B.S. To go from 20 to 22 mpg is a huge amount of energy. More than 5hp cut in power needed to maintain an SUV at highway speed. It's simple math. Given the size of the fan, and how fast at spins, your claim of 2 MPG simply goes again the laws of physics.

It's like saying I took off my 70lb spare, and got 2MPG. It's just not even close.

Replacing a mechanical fan with an electric is just unfortunate. Electric fans are installed on most vehicles because they have transversely mounted engines. You can't stick a mechanical fan on them. Just can't. Replacing a superior mechanical design with an inferior design that was meant as a workaround on transverse engines just doesn't make sense.

 

Do you have the controller wired to run with the ign switch off or on?

 

I ran the Flex a lite fan and controller on my '85 for a few years. Always had to fiddle with the adjustment on the thermostat to keep it working properly. I think the biggest weakness of an electric fan is the thermostat and how it is mounted and how it works. I got tired of dealing with that fan and went back to the stock fan clutch. I noticed less than 1MPG difference between the two setups, in fact when I put on a new fan clutch that spun easier (the old unit was very stiff), I gained as much MPG as I did with the e-fan.

I have driven water cooled VWs for close to 30 years and they have an electric fan and never had a problem with those, aside from one time I got water into the fan relay from a leaking windshield gasket. But VW has the thermostat in a sealed fitting that screws into a hole in the radiator tank. It is in direct contact with the coolant and is non-adjustable (outside of swapping to a different temperature range unit - they have 2 or 3 ranges available). It is a super simple system, in fact in my non-AC VW I now drive, there is only a fuse, the fan motor and the thermostat in the circuit. So a simple circuit and having the thermostat in direct contact with the coolant are key to having a reliable system.

 

ok so Toyota designed a 4runner that cannot handle it's own engine heat driving at 2mph on steep rocks on a 130 degree day when all stock components are working and not broken ?

wrong.

you can drive a 4runner in the desert all day and it's cooling system is fine fine fine. no need for an electric fan. temp can go up to 230 degrees in the cooling system 4runner will just laugh at it. if you have a clogged radiator, bad coolant, stale coolant, other engine problems then maybe not. but if the 4runner is healthy, you pretty much can't kill it.

 

You don't want an electric fan. We get it.

 

Some of us are so far from stock it isn't funny.

 

I have the system wired so the relay gets power with the ignition switch off. I wired the power for the relays from my aux fuse panel through the modified Toyota heater fan switch to the relays/fan. The LO speed fan will come on if the radiator temp increases above about 185. I let it come up to operating temp then with the fan running adjusted it to shut off just above normal ops temp. The HI speed is fully manual operation, you can select it anytime and it kicks into high speed.

 

Well you can say BS all you want but I have hard numbers to back up what I did. I made the EXACT same trip last year with the same truck. I did all the preliminary maintenance prior to my departing, almost the exact same weight of kids and equipment same exact distance, same weather, same speeds same everything, even the same gas stations! The best milage I got was 22.3 mpg with an over all average of 20.5. So fast forward to this year, the only thing that changed was the cooling fan, a rear brake seal replaced and a larger oil filter. Best milage I got was 24.3 mpg with an over all average of 22.6

Soooooo 22.6 minus 20.5 square root mmmmm carry the 1, mmmm times the coefficient of pi mmmmmmm ah there it is! 2 MPG Now how did that happen??? Hey I didn't invent the laws of mathematics just know how to use them. So you can argue all you want with me on this but the numbers don't lie. I got the receipts for the fuel and the miles driven. So you can say what you want, the only thing that got changed was the fan for the cooling system. It isn't rocket science, or maybe it is??

 

What a concept!

 

I dont really have anything to add about fixing your fan, but i think its great idea and the concepts behind it make it worth while. Everyone also told me i was crazy seeing 2mpg gain with deckplate + ISR. I was doing 80mph all the way from LA to bishop which is up hill all the way. I got 22.8mpg. And on the return trip doing same speeds with a head wind i still got 20.9. Like you say every little bit helps.

Best of luck with your fan, i too also think its have something to do with wiring which im sure you know by now.

 

Yeah the relay gets a direct wire to power, but is the controller getting power with the ign off or on? The controller is what flips the switch to turn on the relay. You said you had a problem with the fan running while the ign switch is off right? So I was trying to narrow the problem down to either the relay or the controller.

 

Thanks Goat, well did some troubleshooting based on the responses, checked wires and power inputs, switch contacts and found the issue was with the relay. Pulled the relay, cleaned the contacts, reseated the relay, drove the truck to get her up to operating temp then readjusted the thermostat set point to just above the point the fan would kick on and that seems to have done the trick. The fan is not cycling anymore and yes, the DEFROST position does activate the AC clutch power lead. I really do love that Fluke digital multimeter.

So to all of those who were so willing to give honest genuine help, I do thank you for helping me to eliminate alot of unnecessary tron chasing.

 

Glad you figured it out. What amp rating is that relay? I'm guessing you're overloading it (at least on start-up) and the problem will return if you don't upgrade it.

 

That was one of the problems with my electric fan set up. It drew so much power that the connections would corrode or something. When I would clean them off and reapply dialectic grease, everything would be fine. I am not sure what to suggest to help out if that is part of your problem...

 

I am using the stock 30 amp relays that came with the kits. I was looking to maybe go to a 40-50 amp relay but could not find one. Thinking about uping the output of the alternator as well. I have seen upgraded ones with output rating of 130 amps but can't find anything in Toyota off the shelf.

The clean and dialectric grease is a good idea, I may have to look into that, its all preventative now. Thanks

 

Is that relay turning on the high speed of the fan? If so, that's not big enough and will not last long, especially with an instant-on type controller. There is a big spike in power draw on start-up, that's why a soft-start variable speed controller is so much better.

You may have to order a bigger relay online, they can be hard to find sometimes, especially ones over 40amps. I'm using a 40 amp relay for a manual start backup on my fan, but it controls the low speed only, not the high. I have a completely separate control system for backup (low speed side) The main DCC variable speed controller is wired to the high speed side. A toggle switch will allow me to go to backup at the flip of a switch in the event of a failure of the main controller.

 

I read this a little late, but was gonna say, needs to be either the switch, or the relay...carry a spare relay for safety sakes....

 

glad to see you were able to diagnose it out. like tcm glx my answer honestly was going to be "relay". Like I know crap, I kind of thought you had a couple of them in series or parallel with the controller. Point being -the more connections involved the more complex the diagnosis. You had to know you were going to be the one to solve it, these guys just helped you think it through.

guys if you can't be of help or encouragement please suppress the notion to bash a dude already down. Trying to talk some one out of a mod already done is not productive really is it? what thrill do you get being derisive to others ? is that how you like to seek help on the forum?

Ritz perfected this mod to our application-he did not invent the electric fan. Go throw some stones at Edison's house wouldya? Bet there are still folks pissed off they have their neighbor's night light shining on their truck all night jeez

Help a dude talk it out or just watch patiently a few days please. Mastacox and a couple of others seem to have done some research into these things-sorry forgetting the name the dude with the VWs obviously so ( edit4Crawler thanks very much) -please watch and learn or just go away.

I see plenty of threads I know nothing about-I don't jump in and go "Old man Emu sucks" just to get a rise out of everyone.

If I was looking to bait you all I would say "the first OU over Wyoming tomorrow by 3 in Laramie"

That's Ohio U established 1804 to you -you Sooner goons-first game new college football season come on I can take it....bring it

 

This looks like some good info on relays for the taurus fans:

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=99700

For those looking to use the DCC controller disregard, you don't need relays for that controller, it has an integrated switching system. Unless you want to wire one fan speed on seperate control circuit for backup.

This one looks good too:
http://highrpm.org/howto/taurus%20fa...taurusfan.HTML

Another:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346676

Another, I like the quote in this one http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=73400