Greetings all, from Switzerland. I have recently purchased a 1993 968 coupe, tiptronic, in oak green. While giving the car a once over after purchase, I noticed that the fuse for radiator fan 2 was blown. I replaced the fuse and as soon as the fans tried to switch on for the first time, the fuse blew again. I noticed that this fan is harder to turn than fan 1, so I think I am dealing with a bad motor. I bought a secondhand fan shroud, complete with fans, from eBay, and I have tested these fans and found both to be in working order. However, I am having some difficulty removing the fan unit/shroud from my 968. Has anyone done this before? Is it possible without draining coolant and removing the radiator? I have managed to remove the under trays from the front bumper and engine bay and unbolt the shroud from the radiator, but it is tight in there. It seems that the radiator hoses prevent it from coming out the top, and the hard line for the oil cooler prevents it from coming out the bottom. What is the recommended method here? Does anyone have a guide? Very grateful for any assistance!

 

I can't offer a "how to" on removing and replacing the fans. However, I'd suggest before going to all that trouble that you plug in the new fans and ensure the problem does not reoccur. This will verify your suspicion that the problem is with the existing fans.

 

There are several resources available online that describe the process for late model 944s. The process is nearly identical for a 968. Pelican has a good guide with an included video, which I followed when I did mine. Clark's has a complete section on the cooling system. There are many YouTube videos (with varying degrees of instructional value) that demonstrate cooling fan removal/replacement.

I had to drain the radiator, but you can disconnect the mounting clamp for the oil cooling lines to get them out of the way and not disconnect the lines themselves.

Hope that helps.

 

First question-Are you sure that your replacement fuse was the same amperage as the first one? My passenger window blew a fuse and I replaced it and all was good.
They might be 30+ year old fuses...

-Yogii
AKA 968 Novice

 

^^^ Good point, and/or that it's the correct one. My wiring diagram shows Fuse10 Fan2, and Fuse 15 Fan1, are both 25A.

 

Yes, the fan assembly can be removed without getting into the radiator or a/c components. I’ve got a water pump replacement coming up and decided to hand this procedure over to a tech due to the time, tools and warranty provision if Murphy’s Law strikes.

Like you I’ve only had this ‘93.5 for a few months. I need an unbiased eye to check the car out for any other possible gremlins.

Check out this video @ 3:50 mark.

Treat yourself to a new OEM radiator cap or purchase one to keep in the boot. Depending on where you’re at the price and availability can be crazy. You can not use anything except the OEM cap or it will interfere with the hood and bend it.

 

Thank you for this video link! Great resource!

 

Hi Yogii, yes. Same amperage: 25A. Haven’t got round to replacing the fan yet due to other workload, but hopefully I’ll get time some time in the next few weeks. I did manage to test the suspect fan by unplugging it and connecting it direct to an external battery. It does work, but is stiffer to turn than the good one, so I suspect a high starting resistance and therefore high current, which is causing the fuse to blow.

 

I’ve removed mine several times from below , not to hard to do , just raise the front high enough . When you reinstall it be careful not to flex the frame when bolting to the radiator because the fan blades are very close to the shroud and will rub .
As a side note I gave replace my fan bearing quite easily but it does take a special touch .

 

Thanks for the link. That video is great, except that I have a big solid oil cooling line running left to right just under the cooling fan assembly, which stops me from dropping it. I'm thinking this might be a transmission oil cooler as I have the tiptronic version...

 

A quick update: didn’t want to mess with the tiptronic oil cooler and lines under the car, so ended up removing the top radiator hose, which provided enough space to wriggle the cooling fan assembly out from above. Obviously had to drain a bit of coolant, but not too much - just put it back in and didn’t have to re-bleed the system. This would seem to be easiest way on a tiptronic. I swapped out the #2 cooling fan which was not seized, but hard to turn, for a secondhand one and reinstalled the cooling fan assembly. Now both come on together at low speed as they should and I no longer have one fan running at high speed trying to keep things cool on its own.