delisedesign

So Im really hoping this isnt a case of me not knowing what im doing, but as an amateur in the presence of professionals, im already humble to possible embarrassment....

I started working on my interior today, 1989 S4, and all she really needs is some refurbishing, not really overhaul...the console needs some work, and i just got a cr-220 to put in place of the aftermarket stereo....I unplugged hvac, stereo, interior thermo etc.. and removed the console, its all entirely unassembled at this point

I needed to move the car out of garage to let my neighbor out, so i reconnected the battery, pulled her out to the street, and let her run for about five minutes...everything is fine....after about ten minutes, i get back in and the temp gauge is in the red, and i can smell hot engine, hot air coming through vents where console used to be....i shut her off immediately

red in the face, I guessed that the hvac unit being out is messing with the cooling system, so after about twenty minutes of cool down, I plug it all back in and start her up, waiting ten minutes at idle, and same issue...tried turning ac on, but didnt help.....
did removing and starting possibly trip the engine cooling system?
is this coincidence? am i a complete moron for starting with these units unplugged? please help

Mrmerlin

the car should run normally with the console removed are the cooling fans coming on?? did you take any temp readings with an IR gun??
when was the thermostat last replaced as well as the rear thermostat seal??

delisedesign

Mr. Merlin,
checked this morning and my cooling fans are Not coming on, even when the AC is turned on....

I checked the fuses for both of them and theyre good....is it possible that the interior thermostat still being unplugged would cause these to not come on? it wouldnt surprise me that these were linked somehow (the other day i took out the glove box bulb and the traction/abs light came, put it back in and it went off so nothing would surprise me at this point).....what other reason for them not coming on?

also, thermostat hasnt been checked lately to my knowledge (i just got the car), but its on the list...

andy-gts

I had similar problems when I installed a sc and it tuned out to be a poorly fct waterpump

fwiw

Mrmerlin

get everything put back together then you will have to test for a cooling fan issue if the sensor at the front of the radiator is unplugged the fans will run at hi speed with the key on (sensor is at driverside lower front of rad)

delisedesign

so, everything back together, still no cooling fans....unplugged sensor at front of radiator, still no cooling fans...

i ran the engine from cold start and it took about 15 minutes for the temp gauge to creep from cold all the way to past last white bar, with no signs of stopping...would the cooling fans being out cause this much overheating at idle? im really hoping its just them, this would alleviate a lot of concern for bigger problem like water pump being out, which Im told was replaced 8 thousand miles ago with timing belt....

before i put her on a truck to the shop, are there any other tricks for them to come on? i dont have jack stands so getting underneath them is not really an option

thanks for all the feedback on this by the way

Maleficio

Check for voltage at the fan connector. If you've got volts when you're supposed to, check the ground wire for the fans. If all is good, maybe fan unit died.

Bertrand Daoust

Did you work at the right near the passenger seat?
I know there is something related to the fan near the stereo amplifier.
Don't know exactly what it does but never know.

Should be something you did while working inside.

Good luck.

Mrmerlin

there is a fan controller under the the cover next to the passenger seat, I would recheck the fuses and relay for the fans if the connector is still good at the controller. From the list of things you have done you have to go back and check your work as you made a change to how a system operates

delisedesign

problem solved!!!

when going through the interior, and pulling up the carpets, i had unplugged the silver unit next to the passenger seat...completely forgot about it....turns out this was pure negligence on my part

apparently that unit switches on and regulates most the AC/engine cooling functions, including the fans... without it, engine overheats

thanks to all, especially Stan, for helping me diagnose

Nicole

Woo-hoo! Good news! Stan is the man with a plan...

I'm glad to hear it was something simple.

Are you replacing the carpets?

Mrmerlin

glad you got things figured out and that it was a simple fix

Ducman82

yay!!!

andy-gts

Great news!

delisedesign

yeah, Im very glad it was a simple fix

Nicole, just got your email, thank you for the shop recommendations, hope i dont need one in the near future, but if I do I will look up them up....as for the carpets, I'm not replacing them, but rather treating them with oxyclean...working real well so far...i have seat dye on order, thats next....will be posting a write up after the interior is done....