Radiator fans
Asked by Don1957tigger Oct 19, 2017 at 03:53 PM about the 1997 Toyota Camry XLE
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I just pulled my 2.2 engine out of a 1997 Camry to
replace the transmission, got it back together, but
now the fans won't come on until I unplug the lead
going to the sensor located on the bottom of the
radiator, any ideas where to start
2 Answers
The sensor on the radiator is the engine coolant temperature sensor, not to be confused with the engine temp sensor located in the head which sends to the temp gauge in the dash. The coolant temp sensor is part of the engine's computer input ground path, when temp reaches a set point (195-210° F) fans will come on. IF that sensor is unplugged, fans will come on high, this keeps engine from overheating in case sensor goes bad. So in your case, the coolant temp sensor on the radiator appears to have failed. If you have a multi-meter you can test the sensor with a pot of boiling water, there are plenty of YT vids on how to do that. when unplugged