Time For A New Fan??

[MnBueller]

Heya folks,

I hope you're all enjoying the stellar riding season we are in northern Minnesota this year. Beautious!
Anyway, the cooling fan has been sounding kinda funky the last two weeks or so; Running high at shutdown as it should, then slowing a bit just a few seconds later, then back to full speed until it shifts down to low and then eventually off. Uh-oh...
Now I am blowing fan fuses. I ordered a new fan just moments ago after pulling the original out and finding there is no way to open the motor to attempt to service it. I did look for wiring issues and found none.
Is my diagnosis of needing a new fan correct? Or did I just make a donation to my local parts dealer?

 

[Cooter]

I don't remember the XB fans are 2 speed? Slowing down and the fuse blowing it sounds like you need a "fan"

Sorry

 

[theMelvster6]

haha...but they are two speed. hi/lo there is a set of parameters in the ecm that tells it when to come on, shut off, hi/lo speed. they do go out...the bearings just get old.

 

[ReadyXB]

They do go bad.

Was there any evidence of oil spray on the fan? I have read reports of oil leaking from the rocker pcv and getting into the fan, causing failure or flaky behavior. Not sure about blown fuse, though.

While waiting for the new fan, you could check the fan wires on the harness going back to the ECM for shorts to ground. There is a diagnostic flow chart in the service manual

 

[rchuff]

Like Melvster6 said and Ready the fan can just go bad or if oil gets on them they will act funny but if you are blowing fuses I would say replace it . You said you checked the wiring so go that route.

 

[MnBueller]

I'm glad you brought the oil up, because yeah, I had a rocker gasket fail last year and cleaned up as well as I could after I changed it. But of course the fan and housing was covered in old, gunky oil residue when I removed it.
So the new fan will be here Monday, so hopefully my little break will be only a week.
Supposed to be kinda rainy here the next few days anyway...[smirk]

 

[MnBueller]

Well, to answer my own question, yeah, it was.
Received and installed new cooling fan on Saturday.
Rode to work on Sunday, but it was pretty cool so it really didn't run.
Then I went on a 300 mile ride with a friend (backup!) yesterday. 80 degrees outside and we were running 70 mph+ most of the day. The fan ran and ran and ran. Beautiful!
Life with Uly is good once again...
Thanks for all the thoughts as usual folks.[up]

 

[lowkey]

Then I went on a 300 mile ride with a friend (backup!) yesterday. 80 degrees outside and we were running 70 mph+ most of the day. The fan ran and ran and ran. Beautiful!

So the fan is running while riding with outside temps at 80 degrees and you are at speed? My fan only runs when I shut it off after a ride, first high then switch to low then off. I remember it did run once or twice when stuck in traffic going light to light. I'm out here in AZ and went for a ride, it was 120ish degrees out, we rode about 40 min and the fan never came on until we got back and I parked it. I wonder if my fan is messed up? I had the rear rocker leak onto the fan as well, I just cleaned it up when I changed the gaskets.

 

[MnBueller]

Yeah lowkey, it has always run on warm days when I am riding at highway speeds. I think that is normal but I have heard about an ECM reflash that changes fan behavior. Not sure if it would shut down the fan running while you're rolling or not, I am guessing it does. Maybe yours has had that reflash?
What say you, knowledgeable ones?

 

[ztied]

My uly fan runs alot, way more then any of my firebolts or lightning. Stock ecm and a race ecm flash still runs alot. Mine is 06