Svaha

I noticed that both my AC and Oil cooler fans only operated at high speed, both of the ballast resistors were dead. I was quoted $450 to replace both of the resistors. I found the DIY to jumper the slow-speed start signal to the fast-speed start signal on the relay plug. Now when the AC is on the fan automatically comes on at high speed. The oil cooler automatically kicks into high speed whenever it should have come on at low speed. Has anyone experienced any long term problems with this solution?

If you're experiencing the same problem, in the upper left corner of the trunk, within the fuse box: Oil cooler blower fan is relay R04, AC cooler blower fan is relay R14. The fix is to jumper(put a small piece of wire) between #6(slow speed start signal) and #1 (fast speed start signal) on the relay plug. The numbers 1 and 6 are printed on the white area within the fuse box that the relay plugs into.

Caution: Keep in mind the relay terminals are energized (12V)

Dan V

Both my relays have been jumpered for a couple months with no problems at all. Cost/benefit ratio is pretty hard to beat.

ASH.PALIN

Hi

I recently changed out both the ballast resistors and I approached the job with a considerable degree of trepidation, but to be honest it was a breeze, the hardest part being removal/refit of the plastic wheel shrouds, take the rearward sections off first. The air conditioning side was the hardest and the crack with that, is just to apply an old screw driver and a hammer and crack/smash off the old resistor which is crumbly anyway and remove the bolt separately, the whole thing took me about 4 hours..........if you feel you have the time and the inclination.

Ash

On the realy jump thing chaps, make sure you use some hefty guage wire as there are a fare few amps going through that circuit!!

tj90

I did the DIY as well and it was not that bad. I elected to remove the front bumper cover which made access easier but its not necessary. I also bought the 3 pack of right-angle screw driver bit drivers from Sears which was absolutely necessary.

Im glad I replaced the resistor versus jumpering, cause it gave me a chance to do some R&R on the front condensor and oil cooler - both which had 10 years of road debris - cigarette butts etc - caught in the cooling fins.

Svaha

Thanks Dan V, anyone else used this solution? Long term problems?

BS911

If you jumper the relays, you could jumper the input side of the relay instead of the output side, thus cutting your current load on the jumper CONSIDERABLY. 85 and 85c are your stage 1/stage 2 inputs and carry very low current.

I have heard the argument that jumpering the fans into high speed "could" provide some sort of feedback to the ccu causing it to have unusual readings. Not sure about the oil side, but the a/c side is isolated from the ccu. The stage 2 - high speed is triggered by the 3 level pressure switch so if you jumper the relay then it isn't connected to the ccu because that switch is still open. When the switch closes, the ccu is already triggered.

I have heard from a very wise man (you may have read his book) that the blower fans are not necessarily intended for long term, sustained operation at high speed. Running in jumpered mode could shorten the life of the fan itself - leading to even more costly repairs.

Additionally, running in high speed mode puts quite an electrical load on your system / generator / battery. Don't know that it would impose any damage that way, but worth thinking about anyway. At least you would have the slightest bit reduced efficiency due to generator load on the engine.

All that being said, I ran both jumpered for at least a year before I finally replaced my ballasts. Like others said - the job isn't that bad... just takes a little while.