Hello all,

Lately the electric fan on (or around, I can't actually see it) the radiator keeps running for a few minutes after I shut the engine off. It happens mostly when I have been running the A/C, and it is summer here (Arizona), so I can understand it getting hot; but the temp has been down the past few days.

Is this normal? I am fairly new to Rovers and this will be my first summer in Az with one.

Thanks!

 

If it is that warm out, I wouldn't be surprised to hear the fan on for a few minutes. I know that when wheeling and it is really hot out, mine runs all the time, but I don't remember if it stays on after stopping, it might.
Mike

 

Well, apparently it wasn't normal... or at least things have progressed. I narrowed it down to the fan only staying on when I ran the A/C, but then today I was driving with out the A/C on (which sucks) and I noticed it was running hotter than normal; not out of the normal range on the gauge, but hotter than I usually see it.

Tonight on the way home it started over heating; I shut it off each time before it could hit the H mark, but it was quickly getting there. I worked my way home in short trips, letting the rover cool between runs. Each time I would stop, coolant was dripping/sputtering out of the radiator (not the external tank). I ended up adding a bottle of anti-freeze to get home, but I noticed that there was coolant spraying out in a small tight stream from the upper drivers side corner of the radiator. I assume this means my radiator has gone bad; or is there some other explanation?

Please help. Thanks!

 

Well, I did somemore trouble shooting this morning, and the thermostat seems to be working fine.

I am thinking of taking the rover to a near by service shop and see if they can flush the radiator and cooling system. Has anyone had any problems having that done at a non-rover-specific shop?

The quest continues to find out why it has started over heating.

 

Will the fan come on if you turn on the A/C? If it does, that would lead me to think that the other fan sensor, the heat sensor for the engine has failed.
Just a thought.
Mike

 

Thanks for replying Mike.

I am going to keep looking into the fan issue, but the over heating turned out to be the thermostat after all. It was opening enough to get the top hose hot, but aparently not enough to cool the engine. I talked to my father and he told me to just replace the thermostat since its only $9 and easy to do. I did that this morning, and after a short highway drive, no over heating.

I still need to do some more driving to make sure this morning wasn't some aberation, and to see if the fan is still staying on, but it seems like things are fixed.

 

Well I just got my disco, so I don't know much, but based on the small info I know about these so far, it seems better to check the mechanics of the suv before you start trouble shooting the sensors... wouldn't you be getting a code if there were a sensor fault anyway, kinda the point of the sensor itself right? I think you're on the right track with the coolant idea, I'd check the levels and the condition of the fluid, if need be flush the whole system. You can buy a fluid flush kit at autozone, just runs off a garden hose, those work well. Next thing I'd do is just swap the stat out... If the water pump is pumping, and the fan is running you shouldn't be overheating.. as far as how a rad works, as long as stuff isn't dripping out of it, I don't see how it can, "go bad," it's only function is to disperse heat as liquid passes through..

Then again, I don't know much about these cars yet... Last time I had an issue like this was on my mustang, and I found the stat was bad...

 

I'm bring this old thing to the surface with a question. DId anyone ever find out what was causing the fan to run after the rover is turned off?

 

Some cars are programmed to have the electric fans come on to keep the heat from building up under the hood while the car is parked. After you shut the engine off the heat from the engine keeps building up and without the waterpump circulating the coolant it can get hot quick.
I used to have a Escort and the fan would come on in the middle of the day when the car was parked on a hot parking lot on a hot summer day. Even though it had been sitting for hours it would get hot enough for the fan to run for a few minutes.
So...I would say it is normal.

 

Really? That's interesting, last christmas my father-in-law, thought it might be a timing chain issue. I prefer your answer, spike.