Main radiator Fan Manual Override?

See above.

RAB

I did remember that it should be openable, its more of a "can it be opened with the top still plugged in and attached to the Car?"

With only 2 hands, its quite the struggle to keep all 8 Tabs from latching unfortunately.
 
You have to release the tab that keeps the two parts together, as shown in the video. Otherwise they won't come apart. As for the controller, the tabs have to be prised open with a small screwdriver, one by one, without letting those previously open from closing. It can be done!

RAB
 
I do understand that, its Just that applying Any force whatsoever makes the handle at the top break Off pretty much instantly, which means the hook/nose can No longer be unlatched.

The Tabs on the Control Module meanwhile are on there so tightly you'd need 5 hands to hold screwdrivers in all of them without losing those down the engine bay.

Seems its more of a "how many Things can I Break?" at this Point..
 

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As you lift one of the tabs, slip a strip of thin plastic under it. You can then work on the next tub again slipping in a strip of plastic to hold the tab open. Repeat until all tabs are on plastic strips, the housing comes apart relatively easy now with just 2 hands.
For the electrical plugs that end up being stuck onto the internal rubber seal, I have had good success using the SILICONE WD40 spray... The straw is useful to defy gravity to get into the plugs.


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I do understand that, its Just that applying Any force whatsoever makes the handle at the top break Off pretty much instantly, which means the hook/nose can No longer be unlatched.

The Tabs on the Control Module meanwhile are on there so tightly you'd need 5 hands to hold screwdrivers in all of them without losing those down the engine bay.

Seems its more of a "how many Things can I Break?" at this Point..
If you press the plug down first & then place a flat bladed screwdriver on the broken
section of the lever & push towards the wires the plug should then release.
Hope that helps
Keith.

ive just had exactly this situation
& replaced the plug.
 
I did Not. To this day I have not been able to get the plugs off. Even bought the supposedly correct tool but even that doesnt work on the 2 remaining intact ones while the broken yellow one sits as tightly on there as ever.
I'd Love to push on them but there is not even half a millimetre of give there Like it's superglued together inside.

With constant rain for weeks here in Germany I've been able to get by without a working fan so far so I guess I'm stuck without it forever at this rate. (Or until its next inspection I guess - Wonder how an actual mechanic would get this off)
 

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I assume you have also tried with one person pushing down on the plug and trying the release while another trying lever the plug off? Very possible the internals have corroded fusing the parts together.

If you get replacement plugs the answer may be to cut the existing ones open to get them off. Once off clean and inspect then replace the plugs.
 
Well, here is where it gets interesting.

The next best repair shop guy's idea was as suggested here, press on the remaining bit that the top broke off of, then push & pull the whole thing.
He broke the plug within 5 seconds, then broke the "handle" on the black, middle plug. At this point he was unwilling to continue and sent me on my way. ?


Interestingly, even though the whole inner "wall" that goes around the hook is gone, it still stuck on anyways, as it appears that the non-round corner of the plug does some magic gripping that keeps it on.

After some wiggling, I got the small plug off as well with the help of the tool shown in #27.

Finally, for the middle, black one, after loosening an insert piece at the top of the plug, I was able to press that one down and fit a screwdriver in the small hole to bend the inner wall out and get that one off.


Next, I got to change out my control unit for a used part I'd gotten off ebay weeks ago.

Reseat the plugs and.... nothing :mad:


Looks like the whole "fan turns on when hammering on the control module" thing was random and something else is broken. Good times.


3dB even suggested that it might be the fan itself
Do not blame the fan control module before you checked out fan itself. It has brushes that can get corroded and disconnected or plainly worn out. I had same problem with my 1.4TDI - fan not working, temps climbing. At that time had not any spare money available to buy a new fan, so I fixed existing one. One brush was plain stuck and other had corroded connection. Test is simple - try to hook fan up directly to 12V and see if it works. It should spin pretty fast on full power.

but imo, the facts that I've seen it turn by itself and that it is easily movable by hand tells me that might not be it.

How does one find & fix something that makes no effort to tell you it's broken? ?

Going to be fun tomorrow in 30°C + heater on I guess :confused:
 
Just because you can turn the fan by hand does not prove that it is electrically connected. The fan could have worn motor or the cables could be damaged or corroded. If you can apply voltage directly to the motor and it then spins it point to controller or wiring (power) issue , if it does not turn then point to the motor being faulty. It is possible that you have a faulty motor AND a power issue. Do you have any Climate Control issues?
Have you checked the voltages to the controller as that would point to an issue "up stream"?

Other members have reported broken wiring near the p[lugs on the controller.
 
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Well, here's my best attempt at getting 12V to the fan through a PC power supply then.

Result: It's not turning regardless of polarity. PSU will however run a 12v lightbulb. ?


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Guess I'm buying a fan next... wish we had an @A2Steve over here ?, cheapest intact used one is like 60€ while the cheapest new one is about 70€ (unlike the average new one at ~120€ ?) so new it is.


No big climate control issues other than a bunch of stuck flaps that I am aware of btw.
 
Looking at what we have to go through at work to get the guys at our UK office their equipment, it's just not worth the hassle with customs if its anything like that for someone UK-based to ship the other direction.

I'll just go and order the new one for the moment and maybe go with one of those guys for stuff whenever it's viable for me again to spend a holiday in the UK ;)
 
Yes unfortunately sending and receiving from the EU is just more hassle than it’s worth at the moment for a super small business.
 
After an "interesting" experience with my 70€ order (ebay seller going "don't actually have one" the next day) I ended up getting a different new one from a different seller at 65€ through an offer+coupon combination. (Part is now 95€ again)

Ended up with an NRF branded one. Construction on that is certainly more flimsy than the OEM part, and the motor is made in Taiwan instead of Spain for the original Valeo.

Swap was fairly straight forward, just had to unplug the hoses for dipstick and oil filling funnel to be able to get it out after undoing the 1 screw holding it in.

Result: Success! Spinning as intended upon turning on the AC. Guess summer can come now. Very happy it wasn't anything further up in the electrics. :))
 
Has anyone got any suggested fixes for my non running fan? Here are the symptoms and what i've done to investigate.
TDI90 ATL. Normally sits exactly at 90 once upto temp . Stuck in traffic for about an hour the other day i glanced down and the temp had crept upto 100. No fan on. I put interior fan on HI and full and that was enough to get it back to 90 pretty fast.
The car has been off the road for a year or so until recently, i've never heard the fan run when driving or after driving.

Tonight I've found the following:

1 The fan runs fast when 12v applied direct to it, spins freely by hand.
2 the control module works fine when swapped into another TDI90 in which the fan runs when climate on.
3 if i unplug the 4 pin coolant sensor in lower rad hose, nothing happens to the fan, it doesn't turn on
4 there is 14v to one wire in central plug when engine running
5 there is 14v to one wire in small plug when engine running and connected to sensor
6 climate on or off, no fan running
7 fuses checked all good

Any ideas? cheers
 
The fan is OK, as it runs with 12 volts direct.
The FCM seems OK, works in another car.
*For cooling, the fan is controlled by a two stage thermal switch on the rad, (the FCM controls it for AC etc).
*This is correct for most A2s, but not FSIs. The fan is controlled by the ECU via an FSI specific FCM. No thermal switch.

As it does not run at low or high speed, it is likely that the fuse, SB4, (20 Amp, "C" in the fuse layout pic below) or wiring to and from it, is the problem.
Check that first.
If it's OK, the thermal switch should be checked. Not sure how practical this suggestion is, but shorting pins 1 & 2 on the thermal switch should run the fan on low speed, while shorting pins 3 & 4 should run it at high speed, (see circuit below).
Mac.

Screenshot 2023-07-11 22.35.22.png


Screenshot 2023-07-11 22.31.59.png
 
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The fan is OK, as it runs with 12 volts direct.
The FCM seems OK, works in another car.
For cooling. the fan is controlled by a two stage thermal switch on the rad, (the FCM controls it for AC etc).
As it does not run at low or high speed, it is likely that the fuse, SB4, (20 Amp, "C" in the fuse layout pic below) or wiring to and from it, is the problem.
Check that first.
If it's OK, the thermal switch should be checked. Not sure how practical this suggestion is, but shorting pins 1 & 2 on the thermal switch should run the fan on low speed, while shorting pins 3 & 4 should run it at high speed, (see circuit below).
Mac.

View attachment 110387

View attachment 110388
Many thanks for the advice, will check the fuse today and update. cheers
 
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