hydraulic fan actuator replacement

BlacksonAudio

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So i'm having the fans spin but never ramp up speeds.
i know the part is discontinued so my only hope is t find a working one in a u pull it but my questions are... is there a fuse or relay that would go bad that would cause this? I read that once it has been replaced to fill the resevoir with fluid and put it under vacuum for 3-5 min then start the AC. Then i read most say they just swap in a new one, fill the fluid and it works. Anyone that has done it not just repeating what they read would be greatly appreciated.
 
I have changed my actuator 2x and have not needed to vacuum air purge the hydraulics. Not sure about a dedicated fuse, but 10/10 it's just the actuator. The last time this came up, the fix was to buy a new pump with the actuator already installed. Not sure if Jaguar used this setup in their early S types, but a few parts that Ford has dropped for these cars are still available for the applicable S type and I would give that a try. In my opinion, it's not worth the risk of getting one from a recycler, for the hassle involved in replacing it. Also in my opinion, I would seriously look into converting to electric fan.
 
I agree 100% with Mike and I would first try to take the existing actuator/solenoid out and clean it ...I used WD-40 on mine along with carb cleaner ...after you clean it shake it and listen carefully you can acutually hear the piston moving ...you'll feel it with your hand if its moving in there after you clean it really good ... hook it up to 12V battery and listen for a click when the electricity hits it ...if you hear it click reinstall it and flush out the hydraulic system really good with clean Mercon V ...so.e have said they will only use synthetic transmission fluid ...I personally use Mercon V ...make sure your AC is Fully Charged and your good to go...Note: if your AC isnt properly charged and functional your hydraulic fam will not kick up in speed ..IIRC ...its a T-40 or T-60 to remove actuator ...if you have any other questions once it's out let us know ...good luck
 
So i'm having the fans spin but never ramp up speeds.
i know the part is discontinued so my only hope is t find a working one in a u pull it but my questions are... is there a fuse or relay that would go bad that would cause this? I read that once it has been replaced to fill the resevoir with fluid and put it under vacuum for 3-5 min then start the AC. Then i read most say they just swap in a new one, fill the fluid and it works. Anyone that has done it not just repeating what they read would be greatly appreciated.
By the way move the AC line utta the way running across the car from left to right it is well worth moving that line ...and remove the actuator from under the car and then disconnect housing from the top of engine bay ...I found that way easier ..also a 4 inch extension on the Torx socket is a must IIRC
 
So i installed the new(used) actuator... again didn't prime/bleed the pump only because i'm not sure how. Started car and turn AC on high and let car idle for hour... 250 degrees and overheating later the fans still never ramped up. I'm at a loss...
 
So i installed the new(used) actuator
Did you make sure the new (used) Actuator is working properly? Did you put 12 Volts on it and make sure to hear it click? It will make a clicking sound whenever it shuts and/or opens? Did you shake the actuator and feel the piston freed up and sliding back and forth in your fingers? Did you drain the reservoir and suck as much Mercon V out as possible (you might want to do this a few times so that you can be assured that clean and fresh fluid is in the system) with a suction hose? When you open the reservoir cap can you physically see with your eyes the Mercon V moving in the reservoir? If the hydraulic pump and hydraulic fan motor is circulating the fluid correctly you should be able to see the Mercon actually moving in the reservoir...Is your AC fully charged and working properly? ) This means blowing nice cold air 45 degrees (Temperature should be 40 to 42 deg F. Higher fan speeds, resulting in high air volume,will result in higher vent temps.) If you answered YES to all these questions then you have bigger problems than the solenoid/actuator...Here is the Thread that helped me fix mine...good luck
How-To Repair : Hydraulic Fan Pump Actuator / Solenoid
 
again didn't prime/bleed the pump only because i'm not sure how.
I never had to disconnect the hydraulic pump or hydraulic motor from my LSE so I never bled it either...didn't have to ....I did however drained/suctioned as much fluid as I could about four or five times due to a pinkish/ pukey pink color of fluid in the system when i first bought it...more than likely the... idiot ...I mean owner... :) who owned it before me thought you're suppose to put Coolant in there because of the little fan symbol on the reservoir cap..anyway...I never did any bleeding procedure and I would believe unless the hydraulic fan system is giving you red flag signals that it's in need of bleeding you won't have to either
 
So the important point is to make sure the A/C system is fully charged... to rule out s bad cooling fan pump/actuator.

And the catch is that you can't charge it correctly (unless you evacuate it and weight the refrigerant back in) if the fan isn't working.

To be clear here, the fan won't increase speed due to the AC being turned on if the AC system pressure is low. It will still increase due to the engine getting hot even if the AC is empty, but that takes longer as a diagnostic.
 
And the catch is that you can't charge it correctly (unless you evacuate it and weight the refrigerant back in) if the fan isn't working.
Yes it's about $135 at a quicklane or any Service Shop that has the proper AC evacuation system and filler machine...the LS doesnt want you to use some cheap crap AC can filler from Auto Parts Store...this Car is a Luxury Sport and must be serviced properly...stepping off Soap Box....;)
 
Well i forgot i didnt throw the old part away. cleaning the kitchen table and there it was. So i shook it and didnt hear anything. I sprayed a bit of WD-40 in the top and it came out the side holes. Did that a couple of times looking for grit and saw nothing. But as i was shaken it to see if grit would come out... wait. I hear a clickity sound!! I think i hear the piston. I dont have a 12volt source and it's 4am in the morning so I'll be trying this one again tuhmarruh. :) fingers crossed.
 
Always one for the book... been working on this since Saturday, 7 days. I figured out why it was still running hot after swapping out the actuators. Like my last post said i cleaned my old one and was getting ready to swap it back in. First step. Siphon out the fluuuuiii.... uh, resevoir looked half full. Let me fill it up... start car... fan came blasting on!!! Doh!!! That's what happens when i wait to work on my car at late night after the family is asleep and i'm tired. Lmao!! I'm all good so far... car running for last 30minutes A/c on 60* full blast and temp has idled at 205. Thanks guys for all input. :))
 
Always one for the book... been working on this since Saturday, 7 days. I figured out why it was still running hot after swapping out the actuators. Like my last post said i cleaned my old one and was getting ready to swap it back in. First step. Siphon out the fluuuuiii.... uh, resevoir looked half full. Let me fill it up... start car... fan came blasting on!!! Doh!!! That's what happens when i wait to work on my car at late night after the family is asleep and i'm tired. Lmao!! I'm all good so far... car running for last 30minutes A/c on 60* full blast and temp has idled at 205. Thanks guys for all input. :))
Yes after you intentionally drained the system the first time and refilled it after replacing the actuator...the fluid will go low in reservoir due to the Mercon cycling through the system again ...good catch and I apologize for not giving you a heads up on this ...glad the fan is working properly again ...you still saved tons of labor and money compared to what could've happened with this situation ...great job!
 

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