First off a quick hello to everybody out there. I recently found this board, and am very impressed with all the help and hospitality found here.

Now to the problem at hand. Last night I installed a Fle-A-Lite (FAL) electric fan model 165, and the manual overide switch, on my 88 4Runner with the V6. After a long night thrashing to get everything else together (long story, I will save it to bore you with at another time if you would like to hear it) I got in and turned the ignition on. The light on the overide switch came on and so did the fan, I hadn't even cranked the truck. I thought the switch was supposed to turn the fan off after my rig had warmed up, not ON as soon as I turned on the ignition. So, I rechecked all of my wiring, and everything checked out okay. Tried again, same thing. Then I got this bright idea that maybe I had the live, and the ground mixed up on the switch. WRONG! Very, very bad idea to switch these two wires. As soon as I did and tried the switch again, the ground wire melted the insulation off, and the swith burned, letting the three connections on the back melt and fall out. Well, so much for the switch, for now I guess. I I just don't wire the switch the fan should work just off of the thermostat correct? Does anyone have any idea what the problem might be (besides the obvious user error)? Please help.

Thanks in advance,

Nak

 

The switch is designed to stop the fan from coming on when doing a water crossing, etc as far as I know. I did not install mine yet, but I will at some point. I don't have my directions handy, so I'm not sure of the wiring off the top of my head.

The thermostat is what governs the fan. Maybe the thermostat was adjusted to have it come on at a really low temp and that's why it was coming on when you flipped the cutoff switch??

I'd get it set up with the minimum connections first, then start adding the bells and whistles.

Just my .02

Welcome Newbie!!

 

Actually, that switch is only an override in case the auto t-stat fails. It doesn't turn the fan off. Found this out when I installed mine. I had to wire in another toggle switch to completely shut the fan off for water crossings etc.

 

1. As Cebby indicated, Do be sure the t-stat knob is turned all the way up (hottest setting - consult the instructions on which way to turn it). This could be your only problem.

2. If you're using the AC feature, also be sure your AC is OFF! If you've wired this correctly, the fan is on when the compressor clutch is engaged. The AC feature will override the manual switch, so both the switch and the AC have to be off to ensure the fan remains off. Be sure you have this going to the correct terminal of the t-stat.

3. The switch has 3 connections - hot in, hot out and ground. Again consult the instructions on which is which - THIS IS CRITICAL!

4. The hot in should be connected to a hot wire somewhere near your fuse block. I found a suitable wire coming from the fuse block and energized only with the ignition on using my service manual and spliced into that. This way the wire is properly fused.

5. The hot out should connect directly to the proper terminal on the t-stat. Again consult the instructions.

6. The ground of course goes to a suitable chassis ground point. It's only function is to allow the light to work. The switch will work without it.

Hope this helps. I'll try to check back later...

 

I have tested my 96's fuse block with a multimeter, and I can find nothing coming out of the fuse block to tap into. Do you remember which fuse you tapped?

Thanks.

 

I didn't remember there being an option for that. Thanks for the clarification - is that when using the Flex-a-lite switch? I am installing a switch (w/relay) just to interrupt the power for water crossings, etc. If my t-stat quits, I'll hot wire it to run constantly on the trail if need be...

 

Every where I've read, it says this switch is to shut the fan off, maybe you and I have made the same mistake somewhere? OR...what I'd rather like to think is we got defective control modules and it's not my fault at all...he he he yeah right.

Also, I'm not using the A/C lead, since my A/C doesn't work. The only thing I could see different than your installation PY, is that I ran the power to my switch directly from my battery insted of the fuse block. This shouldn't be the problem though since as soon as the switch would get power, it would tun the fan on anyway, correct? How, did/where did you tap youre fuse block? I also checked the thermostat knob and adjusted it both ways, it didn't do anything. I won't know whether the thermostat even works until I get a new intake in, hopefully in the next couple of days, so I guess I could be having other problems too (knock on wood).

Any other ideas, or is am I going to have to break down and try to call Flex-A-Lite to figure out what I've done? Thanks for all the help so far, hopefully I will have a chance tomorrow to go back and re-recheck my wiring. Thanks y'all for you help and suggestions.

Nak

 

Good idea Cebby. I agree it is good to get the basic wiring hooked up, and then go for the goodies later.

I just hooked up my AC relay, and it was cake! Took me about 15 mintues including soldering.

I like the switch interrupt idea, I am going to do that too. Maybe one of those F-14 missle launching switches...

 

I don't know what kind of switch you had, but if you are sending the power wire that goes to the fan directly to the switch, that would normally cook it unless it is a switch that can handle alot of current. The main power wire fuse is a 20 amp I think. I can't remember, but shouldn't the 12v connected to ign be switched and not the main constant 12V wire? The ign. wire is a sensing lead, not the main power path. If you want to switch the main power wire, you can use a relay.

I need to find my notes and the directions to verify...

:pat:

 

Close...it's a 20. At least mine is. So far so good.

 

*fixed*

 

Here's a link to FALs install instrucions http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/instructions/165.pdf. As far as I can tell, I've got her wired up correctly. I will have to recheck everything tomorrow when I get the kids off to daycare. Cebby the switch I was using was from FAL. Also, you totally lost me with your last post, sorry. Take a look at the install instructions and see what you think.

Py, did you install the FAL overide switch? Does it shut the fan OFF when you flip it, or always on like I experienced and seems a couple others have also? Where is Georgetown, TX anyway? I'm a Texas transplant of about 10 years, and still can't find my way around.

Thanks all.


Nak

 

I think what Cebby is reffering to is that you can't run the main power wire directly from the battery to the manual cut-off switch and then back to the fan. The switch can't handle the current, and that length of wire probably couldn't either.

The main power wire goes from the battery to the circuit breaker (that's what I got from FAL) or the main fuse (which is what some other people have recieved in the kit) then to the main power terminal of the t-stat.

The manual over-ride switch only switches a small current to the t-stat so the relay in the t-stat handles the main current to the fan.

I'll have to dig around to see which wire I tapped into - may take some time, which I have extremely little of nowadaze.

I leave the switch ON normally, and the fan functions correctly: It comes on when the sensor gets hot, off when it cools, and on for the AC compressor. If I turn the switch off, the fan only comes on with the AC compressor.

As I recall, I had a bunch of trouble figuring out the diagram in the instructions, maybe that's the problem. I don't think they used standard symbology.

Also, I think they had the switch diagrams for manual ON only - you have to figure it out for yourself if want the switch to be a manual OFF.

Georgetown is on I35 about 30 miles north of Austin.

 

Duh, actually looking at the instructions now!

Where it says "Control box terminals and connections", terminal B gets the BIG wire directly from the battery.

DO NOT CONNECT Terminal M! Supplying power to this terminal with the switch over-rides the t-stat and turns the fan ON no matter what. If you wire it like these instructions, the switch will be a manual ON, as some have described.

Connect the "+" terminal to terminal 1 on the manual switch using the small wire instead. This makes the switch a manual OFF. Terminal 2 on the switch goes the wire near your fuse block.

 

Yup, that's the case when using their switch and wiring it to the specified terminal on the control box. In the on position the fan turns on and in the off position the fan will run automatically. IIRC, I wired my toggle switch inline of the 12V low amp source wire so I wouldn't need a relay. I also wired in an indicator lamp to let me know when the fan is running.

 

That's what I was getting at with the cutoff and/or manual activation switch wiring - not to run the high amp through the switch. I like the indicator lamp idea - I'll be using that eventually.

I see now that they say you need to use their switch? I wonder what's so special about it?? I'll bet it's "specialness" is matched by its price ($$$)

 

Sounds good to me. I won't have a chance to try it until Thursday (if I can find another suitable switch), but that seems to explain it. Thanks.

Didn't seem so special to me, it burned like any other switch would when you stupidly switch wires. I hope it isn't too special, since I now need another one, and it's probably coming from the local parts place.

Thanks again everyone for your help and patience. Look for my other post on why I am having to replace the fan anyway...I told you I would bore you with it eventually...hehehe

Thanks all

Nak

 

Definitely nothing special about the switch. It's a Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) type.

If somebody wants, get a 3 position Single Pole Dual Throw (SPDT) switch. It'll have 3 main terminals, not including any terminals for lights. Wire the middle or common terminal to the power source, another terminal to the M terminal of the "control box" and the third terminal of the switch to the + terminal of the control box. Then you'll have an "ON-OFF-AUTO" switch, with no extra relays!

If you're feeling special and ambitious, get a Double Pole Dual Throw (DPDT) switch. It'll have 6 terminals. Wire one pole as above. Wire the second pole to switch the power from the AC compressor to terminal C on the control box using the same throw as "AUTO" above. You'll need a bunch more wire, and one terminal on the switch will remain unused. Now the OFF position will be OFF, even if the AC comes on.