94 Es300 Hydraulic Fan Questions...

[Nertus]

Hi all,

I picked up a 94 ES300, under the impression the head gasket was on its way out. I drove it home and it didn't overheat. I let it idle for an hour, and it didn't overheat. I drove it around some more, and it still has yet to overheat... I checked the oil, and there aren't any signs of coolant/water mixture. I don't smell and leaky coolant either.

The previous owner told me she stopped using it in July. After dumping big money into it (timing belt, t-stat, water pump, new accessory belts, battery brakes, tires) all in one shot, he mechanic said it would still run hot because the head-gasket was shot.

It is now very cold in december and I can't get it to overheat. What I do notice is that the fan only spins at one speed. No matter if the A/C is on, the car is completely cold, or it is at normal operating temps, the fan spins slow enough that I can stop it with my hand and not get hurt.

My question to you veterans, what tests can I do to prove my theory that it is the fan??? The solenoid under the power steering pump is plugged in.. I still have power steering, so I don't think its my pump. Should the fan always be moving, or should it stop, and rotate very fast when its intended to??

Thanks in advance for the help.

[kingjack133]

One thing i can tell you is that the hydraulic fan has very little resistance and you can stop it with one finger(at any speed) and thats normal. I ve done it. Personally, i would wait and see what happens. If it starts to overheat at some point, then you can try and figure out the cause. Meanwhile you can do a pressure test on the cooling system and that may reveal something. If the pressure holds....thats a good sign. The fan should speed up when its needed to cool the motor.