Nissan Frontier overheating after electric fan install.

[ntsqd]

Look up the VDO catalog and find a temperature switch with the rating that you want. These are not much more than a threaded plug with a terminal on the end. Can order them from Summit or possibly a LAPS if you have one with counter folk who know what they're doing.

Use the switch to ground the control side of a Bosch type relay and turn on the fan(s). Since you have a two speed fan you can use two switches of different temp ratings with two relays for a staged system.

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All of that aside, I'd also be inclined to also go back to the mechanical fan, and supplement it with an auxiliary fan that via a relay comes one with the A/C clutch. That should give you the best of both worlds.

[dust devil]

From experience, electric fans are rarely anywhere near as effective as a stock fan. Worse, most fans and their partner thermostat switches are manufactured as auxiliary devices, that is, they are intended to come on at some pre-set temperature, usually at or above the temperature of the engine thermostat, in order to boost the standard system at the high end of demand. They are not intended for 100 percent duty cycle or as primary devices. If you don't have an engine-driven fan running all the time, having even an efficient e-fan come on at or above the engine thermostat temperature won't work.

The temperature of the coolant returning to the engine needs to be 30 degrees or more cooler than the coolant entering the radiator in order for the radiator to keep up with engine demand. If the fan stat comes on around the same temperature as the engine thermostat (or higher in some e-switch applications), the engine will be demanding cooled water, but will be getting hot water or only marginally cooled water unless you are traveling at highway speeds because of limited or non-existent air flow. Even when the engine thermostat is closed so that water is not circulating, air needs to be moving over the radiator to bring temperature of the stalled coolant down prior to demand. This virtually requires that if you have only an electric fan, it needs to run all the time.

Having the electric fan running all the time about negates the use of the electric fan to start with. Even really good e-fans produce only 3,000 cfm or so, which is far below a good stock fan, and the electric they draw challenges the alternator, which is harder to spin under load. Nothing in thermal dynamics is free. The trade off in power consumption between a good stock belt driven fan and a high performance e-fan is so slight that it makes no sense to change to electric as your primary system if you have any cooling issues whatever. I can't recall any manufacturer who uses only an electric fan for primary cooling, and most high performance systems that use electric fans from the manufacturer use more than one in combination with a good belt driven fan.

I would limit the use of an electric fan to the role of auxiliary cooling and leave the full-time air moving to the stock fan. The problems you are having are predictable, in my opinion. I have had them also, and every time have had to go back to a stock fan or some combination of stock/electric to achieve adequate cooling in off road use.

[adrenaline503]

From experience, electric fans are rarely anywhere near as effective as a stock fan. Worse, most fans and their partner thermostat switches are manufactured as auxiliary devices, that is, they are intended to come on at some pre-set temperature, usually at or above the temperature of the engine thermostat, in order to boost the standard system at the high end of demand. They are not intended for 100 percent duty cycle or as primary devices. If you don't have an engine-driven fan running all the time, having even an efficient e-fan come on at or above the engine thermostat temperature won't work.

The temperature of the coolant returning to the engine needs to be 30 degrees or more cooler than the coolant entering the radiator in order for the radiator to keep up with engine demand. If the fan stat comes on around the same temperature as the engine thermostat (or higher in some e-switch applications), the engine will be demanding cooled water, but will be getting hot water or only marginally cooled water unless you are traveling at highway speeds because of limited or non-existent air flow. Even when the engine thermostat is closed so that water is not circulating, air needs to be moving over the radiator to bring temperature of the stalled coolant down prior to demand. This virtually requires that if you have only an electric fan, it needs to run all the time.

Having the electric fan running all the time about negates the use of the electric fan to start with. Even really good e-fans produce only 3,000 cfm or so, which is far below a good stock fan, and the electric they draw challenges the alternator, which is harder to spin under load. Nothing in thermal dynamics is free. The trade off in power consumption between a good stock belt driven fan and a high performance e-fan is so slight that it makes no sense to change to electric as your primary system if you have any cooling issues whatever. I can't recall any manufacturer who uses only an electric fan for primary cooling, and most high performance systems that use electric fans from the manufacturer use more than one in combination with a good belt driven fan.

I would limit the use of an electric fan to the role of auxiliary cooling and leave the full-time air moving to the stock fan. The problems you are having are predictable, in my opinion. I have had them also, and every time have had to go back to a stock fan or some combination of stock/electric to achieve adequate cooling in off road use.

Okay, that has to be the most useful explanation that I have seen about this subject. The original reason for installing the e-fans was a widely reported increase in gas mileage. That did turn out to be true. The reasoning was that the drag of the clutch fan was eliminated. I knew that the increased load on the alternator would create some drag of its own, but it would be less than than the clutch fan.

I know there is no free lunch. I got the fan for cheap and thought I would give it a shot.

[FreeManDan]

From experience, electric fans are rarely anywhere near as effective as a stock fan.

I would have to respectfully disagree sir, here is a list of my experience with my cars, family and friends' cars.
89 Buick lesaber 3.8l v6 with a 10” Hayden fan and 8” junk yard fan from cutlass or fire chicken or something, way more then adequate (even when the AC actually worked).
89 Isuzu trooper 2.2l turbo diesel with 12” Hayden fan, more then adequate.
93 Isuzu Amigo 2.6l I4 with 12” Hayden fan, more then adequate and far superior then stock mechanical fan.
88 F150 with 2 12” summit racing fans, adequate even for medium duty towing.
90 or 91 mustang 5.0 with 2 10” fans, adequate for armature drag racing and daily driver (although he did have to upgrade his alternator).

The only reason a Nissan Frontier v6 CAN’T have an electric fan would be the addition of other electric accessories out running the alternator. We could easily theorize a Maxima fan isn’t up to the task due to its variable speeds.
When you by a fan it should say how big of an engine it can cool, for example 14” Hayden fan should cool up to a 351 cu engine.

[ntsqd]

Rather than engine size, fans should be rated for the horsepower level that they can cool. Fuel = horsepower = heat. More fuel, more horsepower, more heat. Even that is kind of sketchy because an overly adequate or inadequate for the application radiator will skew things, possibly considerably.

I've had mixed results with aftermarket fans and tend to shy away from them. The OE fans (particularly the later models like the much vaunted and commonly used on Class 1 desert racers & comp crawler buggies "Taurus" fan) that I have used in the past have been superior to any aftermarket offering that I've seen or used.

[adrenaline503]

I might just switch back to the stock clutch fan. I like the benefits of the e-fans but reliability is probably more important.

[HenryJ]

I have been running LS1 e-fans on my truck for five years now. Tested in the high desert of SW Oregon to central Utah. 100+ temps crawling the trails. They work better than the stock clutch fan for my application. I do tow a 4000# car and trailer from time to time. A 2000# boat on the weekends and a 1500# offroad trailer on trips. My truck can gross 5995# expedition ready. I went to e-fans since I wanted to improve low speed cooling and also lower the operating temperature. The stock clutch fan does not lock until 235 F and that is just too late. There are not lower temp clutches available for the s-series. A Ford Explorer fan and clutch is an option, but it has draw backs too, as it is smaller.

This is mine: LS1 fans conversion

AC stays cooler, warm ups are quicker. I have a manual override to activate or deactivate if needed. The VSC softens the load applied to the alternator, but as with any additional load, upgrading the alternator was necessary. It is a combination, not just adding fans that made the "whole" work properly. Controller, fans, t-stat, extra capacity radiator, alternator. It all must work together.

These fans were designed to keep a V-8 Camaro cool. They do just fine to keep my little V-6 running cool. The twin fans give some redundancy a double failure is not as likely. While the controller could be a problem, it is easily bypassed. I have not had any worries about failures. There are quite a few Camaros out there not losing any sleep over it either.

I will agree that the stock clutch fans are hard to beat. They are simple and at rpm they do move lots of air. Hard to beat that combination. The idea e-fans are going to save mileage is going to be hard to justify. The money spent in the conversion may never be recovered. If your stock fan is working, leave it alone.

In my case I wanted to lower the operating temperatures. This was my answer and it has worked very well for me.

[BiG BoB]

I would have to respectfully disagree sir, here is a list of my experience with my cars, family and friends' cars.
89 Buick lesaber 3.8l v6 with a 10” Hayden fan and 8” junk yard fan from cutlass or fire chicken or something, way more then adequate (even when the AC actually worked).
89 Isuzu trooper 2.2l turbo diesel with 12” Hayden fan, more then adequate.
93 Isuzu Amigo 2.6l I4 with 12” Hayden fan, more then adequate and far superior then stock mechanical fan.
88 F150 with 2 12” summit racing fans, adequate even for medium duty towing.
90 or 91 mustang 5.0 with 2 10” fans, adequate for armature drag racing and daily driver (although he did have to upgrade his alternator).

The only reason a Nissan Frontier v6 CAN’T have an electric fan would be the addition of other electric accessories out running the alternator. We could easily theorize a Maxima fan isn’t up to the task due to its variable speeds.
When you by a fan it should say how big of an engine it can cool, for example 14” Hayden fan should cool up to a 351 cu engine.

Where abouts are you in the world? The ambient temperature these vehicles are operating in would have a big impact on this.

While you might get away with driving at highway speeds in winter with your electric fan, it might not be as good working hard in soft sand at the height of summer.

[FreeManDan]

Texas, today it hit 105

[roninjiro]

i tried using 2 12" summit racing electric fans myself with the a variable speed controller when i was living in utah. i have had nothing but trouble with it when i removed my stock clutch fan. but it did keep my a/c cool at stoplights better. but when i used those and the clutch fan..... it worked out great. i actually took one of the fans off and now just have one electric fan and the clutch fan. works wonderful still, but with less amperage draw and load on the alternator. i don't think i would wanna try to rely on just electric fans again, just too risky when your miles and miles from the most remote civilization. just my .02