Questions for the experts on cooling fan for stock 03.

[Antique]

Today I stopped in my driveway to unload groceries and left the engine idling for about five minutes before moving it in the garage. It was a cool day so the AC was not on. When I parked in the garage and got out there was a strong antifreeze smell. I looked outside where it sat idling and there was no antifreeze on the ground. I looked underneath the R and there was a 12 inch pool that had come from the rubber overflow tube.
I turned the key on the temp gage was at 235. I started the engine and it went back down to 210 where it normally runs when driving. The fan did not come on.
The overflow reservoir was empty and it took about a quart to bring it a little below the cool marker.
I then started it and turned the AC on and the fan came on.
Questions.
1. What temp does the fan come on when the AC is off and there is an overheat condition?
2. Does the cooling fan have more than one speed? Although it runs with AC on it does not seem to be running very fast. On my regular car the fan is loud and fast when it kicks in.
3. I will put a little more antifreeze after it cools overnight and drive it.
Any thoughts? What would we do w/out other Fanatics!

[JimBob]

I have a tested used fan for temporary use until you can get a Mike's fan. PM me

Mike in AZ Sez:Fan in the SSR
There are a number of things that will contribute to the SSR running hot..... but before we go there.... let me define what is NOT hot.......

The SSR has a 187 degree thermostat in the INLET to the water pump. This is very well regulated and the aluminum engine likes running at a constant temperature.... The result of the normal 12 degree rise across the engine yeilds a temperature gauge reading of approximately 200 degrees. This is where the thermostat regulates the engine and should be considered the lowest "normal" temperature you will ever encounter.
When you are not using the A/C compressor (air conditioning, defroster and recirculate) the cooling fans are controlled only by the coolant temperature.

The low speed fan will turn on at 226 (increasing) and shut back off at 219 (decreasing). This will give most all "old school" hotrodders the creeps, but it is the way the system was designed to operate.

The high speed fan will come on at 235 (increasing) and shift to low speed at 226 (decreasing). Very seldom does the SSR get hot enough to trip the fan to high speed.

As you can see, the "normal" operating range of the SSR temperature gauge is from 200 to 235. If your truck gets hotter than that, you have a problem someplace in the system.

The A/C will also turn on the cooling fan. Whenever the compressor is asked to operate (A/C or defroster), the computer will turn on the main fan to low speed. If you select "recirculate" or when the A/C system pressures get too high, the main fan will be driven to high speed to satisfy the A/C system needs.

As you can see, turning on the A/C or the defroster will turn on the main fan. The byproduct of the A/C system is that the airflow will hold your temperature at 200 degrees.... period.

In the past 6 years, I have been involved in a lot of SSR cooling system troubleshooting and reverse engineering. There has not been a stock SSR that has ever "needed" a new radiator or a new water pump to solve an overheating issue.

[Antique]

Thanks for the info and offer. I will get back to you if I decide to get a new fan. At least your post told me how to check out the high speed fan by going to recirculate.
Thanks! Carl

[Bobo57]

Hi all,
Well these observations are very interesting especially the following:

"Very seldom does the SSR get hot enough to trip the fan to high speed."

I recently installed SE's fan and it works very well from the standpoint of cooling the system down much quicker than the stock one. However my system will run to 235F every time I sit in traffic or am stopped for only a short period of time. Now when the temp hits that value it's clear the SE fan kicks in and brings the temp right down. Then it starts to cycle back and forth between 200 and 235 obviously by the fan cycling.

So what am I missing? I was under the impression that this is normal behavior.
THX
B

[artsmart]

Originally Posted by Bobo57

Hi all,
Well these observations are very interesting especially the following:

"Very seldom does the SSR get hot enough to trip the fan to high speed."

So what am I missing? I was under the impression that this is normal behavior.
THX
B

This is normal behavior but still make some nervous, like me, since I live in a warmer climate and do most of the driving during the summer months. While I have installed Mike in AZ's (SE) replacement fan, along with the auxiliary fan that Mike offers, I also had Joe (2005SSR6Speed) reprogram the the on/off temps for the fans. Since having this done, the SSR has never gone past 210 at any time of the year while idling in a Starbucks drive thru or stop light.

[Slingshot Lou]

have the car retuned and you can have them set the temp the fan comes on and get a fan from Mike problem solved. Mine runs at 196 all day no matter how hot it is.

[Bobo57]

That would be great but I thought you could only program the aux fan.......

Are you saying you can reprogram to trigger temps of the main fan?
THX
B

[abadssr]

Some one who does a program tune to your ECM can make changes to it and do things such as when low or high speed of fan comes on, do a different fuel mapping for more up and better fuel mileage

[Mike in AZ]

Originally Posted by Bobo57

I recently installed SE's fan and it works very well from the standpoint of cooling the system down much quicker than the stock one. However my system will run to 235F every time I sit in traffic or am stopped for only a short period of time. Now when the temp hits that value it's clear the SE fan kicks in and brings the temp right down. Then it starts to cycle back and forth between 200 and 235 obviously by the fan cycling.

So what am I missing? I was under the impression that this is normal behavior.
THX
B

You can stop this cycling if you do either of the following:
1) Turn the a/c and select any fan setting. I generally use a setting of "1" and put it half/half on hands and feet. This will cause the engine cooling fan to run all the time.
2) Turn the selector to either of the settings for defroster. This will also make the engine cooling fan run.

Reprogramming the computer is always an option. If you choose to do so, I recommend setting the low speed to 205 and the high speed to 215. This will give you the least amount of gauge movement and still let the system operate close to original design. If GM had used a more reliable fan, I'm sure they would have set these temps.

Regards,

Mike

[snomuncher]

Another item to check independent of the fan is your upper radiator hose. On occasion they have been known to collapse from a vacuum that forms in the reservoir, thereby introducing a restriction. This is most obvious in the area where the hose runs horizontally across the small support "shelf" at the top of the radiator and you would be able to feel the hose flattened in this area. Relieving the vacuum by opening the reservoir cap (but never when hot) will remedy that condition.

[Shadowman]

Originally Posted by Antique

Today I stopped in my driveway to unload groceries and left the engine idling for about five minutes before moving it in the garage. It was a cool day so the AC was not on. When I parked in the garage and got out there was a strong antifreeze smell. I looked outside where it sat idling and there was no antifreeze on the ground. I looked underneath the R and there was a 12 inch pool that had come from the rubber overflow tube.
I turned the key on the temp gage was at 235. I started the engine and it went back down to 210 where it normally runs when driving. The fan did not come on.
The overflow reservoir was empty and it took about a quart to bring it a little below the cool marker.
I then started it and turned the AC on and the fan came on.
Questions.
1. What temp does the fan come on when the AC is off and there is an overheat condition?
2. Does the cooling fan have more than one speed? Although it runs with AC on it does not seem to be running very fast. On my regular car the fan is loud and fast when it kicks in.
3. I will put a little more antifreeze after it cools overnight and drive it.
Any thoughts? What would we do w/out other Fanatics!

Just a note there Antique, NEVER pour cool coolant into a hot engine. You can cause serious damage. Always start it up and pour it in with it running. You could have cracked your block.

[Antique]

Originally Posted by snomuncher

Another item to check independent of the fan is your upper radiator hose. On occasion they have been known to collapse from a vacuum that forms in the reservoir, thereby introducing a restriction. This is most obvious in the area where the hose runs horizontally across the small support "shelf" at the top of the radiator and you would be able to feel the hose flattened in this area. Relieving the vacuum by opening the reservoir cap (but never when hot) will remedy that condition.

I have noticed my upper hose is always flat unless I rev the engine and then it seems to enlarge but not completely. Do I need a new hose?

[Bobo57]

Thanks guys, great info.

Anybody know where I can get the ECU programmed out here?

North County Coastal area San Diego.
B

[Dragon2U]

Originally Posted by Antique

I have noticed my upper hose is always flat unless I rev the engine and then it seems to enlarge but not completely. Do I need a new hose?

No, just clean the radiator cap well or get a new one. They get gunked up with the Dexcool and need to be cleaned or replaced.

[Dragon2U]

Originally Posted by Bobo57

Thanks guys, great info.

Anybody know where I can get the ECU programmed out here?

North County Coastal area San Diego.
B

If it were me I would just get a hand held programmer but if you want to just change the fan turn on temp it looks like these guys can do it for you, they are pretty popular in the Silverado community.

Black Bear Performance :: Custom Tuning Solutions for 96 and newer GM Vehicles

[artsmart]

Originally Posted by Bobo57

Thanks guys, great info.

Anybody know where I can get the ECU programmed out here?

North County Coastal area San Diego.
B

Joe (2005SSR6Speed) is in Carlsbad, just a short hop from you. Send him a PM on this site or contact him through his website I added below...or someone will put his # on here, I don't have it handy. Great guy to work with, has done a ton of stuff for the SSR, and a good friend to all the Fanatics.


LeftCoast 32

[Bobo57]

Joe's SSR wouldn't happen to be black and maroon color qould it?
B

[RUN ROD RUN]

Originally Posted by Bobo57

Joe's SSR wouldn't happen to be black and maroon color qould it?
B

Joe once had an black SSR but he sold it years ago. Maybe he has another one that I don't know about. He is actually west of Carlsbad, just a short drive from Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido.

[Bobo57]

Very cool, waiting for him to contact.

There is an SSR just up the street from me that is maroon and black. Wonder if he's on the forum.
B

[RUN ROD RUN]

Originally Posted by Bobo57

Very cool, waiting for him to contact.

There is an SSR just up the street from me that is maroon and black. Wonder if he's on the forum.
B

Does it look like this?

If so, it CA Blackjack/aka Al Dyson

[Bobo57]

Yup that's him.....pretty cool.