Radiator fan never starts no matter how long I drive, no matter the speed or the hot weather.

I uninstalled it but I don't know which pin is positive and which negative.
I have jumper cables ready.

I was surprised to see that the fan has only two pins because the female connector from the car has 3 metal sockets.

Please help me understand which pin should be connected to negative terminal of car battery and which to positive.

 

You can check the pictures of the fan here:

https://postimg.cc/gallery/5vd1wvB

Brown negative, red/white positive.

6 minutes ago, protoncoder said:

Radiator fan never starts no matter how long I drive, no matter the speed or the hot weather.

Sight unseen I suspect the thermostat (does temperature gauge move above 90C?) or the thermoswitch.

47 minutes ago, Paws4Thot said:

Sight unseen I suspect the thermostat (does temperature gauge move above 90C?) or the thermoswitch.

Temperature gauge never move above 90C.

I've been driving VAG diesels for more than 25 years and aside for the aircon never once have the cooling fans ever come on in any of them, why would you expect it to when the coolant is at the correct 90°c?

Especially SDI's, they're so glacially slow that the engine doesn't really get hot, I bet the fan doesn't work from lack of use.

@protoncoder does the car have air conditioning?

 

A 17 year old fan can easily be dead, hopefully you'll soon tell us if it spins up with direct power.  Careful you don't cut fingers (or worse) if/when it starts up.

1 hour ago, Breezy_Pete said:

@protoncoder does the car have air conditioning?

 

A 17 year old fan can easily be dead, hopefully you'll soon tell us if it spins up with direct power.  Careful you don't cut fingers (or worse) if/when it starts up.

Car does not have air conditioning and the fan is working. Just tested it. It spins like a madman.

Checking the relevant fuse is probably the only other thing to do, to be sure it will work if ever hot enough.

That is fuse 8 in a covered section of blade fuses to the right of the strip fuses above battery.  30 Amp rated with a red wire coming off it towards the radiator thermoswitch.

 

Edited 26 June, 20232 yr by Breezy_Pete
Sp