turn it on , in not sure if its the radiator , clutch , or cooling fan ? Advice would be appreciated

[@jcruz3022]

Good afternoon, HumbleMechanic Are the connectors AWG 16-14? Please let me know. Awesome video!!! Thank you for your time and having such great videos for the public.

[@fantafrags6973]

Thanks for you for this, it was perfect? I also used a sheet of heat shrink that worked nice.

[@fantafrags6973]

This is great. I've recently changed my radiator and got a decent double fan system for it. Realising after fitting it all the AC compressor was removed by the previous owner. Can I connect the relay for both the Ac and radiator together? Meaning both will come on together? Or should I invest in a fan controller than handles both fans? Bit lost if I'm honest. I can handle the wiring once I know the flow 🤣😁 it's a Honda civic ep3 (type r) BTW. All help is massively appreciated and I love the depth you go into, it's often what I need and the some additional learning :) I also love to see you change your mind in these vids or improve ideas. Seeing this is more realistic and better to learn from.

[@jimmy4025]

Trying to put together something to do the fans on my 19 R. I was looking at a 14" and 10" Moshimoto stager setup. My only concern is the Fan Control Module. Any recommendations?

[@blackjin2007]

thanks this help me turn my push fans into pull which i needed to do for my setup

[@HumbleMechanic]

Awesome

[@BLKTRACKS_]

Excellent video,we all thnk u for detailed teaching!cheers brother!

[@boubjte]

I did a dual slim fan set up for my 12V VR6. I put speed one on one fan, speed two on the other fan and speed three on both fans. I jumped tested it and both fans came on on speed one and both fans also came on on speed two. I am not for certain, but I think speed two came on a little stronger. I am guessing speed three is for the AC which is not working right now, so I can't test it. Is my set up ok? What is a way for me to check speed three with a nonworking AC? Thank you.

[@chriscaudell]

I have dual speed fans and three wire to both fans, trying to figure out how to wire similar fan set up 2003 golf

[@ericmiller1664]

I followed this video to install 2 mishimoto fans on my mark3 GTI. However, I do not have a shroud. The fans operate perfectly but they don’t provide enough airflow. Car didn’t overheat but it got very hot during the first drive. Where did you get the shroud you are using? And how did you mount the fans?

[@michaelvalone907]

I wanted to add a small cooling fan to my engine hood to cool off the engine bay. I by no means have a racing 1999 honda crv, but I wanted to cut a small hole on my hood to allow the fan to pull out the hot air from the engine bay. How would I hook it up to the electric?

[@marcusjefferson6230]

You are good and very thorough, I like that, you really helped me understand wiring the fan on my dodge magnum, Thank You

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thanks so much. 🙏

[@polecat81ath]

Charles hi you are the best.I realy love the way that you work and your nolege.I have a question and I want your help.I want to make an electric fan conversion to my audi a4 aeb engine.I know all the wiring and mounting but Im puzzled about the location of the fan switch.Must be on the inlet or in outlet or the radiator?Top or bottom hose?Please I need you professional opinion.Thanks a lot.

[@kingkoopa17]

I am going to do this exact set up tomorrow. Going to need a 2 pin connection since my model has 3 pin at the connecting adapters. Seems like you stripped the main cable from the car and made into two...? Do fans carry a clutch that need the 3rd wiring cable? Seems like I can just do what you did , right?

[@jrmornes]

@5:45 what wires you slicing into? Have a 84 cutlass

[@algasimgas2231]

Clean job i really appreciate it

[@priusrepellent]

How would I do the same fan to just a toggle switch? I have a black and blue wire on the fan, and a three prong toggle switch. Just want to be able to turn the fan in when it needs it and off when cool.

[@aliseedas1040]

Just curious but shouldn't you test the fans before shrinking and wrapping up the wires?

[@MoparMan-ff8fb]

did you have to run a big fuse or get a higher output alternator to do this ? I have a 65 dodge dart I'm setting the car up for street and strip. I want to do this on my stock 82 dosge truck .i think my alternators put out 120 or 130 amps?

[@charlieg614]

So in this particular video, yuo are basiclly using the PCM, and or the relay from the factory setup/fuse box? I'm asking becouse the high speed fan on my 2005 Mitsubishi Endever, has a fan controle modle pluged directly into the fan motor! Unlike the two separate wire hanesses. Thank in much in advance!

[@bigdaisy2757]

Okie so I'm watching the video still but I have a question if I bought a universal radiator fan for my car could I hook it to the old fans connections on the car already?

[@justinwagner3683]

What cooling fan shroud is that and would it work with a mkiv R32?

[@omarG19100]

Hello Charles. I want to add a third fan dead smack in front of condensor but having trouble connecting it. i teied to tap into existing wiring with a inli e fuse but the fuse foe the co desor fan relay keeps blowing. I wanna know how can I acheive a third fan hook up without blowi g a fuse? If i hook power wire ro 3rd fan to battery pisitive it will run all the time even with key out. I tries tappi g to radio but that work for like 5mins then it died huh.

[@I3ordo]

can this 12v or 24v fan be powered by a power adapter like 5amp powerbrick? would it even spin? how loud would it be and how many rpms would it spin? thanks for your estimated knowledge.

[@j.d.mcginn6946]

I learned a lot! Off to hf to get a heat gun!

[@nydioolobas4420]

Hi sir What happened if I connect two fan in a radiator in a key switch on And the two fan running comsistently when the key is on Is it safe and advisable or not? Im just confused because i had a chevrolet optra and when the thermostat ac fan off the reservoir are overflowing and when the thermostat ac fan on it becomes normal So I bring the car in the autoshop and they do the two fan connect as one so its run when the key is on and now my reservoir are normal and my car run smoothly so i just want to ask an advice of this setup of mine thanks Godbless

[@tolenkam8204]

Great job thank you

[@ariesr4883]

Does the butt connector that you use have a adhesive in it when you shrink it?

[@Onlyone10184]

What size fans should I run for an Obs chevy truck with a 350

[@bf2142mbazarah0]

HI, Charles, I have a problem and I don't know if you cover it before, The problem is I add a new fan on my transmission cooler radiator and I install on/off switch but sometimes I forget to switch it off then when I come back the car battery is empty

[@ChannelJanis]

@HumbleMechanic about connectors, I do not know, if it's a rule, but I usually use connector with exposed pins on component side, that requires power, but covered on power side. In that way I can disconnect device and leave wire hanging and no shorts can occur and also I will not get shocked, when touching those open pins. I know, it's 12V only, but I use the same rule for all voltages, so I don't mess up. By the way it looks like you did the same as I would do ;)

[@HumbleMechanic]

+Janis Rocans that’s a pretty good rule I’d say. Especially for house wiring.

[@patw52pb1]

Female side of connectors are usually always on the feed side of the circuit to help mitigate accidental contact or short to ground due to less conductive contact material exposure. Low voltage and power limited (generally less than 30VAC-RMS or 60VDC) and above circuit connectors are covered by IEEE, ASME, EIA, SAE/ISO, IEC, NFPA and NEC standards regarding assigning the gender of the power/source/feed side and the load side of connectors for safety, prevention of personal injury and or circuit (fuse/conductor/switch/relay/control module/ECU/PCM) damage while the connector is disconnected.

[@NeverEnoughPyro40]

@@patw52pb1 You must be an engineer, They always seem to have a problem overthinking everything! Everything that you have mentioned does not apply here! This is nothing more than 12 to14 V DC in an automotive application! And as for your connectors being male and female to avoid all of that crap you said, How about if you disconnect a component you terminate your end properly and don’t leave it hanging around unprotected!

[@patw52pb1]

@@NeverEnoughPyro40 Thanks for the compliment. Everything I stated is accurate and applicable. Yep, that is why practically every vehicle manufacturer on the planet uses the industry standard of female socket connectors on the circuit feed side and male pin connectors on the circuit load side. Circuits are properly terminated with the connectors connected or disconnected when installed as I stated. Also, without engineers, you would likely be sitting in a dark cave, while dirty, uncomfortable, hungry, unhealthy, and playing alone with yourself.

[@chriscaudell]

Did you bypass the coolant fan module

[@CenterLane1977]

how do you wire a 3prong led rocker to ground? two wires, no relay. when its off it is illuminated. when its on, not illuminated. reference, "Ford 6.0 blue wire mod" for the engine cooling fan over ride. I've had it hooked up before and now i cant get it to do what it did previously :o(

[@yona1948]

How do you wire a warning light in to tell if the fans are running

[@nickayivor8432]

SUBSTANTIAL HumbleMechanic Tutorial great ❤ it .Take care HumbleMechanic From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧

[@thomasflorez2840]

Hello, I was wondering if I wired my fans like this on my mk4 Jetta would my ac still work

[@arinhiwa4017]

You are expert in wiring .

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thanks for the kind words

[@a.m-gh7876]

What is the correct wire size for a 12 volt 80 watt fan? 16 awg or 20 awg

[@laurenlehnerd1530]

Where can i find those connectors??

[@Ajcr5050]

What connectors did you use to link the fan harness to the cars main harness?

[@racerboy063]

I would like to know as well

[@tonyrome068]

Where is the Cooling fan sensor or switch located on a Ford Windstar 1999????

[@Hendogg28]

What brand of fans are you using? Looking for some and there are just so meany brands hard to tell witch ones are good or better or best.. So thought I’d ask you what brand is your go to brand..

[@dillongarciajr]

Nice video, I have a 2007 Passat 2.0 FSI, cooling fans are NOT working properly, they come on when I applied power with a battery to plug, they do not work period when car runs , nothing when a/ c is turned on, I've replaced thermostat , coolant sensor, checked fuse, unable to locate the fan relay, any ideas?

[@michaelpassionsgarage356]

If my car only comes with 1 fan, can I splice the 2 new fans into one and connect it to the single connector?

[@yoshioisshay3436]

Great video. Can I do it that way in 2012 Kia Sorento 3.5L v6 with a single fan? I want to install a flex a lite fan on it.

[@briantristan5634]

Why would you want to change the fan?

[@w124mercedes7]

Hello I have a 1987 mercedes 300d. I want to get rid of the clutch fan and add a fan set up like you have. I live in boise area and it hits over 100f often. And my car will run close to red if I run ac. If I paid you and gave you the factory wiring diagram could you draw out how to wire it in so it will work. Im not sure how to wire it to the factory temp switch. Any help would be greatly appreciated and I'm more than happy to cover your time. Shops in my area are afraid to work on a mercedes. Thank you for your time. Robert

[@midasmoetouch2672]

Awesome video. Can I also do the same wiring for my ford escort?

[@Seducier]

Wires and old plugs I have are 4 wires coming out of each fan. Not sure where to put the 2 wires into the 4 wire plug. 🤔 yellow, green, and black and blue

[@microstorm]

Nissens Danmark ^^ So fun to see something from my country in this vid. I have a buddy that use to work for Nissens.

[@mottavator]

Do you think putting a dab of dielectric grease in each connector is overkill?

[@wagonkit]

Is it ok to create a pull fan simply by reversing polarity? I tested one of my fans with my Voltage Generator. Reversing polarity seems to create a slightly different draw on amps. Just slight. Just wondering if this is the recommended way to create a push fan. I was thinking if reversing polarity is actually not a good idea, I can just pull the fan blade off and flip it around. Thoughts?

[@HumbleMechanic]

For the motor yes. But like you mentioned you have to have the blades right too

[@devonmckay9466]

Can both fan run on the same module switch

[@samisulaiman7967]

i want the both fans to run on high speed all time on my Suburban 2012 because my country is very hot specially in summer and overheating when stopped on traffic signals so I want to run the both of them in high speed situation all time by 4 relays 5 pins and a breaker saftey fuse 80 amper can you draw the diagram thanks in advance .

[@abufaisal2199]

hello i need help if you can i have 2003 ford f150 4.2L i bought VW touareg 2010 electric fan with speed controller module how can i fix it with the module benefits, what parts i need to add or cancel in my truck what the connection diagram please help

[@devonmckay9466]

Can both fan run on one modul unit

[@corentingauthier514]

Pourquoi avoir couper la prise du thermocontacteur du ventilateur d’origine? Comme le brancher sur le relais apres ?!

[@kwashington2181]

Good morning with that setup when 2nd and 3rd speed kicks in are two fans working or just one?

[@klubstompers]

I have the same question. In the video just before this he made a wiring diagram, but it is different than this setup here, so i dont know why he had the diagram one way, and installed it a different. To get one fan on low, and 2 fans on high. Take the low signal from the thermostat, before it goes to the fcm, and take the high setting from the high setting on the fan harness, after the fcm. You should still have ac, after run, and the system working a vw intended. This is how he made his diagram, but didnt wire it this way for some reason.

[@steamy1225]

What amp alternator are you using? I'm thinking of doing an electric fan swap on my 88 Ford Mustang 5.0L V8. It has the 135 Amp alt. on it already.

[@tylarcobb8880]

Hey Charles would this be the same on a mk6 gti? I know the fcm is on the big fan and I would like to keep it if possible but would like to put in a set of mishimoto slims like you've got as I'm running as high as 220 degrees on my coolant sometimes with living here in south Florida. Thanks in advance for the help.

[@HumbleMechanic]

You should be able to wire them similarly. It depends on how your fan setup needs to work.

[@BRAINWOOD999]

I got a 2012 VW CC ONE OF MY FANS BROKE AND I JUST ORDERED A NEW FANS IS IT ALRIGHT TO DRIVE THE CAR LIKE THAT FOR ONE WEEK AND ITS THE SMALL ONE

[@bohemialite6371]

Yes it's all right to drive it only you might have Cooling problems with your air conditioner but temporarily don't drive it too much unless you have both fans running okay

[@firstamendright]

German tools!! I love it! What brand are the strippers?

[@HumbleMechanic]

Klien most likely

[@417hatchimitsu]

whats the tool you have to remove the pins?

[@lazarovizcarra388]

Where did you get the connecters

[@ugellmatt]

Can I connect one high speed home fan thru an inventor instead !!!

[@rodneyyoung385]

I have a small kicker fan in the front of my condenser which I use on hot days through a adjustable thermostat deal however I've been told when it comes to these high-powered dual fans you have to upgrade your alternator to provide that high amperage flow needed, just throwing it out there.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Depends on the car. These on my car draw less than the OEM fan did.

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

If you do want a reason for installing which connector on which side, you can consider putting the male pins on the fans. The idea is if one is left unplugged the hot connector is female and less likely to come in contact with others with which they will not play well.

[@HumbleMechanic]

+InsideOfMyOwnMind ya that’s a great strategy. And one I flat out didn’t think of. Lol. Hopefully being unplugged is not something I have to worry about.

[@wyattoneable]

Very tidy job.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thanks

[@RollingThunder85]

My spal fans keep melting apart at solder joints where it goes into the motor wtf any suggestions?

[@amitt111]

What kind of fans are those ? How much CFM ? Do you have a link ?

[@throttletherapy9998]

Is that the OEM magnetic fender cover, and if so how do you like it?

[@HumbleMechanic]

+K Morris it is. I wish it had one more magnet. But it’s pretty awesome otherwise

[@moinullah9065]

moin Abu Dhabi my Mazda 6 2009 not wiring fan . only cooling working with A/C.In Abu DHABI outside 43C

[@HumbleMechanic]

Next up is getting the AC all worked out. I am convinced that the AC compressor is toast.

[@GForceConnections]

Shoot. Sounds like an expensive run to the parts store. Good luck :)

[@TheMatrixcube]

HumbleMechanic On a totally unrelated note.... I now your a vw guru so .... Why dont vw/audi 3 cilinder engine,s lay exactly horizontal ? Im dying to now .... thx up front

[@HumbleMechanic]

+TheMatrixcube hummm. I am not sure. US never got the 3cyl

[@TheMatrixcube]

HumbleMechanic Dammit nobody seems to now ...

[@HumbleMechanic]

+TheMatrixcube I’m gonna do some research because now I’m curious

[@garf6868]

where can i get those crimpers?

[@ratdude747]

Unless I'm missing something, wouldn't it make more sense to Have 1 fan for speed one, the other for two, and both for 3?

[@HumbleMechanic]

There would really be little difference between one and two that way.

[@xephael3485]

Wow, nice job... For some reason I was expecting cheap non-shrink crimps, exposed wire, etc.

[@HumbleMechanic]

+xephael - oh man. That hurts my feeling. lol

[@xephael3485]

HumbleMechanic sorry I've seen too many butchered electrical videos on KZbin. Shocking when you see someone do a good job!

[@HumbleMechanic]

HAHA Thanks. This is an area I am kinda fussy about. :)

[@ClearWater7.62]

What's that tool that you use to slice through the loom? Cool video.

[@kylea.2114]

It's a seam ripper. It's a sewing tool.

[@leslieaguilarcornay2932]

Thank you

[@oldtimermike1414]

I picked up a Ford Contour V6 dual fan setup that I want to re-purpose in my Camaro. The fans are 2-speed, and each fan has a separate connector with a 2-wire pigtail. Supposedly, one wire is for low speed, the other for high speed. But there's no ground wire. How do I test these fans and hook them up?

[@HumbleMechanic]

They have to ground some how. Can you get ahold of the wiring diagram for the fansb

[@jdoe265]

Single, not double crimps for heat shrink. Still feel bad.

[@lnhbipolar8670]

What if you have black with yellow wires meaning neg and blue with green wires meaning blue and I’m trying to connect them to the black and blue for my fan -literally kinda like yours????serious HELP!!!

[@nilsbijlsma5633]

What kind of isolation tape do you use? The tesa tape I use doesn't stick very well..

[@HumbleMechanic]

+Nils Bijlsma I’ve had really good luck with that tape. 3m friction tape works great too. But I don’t think it holds up to heat as well

[@nilsbijlsma5633]

Yeah, not sure what the matter is with the tesa tape over here, it's the tesa electronic tape which is not really that wide. Maybe that's why.

[@phinitcheamak8143]

I like your show i like your music

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thank you!

[@davidancerdieck]

Can you please tell me what kind of tool are you using at 5:47 to open up the OEM harness?

[@PWgadgets]

It's a seam ripper used in the sewing industry

[@davidancerdieck]

@@PWgadgets Thank you friend

[@grumpydevildog1462]

I need to do that too

[@grumpydevildog1462]

Great video!