can't find the radiator cooling fan relay?

[QwikSRT4]

I'm troubleshooting my A/C not working and I am going to shotgun replace the radiator cooling fan relay. I looked in my service manual that I got for my 84 Horizon, and it tells me it's on the driver side strut mount. Now there's two relays, the fan relay and the starter relay. I pulled off what is labeled the fan relay in the book and I cannot find a replacement relay anywhere in town that looks anything like the relay I pulled off the car. I even called the Dodge dealer here in town and the part number they gave me I checked through some parts vendors online and the relay STILL does not resemble what I pulled off my car.


Here's what the Dodge number gives me:


The one I pulled off my car is a 6 contact relay.


Does anyone have any clue where I could get one? Or does anyone have one laying around in a parts car I could snatch from ya?

Thanks.

[SpiritedWoman]

Does what you pulled off look like this?



If it does, you pulled the starter relay......

The fan relay is the other one you didn't pull off.

[QwikSRT4]

Nah I got the right one. It has two connectors on it and the plug terminals are set up like this:



It also has what appears to be a part number, 4221699.

[Screamin4banger]

I'd like to know what's wrong that you think replacing this relay is gonna fix, but.....

as long as you have it out of the car, you might as well bench test it instead of running around trying to find another one.
here's a schematic for your reference:

[QwikSRT4]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screamin4banger I'd like to know what's wrong that you think replacing this relay is gonna fix, but..... as long as you have it out of the car, you might as well bench test it instead of running around trying to find another one. here's a schematic for your reference:

My radiator cooling fan is inop at all times. I've jumpered out the connector to the fan to the battery and the fan works. I had this same problem in my previous beater (84 Citation) and the relay fixed the problem.

I'm getting no A/C. The blower works, but no cold air. I don't hear the compressor kick on, that's one problem. The other is not having the radiator fan on during A/C. It should kick on as soon as I put A/C on, correct?

[Screamin4banger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by QwikSRT4 My radiator cooling fan is inop at all times. I've jumpered out the connector to the fan to the battery and the fan works. I had this same problem in my previous beater (84 Citation) and the relay fixed the problem. I'm getting no A/C. The blower works, but no cold air. I don't hear the compressor kick on, that's one problem. The other is not having the radiator fan on during A/C. It should kick on as soon as I put A/C on, correct?

well, go ahead and test the relay you got.

[QwikSRT4]

How would I go about testing the relay?

[allmotor]

to test a relay,u need to power and gound the magnetic coil, this will cause it to click pulling over the high current side b1 to c80, then while energized you use a dvom in ohms mode and check to see if you have continuity between c27 and c26. have u verified that the a/c is properly charged at the correct pressure? no pressure, no compressor engagement. cooling fan don't come on unit coolant temp is 212

[QwikSRT4]

I haven't verified that the a/c is properly charged. I was under assumption that as soon as you turned on the A/C the fan would work.

Also, the fan doesn't work at all without the A/C on. So I assume that since the fan doesn't work at all with A/C off or on, that it would be the relay.

[allmotor]

no it don't mean that all. cuz if the engine isn't hot enough the fan wont come on, if the ac does not engergize the compressor theres no reason for the fan to come on. so do u still think its the relay, or do you feel its time to learn how electrical circuits actually work?

[QwikSRT4]

Well, I will test the relay tonight.

Sorry if I come off extremely n00bish, I just am trying to learn the A/C system and how it works. I guess I got lucky with my previous car in replacing the relay and that fixing the problem...

I just wish my car had a temp gauge so I could see how hot the car is getting...the fan should come on at some point after driving around for a while, right? Especially now since it's over 90* all day here...

[allmotor]

so, go buy a digital pyrometer, or install a temp gauge what's so hard about that?

[Screamin4banger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by QwikSRT4 Well, I will test the relay tonight. I guess I got lucky with my previous car in replacing the relay and that fixing the problem...

we're not saying it isn't the relay, but we're not saying it is...

it's a give a man a fish... or teach a man to fish.... kinda thing.

learning to read a wiring diagram is a good thing
learning to test components instead of replacing them is even better

I personally had no idea of what your level of experience was when I posted the relay diagram. I figured instead of wasting more time trying to find a relay that you say you can't find you could at least test (or figure out how to test) the relay you had in your hand. Then if its bad you know it - and time spent finding a replacement would be for good reason.

I don't know what kind of tools you have, but adding a mechanical temp gauge is a good entry-level project. I'm sure those things can be picked up dirt cheap still. They are basically long-ass thermocouples attached to a gauge face with some adapters to fit in a threaded hole allowing the thermocouple to be submerged in coolant. (I know thats a bad sentence - I'm tired)

You could probably pull one of the Allen plugs from the head and use that hole.
You would want someone to confirm that....

Anyone out there able to say whether or not an over-the-counter parts store gauge will thread nice into these heads??

[QwikSRT4]

I am an electrician in the Air Force on the KC-135's. Our relays are quite different than this relay. I understand the diodes on the inside, but other than that I'm lost on how the inner workings function on this relay. Maybe it's the way it's drawn that I'm not used to. I'm just confused on where the power comes from to energize the relay and then the power goes out of the relay once it's energized.

Like I said, this diagram is foreign to me. Are all automotive relays drawn up like this? I've never seen a relay like this on any airplane schematic.



**on a side note**

I went to Walmart and bought one of those A/C recharge deals. (The previous owner converted the A/C to the R134(?) refrigerant) The gauge read like 125-ish psi. The instructions on the bottle say something like problem with the A/C -- DO NOT FILL! Take to have serviced.

So maybe the compressor or something else IS the cause. Guess I'll just have to take it somewhere...if it's not electrical and a part I can easily replace it's out of my skill level.

[Screamin4banger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by QwikSRT4 I am an electrician in the Air Force on the KC-135's. Our relays are quite different than this relay. I understand the diodes on the inside, but other than that I'm lost on how the inner workings function on this relay. Maybe it's the way it's drawn that I'm not used to. I'm just confused on where the power comes from to energize the relay and then the power goes out of the relay once it's energized. Like I said, this diagram is foreign to me. Are all automotive relays drawn up like this? I've never seen a relay like this on any airplane schematic.

ummm... this isn't a normal relay.