98 v70 cooling fan noises

Post by **98v70dad** » 31 Mar 2015, 22:42

I've recently had an overheating problem so I've been paying a lot of attention to my cooling fan. Today I noticed something that never really jumped out at me. Often when my car is running it makes a ticking sound like a sewing machine. I always thought it was valve clatter but today I realized the ticking noise starts when the cooling fan comes on and stops when the cooling fan isn't running. The car has been doing this for at least 5 years. Is this the sound of a fairly healthy 16 year old cooling fan or is it indicative of something slowly going downhill. My main concern would be for possible failing bearings in the fan motor.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 01 Apr 2015, 07:38

The bearings on the fans do seize and the results can be catastrophic. We had one member that pulled into the parking lot at work with a car that was hot and the fan had seized. The fan motor overheated and caught fire, which set his 850 on fire, which set two other cars on fire. One of the other cars was the president of the company's car as I recall. He posted up some great pictures.

You may have a balance problem rather than a bearing problem though if it spins freely. I have never had any luck trying to lubricate the blower so if it doesn't spin freely a trip to the junk yard might be in order.

...Lee

Post by **98v70dad** » 01 Apr 2015, 08:24

I'll take a closer look at it. I checked it a few weeks ago and it seemed to spin freely. It just ticks ....tick ...tick ... tick ...tick ... tick. Sounds just like saying the previous sentence as quickly as you can do it. The tick sound is not nearly as fast as the fan is spinning. I think you may have hit on it with the imbalance thought. Maybe a slight imbalance causes it to vibrate a little and the sound is from plastic rubbing. I've noticed that I can sometimes stop it by putting hand pressure in just the right spot on the top of the fan housing

I've always had good luck with junkyards. Plus going to the junkyard is always fun. The big junkyard in my hometown was owned by a man with a last name of Crash.

Post by **98v70dad** » 01 Apr 2015, 18:14

I spent some time listening carefully today and I think the ticking is valve clatter like I originally thought. The sounds are completely different in the driveway than in the garage.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 01 Apr 2015, 18:30

98v70dad wrote:I've always had good luck with junkyards. Plus going to the junkyard is always fun. The big junkyard in my hometown was owned by a man with a last name of Crash.

That is hysterical. With a name like that it seems like destiny.

Most people wouldn't get that going to a junkyard is fun but I'll bet most of our members do actually enjoy the experience. I certainly do.

...Lee