New Electric Fan install.
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 71
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From: Austin, tx
Festerw's recommendation is a good one. Eight gauge wire and a heavy duty contactor\solenoid would be trouble free.
I noticed you asked for opinions on a solenoid for the low setting. Assuming the controller Ford uses in the Taurus is the same as the Lincoln, you’ll still have a startup surge to deal with. When I checked into the controller the Lincoln used I was told that the controller limits the current to the fan at startup to avoid the voltage spike problem and slowly brings it to full speed. When I looked at the schematic of the fan control circuit it was one complex mother, and computer controlled. I was also told low speed was accomplished by limiting the amp flow to the motor in later models as opposed to a separate circuit in the motor. I’m not sure if I believe that. I do know that I have three connections at my fan motor and fan speed is the same regardless of which of the two hot connections I use.
A question for you Crazy, do you really need the low speed? With the performance computer your run a lower engine temp is desirable and recommended. Why not just wire it up for high speed only and let the thermostat do its job? That Hayden controller I run does a pretty good job for 20.00 but it doesn’t activate two separate circuits based on the coolant temp, only one. I suspect a controller like that would be a few bucks.
I noticed you asked for opinions on a solenoid for the low setting. Assuming the controller Ford uses in the Taurus is the same as the Lincoln, you’ll still have a startup surge to deal with. When I checked into the controller the Lincoln used I was told that the controller limits the current to the fan at startup to avoid the voltage spike problem and slowly brings it to full speed. When I looked at the schematic of the fan control circuit it was one complex mother, and computer controlled. I was also told low speed was accomplished by limiting the amp flow to the motor in later models as opposed to a separate circuit in the motor. I’m not sure if I believe that. I do know that I have three connections at my fan motor and fan speed is the same regardless of which of the two hot connections I use.
A question for you Crazy, do you really need the low speed? With the performance computer your run a lower engine temp is desirable and recommended. Why not just wire it up for high speed only and let the thermostat do its job? That Hayden controller I run does a pretty good job for 20.00 but it doesn’t activate two separate circuits based on the coolant temp, only one. I suspect a controller like that would be a few bucks.
Last edited by CentralTexas; Aug 23, 2011 at 09:17 PM.
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 307
Likes: 1
From: tn
as for controlling the surge best thing i can think of that is simple is a capacitor but it isn't really needed for it to work though. youd have to have it on the batt side of the relay/contact for it to work. it's effectivness would be limited to.
then alternative for me would be to grabe a resistor out of a car with one. pt's have one but it would be unsized for this job and that would be good for a low speed control and would help with the surge some.
as for a controller that would do 2 speeds just run two cheap controllers. wire one side up with a resistor and the other straight. set the low speed to come on 5 or 10 degrees sooner and that would make a world of diff to. it really doesn't have to be a super strong fan to cool these motors down. so the low speed may well be adequite. what hurts is the ac! if you had some way to pulse width modulate it you could fix all of this
then alternative for me would be to grabe a resistor out of a car with one. pt's have one but it would be unsized for this job and that would be good for a low speed control and would help with the surge some.
as for a controller that would do 2 speeds just run two cheap controllers. wire one side up with a resistor and the other straight. set the low speed to come on 5 or 10 degrees sooner and that would make a world of diff to. it really doesn't have to be a super strong fan to cool these motors down. so the low speed may well be adequite. what hurts is the ac! if you had some way to pulse width modulate it you could fix all of this