Radiator Fan Testing - 2 pole fan switch

[matthewreinsmith]

Hi, I'm new here, great forum!

I'm trying to figure out how to test my fan and fan switch, but my fan switch is different from the descriptions I've seen here on the site (see picture below)

Can someone give me instructions on how to jump the fan to see if it will power up?

Thanks

Matt

[Jet⚡Black]

You can hook jumpers to the fan wires, the same way the colors are just different; you could trace to where they spliced it to see what color they hooked into to tell which it which. The fan will run in both directions; however bushed motors only like running in one direction...so try to avoid that.

I have no idea if your switch is Bi polar(runs regardless of polarity connections) or not, I am assuming not since there is a green ring around one of the posts; and a green wire on the harness. My guess is the black would be the ground; and the green spliced into the yellow/red wire...that is unless you have a completely different wiring harness, or whomever wired it didn't wire it according to auto ground colors...which is usually black, and wired it instead to the ground color associated with housing electronics which is green.

It could be quite possible; that the last person to plug in the switch reversed the poles...If it isn't a bi-polar switch it wouldn't run. Try connecting the green wire to the green pole on the switch; and see if it comes on first; if not then use some jumpers after tracing the color out, and hook the fan up to a battery.

Of course, if you have a meter this gets much easier; set the meter to ohms, and put a probe to the green wire, then touch the other probe to a near by bolt on the frame...if the needle doesn't move, or readout stays at zero...try the black wire. If the meter moves remember which color wire moved it; that's your ground wire.

Then simply test the fan and touch the ground jumper to negative, and the other wire jumper to positive...the fan should run; if it doesn't make sure your jumpers are making good contact, some times a little wiggle will make a better connection.

If the fan doesn't run; then you can use the tutorial on taking apart and cleaning the fan motor...then assemble and try jumping it again.

Keep us posted on what happens

[matthewreinsmith]

It might be bi-polar, because the green rings are on both poles (see updated picture below).

I'm going to put a meter on it anyway to be sure.

Here's another odd thing, this is an 87 according to the VIN and the title. But according to the kawasaki parts list on www.kawasakipartshouse.com/ the two-wire switch doesn't get used until the 89 model. So I'm starting to think it was replaced with a newer model radiator/fan.

I've never been really savvy with the electrical, but I can work through it.

Thanks for your help and I'll keep the post updated as I go along.

you can see more pics of the fan wiring @ www.reinsmith.net/gallery/kaw454/kaw454.aspx

[Jet⚡Black]

That sounds completely, in the realm of possibility; 20 plus years is a long time to go for a bike, without some seat of the pants in a pinch fixing. I have to admit; it really looks like the system could use a really good cleaning and flushing, judging by the hose clamps.

If that's what it looks like outside; I can't imagine what the inside looks like...well, I can and that's why, I think a good clean and flush is in order. Unscrew the switch and clean it, looking at the condition of the switch will tell you exactly what the rest of inside looks like.

I would suspect that as the problem before the switch or electrical being bad.

P.S. your picture size is really huge, previewing before posting will remind you to re-size.

Having confidence and just trying; is one of the best ways to learn, I've been hit by 240V twice; and 120V more than I have fingers and toes while learning about electricity...still here. ;D

[matthewreinsmith]

So the first thing I determined, by tracing the wires from the two-pole fan switch, is that the green wire runs to ground and the black wire runs to power.

So I put a jumper on the power wire and jumped it to ground and the the fan attempts to turn, but can't quite do it. Which is what it was doing when the engine was warm.

So next I removed the fan and followed the procedure to bench test, then clean the fan brushes in the following thread by jetblack:

ltd454.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=electrical&action=display&thread=3551

It turned out that the fan must have gotten dowsed with anti-freeze or significantly splashed with water because it was rusted inside.

Not to mention that one of the brushed was so rusted it was stuck in place not allowing it to make contact with the copper drum.

After a thorough cleaning with vinegar and a toothbrush a reassembled it and bench tested again and it's working great!

I made a video of the process and I'll post it here once I get it on YouTube.

Thanks to jetblack and all the other posts for making sense of the process.

[matthewreinsmith]

here's the video I made of testing and cleaning the fan...

[Jet⚡Black]

You're welcome I am glad you got it sorted out and running like it should