Sounds reasonable to me... Electric motors draw a lot more current if they're working against more resistance than they're designed for. Besides, if it's making shreiking noises, who knows what else is wrong with it...

 

Yup, sounds like the fans are operating like they should (with the exception of the shreek- definitely the fan motor). Replace that, you should be good to go. I love happy endings :thumbup:

 

JimBlake: what's the difference between an ECT and a temp switch? I may be wrong, but in troubleshooting my fan problem I thought the manual identify both temp switches as ECTs. I'll look it up tonight, but do you have the short answer?

 

I have showed my Mother how to check and change the fuse for the fan motor and advised her to keep an ever eye on the temp. gauge and not to let it run hot this time. Being in the $ituation we are I'll wait until the fan motor locks up and then replace it. Thanks.

 

lingerbw... & anyone else who cares

I don't know if I'm screwing up the names that Honda picked for these things. It's also based on my cars, so a '90 Accord might be different, but here goes...

The fan switch is just that... It's an on-off switch that turns on the fans at some particular temperature. On my Hondas it's got a plastic connector with 2 wires. It's screwed into the thermostat housing so it sees the water returning from the radiator.

The ECT (engine coolant temp.) sensor is wired into the ECM, & has a variable resistance with temperature. It's not just on & off. And it has nothing to do with running the fans. But it looks kinda like the fan switch, it has a plastic connector with 2 wires. It's located near the upper radiator hose so it sees the hot water leaving the head.

The temperature gauge sender is also near the upper radiator hose but it only has one wire. This sender is ONLY for the dashboard gauge. None of these sensors or swithces 'share' information with each other.

I've heard about some older Hondas with a second fan switch (located where??) that has a lower temperature setpoint, that is only active after you turn off the car. I've never owned a car with one of those, so I dunno...

 

Okay, here's my experience with my 95 accord. The front sensor/switch (in the water outlet housing) controls the radiator fan when the car is off. It appears to be an on/off switch. It is 2 wire and when jumpered turns the fan on when the car is off. When the car is on and the wires are jumpered it does nothing. The rear sensor/switch (in the thermostat housing) turns the fans on when the switch gets hot enough and closes. It is 2 wire. When jumpered and the car is on, both fans turn on. It does nothing when the car is off. Both of these sensors/switches are in a circuit with the fan relay, fuse, and fan timer module (behind the glove box).

 

OK so they changed that from 5th gen to 6th gen. I gotta be careful what I tell people...

Where is the ECT sensor for the ECM? At the water outlet housing?

 

Jim, you are right because the front switch doesn't turn the fans on at all when I jump it.

 

We have to be careful about generations. I've got a 6th gen ('98 - '02) lingerbw's got a 5th gen (??? - '97). Your mom has a '90 - that's what? 4th gen? Apparently Honda has moved those sensors & switches around between generations.

 

Jim, I have jumped it both with the key on and off and the fan didn't come on either time so I don't think it has to do with the fan.

Now, since I replaced the fuse and the car is running and gets hot both fans come on but when I park the car and it's hot only the big fan comes on. So I assume that both the ignition on and off fan circuits are working properly.

Yet still I wonder why it blew the fuse in the first place and so far I am guessing it's the load of the larger fan motor that is wanting to lock up.