Hi;

Pretty pathetic that I've had my 4Runner for 6 months and never noticed this before. And only then because I'm thinking of converting/fixing the headlights, so I was looking in the area behind the grill.

Apparently I have an electric fan which looks totally stock. It is about 18" in diameter and sits to the passenger side, between the grill and the radiator. It has what appears to be a fairly large diameter oil line going to it, as well as the voltage lines to the core. It fits very neatly, and looks stock as the oil line and wiring are appear to be done by the factory.

My guess is that it was an option for a towing package, but the Chilton's manual makes no mention of it, and a few semi-intelligent searches don't bring up anything for such with a manual transmissions, just a few that reference automatics.

I've never heard it come on... but then again, I've never had any thing but normal temperatures on the engine.

Anyone know what I'm looking at? I'll get pictures if necessary, but my guess is that it is a stock option, so somebody else out there has one as well.

 

i dont think these are stock, do you have amechanical fan also??? Or just the E-fan? I know the e-fan is a common mod for a lot of the guys on here, but I dont know of a factory e-fan, which of course doesnt mean it isnt out there...

 

It is an electric fan over and above the stock fan. The stock fan, as you know, is on the motor side of the radiator, whereas this fits over, and covers about 18" in diameter right against the radiator, on the grill side. So it is some kind of auxillary fan.

I just called a dealer parts department, and he too does not think its stock. If it is not stock, somebody did a lot of careful work.

 

Could be for your A/C.
If it only comes on when your A/C is on then that's it.

 

i have the smaller pusher fan on my too.. it is stock feature. i'm not 100% sure but i believe its for the AC

 

Now that I think of it, I also have an Electric fan. Like the one described by Mr Harper. It is on the Grille side of the radiator on the right side from the driver's POV. I've only heard it come on once. It wasn't a really hot day, infact it was kind of cold, and I Hadn't been running my 4runner especially hard or anything. Anyways I parked my truck at the airport and proceeded to start washing it and then I heard it turn on. I quit with the water and looked over everything where I had sprayed thinking maybe I triggered something or shorted something. Anyways the truck was OFF completely but the fan ran on its own. I turned on my truck and ran it thinking the truck was in panic mode or something from overheating but the belt fan shut off after just a few seconds and the other fan was STILL running, even after I shut down again. Thats the only time I heard it. Also I have my AC disabled and I have had it like that for a while so I don't know why it was running.

 

Thanks. I believe that is correct. I do not use the A/C, yet. Needs recharging, not a showstopper, so I've not bothered with it for now.

 

Now you've left us with a head-scratcher.

Maybe the truck was excited by the airplanes near-by..

 

Well, I took the AC belt off one day when I was replacing all of my belts. The AC belt was about to take a dump and I never use AC anyways so I just took it off and left it off.

 

Yes, it is for A/C only. You won't see it on non A/C trucks. It will come on only when line pressure builds to a certain point on really hot days. I can't remember if its the high or low pressure side but I know its a pressure switch. They are good little fans!

 

if it is mounted in front of the condenser and NOT the radiator, then its an aux pusher for the A/C like tex was talkin about. if its in front of your radiator and theres no condenser present, my best guess is that its aftermarket.

 

yeah got one too. I have AC and thought it had something to do with that as well... It was my dad's Runner before he gave it to me. He saw it cut on when I was in the driveway still ideling. He wanted to know what "contraption" I installed on "his truck" "this time." I said uh? He said that fan.... uh what "fan" I said. So on and on we went, but we were both unknowing of it's existance until then. I then saw it cut on once and thought that the only way you can be aware of it is IF you CATCH it turning on when it does. I thought it had something to do with the AC as it just seemed AC-esk to me. The condensor is indeed righ there so that is a strong poss.

So would it look getto if one put a chromed fan blade there? lol

 

do you think it will fit behind the grill of a 92 pickup?

 

i believe they only started putting them in 2nd Gen 4runners and pickups so yes it will fit. My buddy had a 90 pickup with one in it. He eventually put in all elec fans and took it off and gave to me. I plan on adding it next to my stock one on my Runner.

 

oh man really? i dont have one. i think thats going to be my next project.