[VBsnow]

This might help someone out there:

Compare the Omhs from the radiator fan to the ac fan. The ac fan may be reading high. Also, check the green 30 amp fuse and see if it is blown. If it is, and/or if the fan is off of the charts o nthe omhs, your fan motor needs to be replaced. Do this:

Contact me as I got the entire assembly for right over $60.00 from an aftermarket guy who came through. Same EXACT part. The dealer wanted more than that for just a blade. I laughed. Who repalces fan blades?
Anyhow above the fan you will have a black cover that is held on with clips. Remove them by popping the heads up with a tiny screw driver which will realease the locks on them. Then unbolt the two brackets which hold the radiator in place. This gives you a tiny bit more room to pull out the fan assembly. There are only two bolts on the fan assembly and they are right at the top of it. You may need to remove the container next to it by your left hand. Before you try to get it out, there is a wiring connector mounted on the bottom of the fan. Reach down and slide this to your right. Remember how you took it off because it is much harder to get back on. Once this is off, make sure you have unplugged the actual fan. Gently pull the radiator toward you and pull the fan out. You likely will lose some plastic against the frame but no worries, just cosmetic on the fan assembly. Now tha the fan is removed, spit on the ground and say "this sucks." Look at the bottom of your assembly. Notice their are to rods that support the bottom. When putting the fan back in these two pieces have to go EXACTLY where they were before. Make sure of this. It is done by feel. Bolt the fan on and plug it in. Make sure you slide that wire that mounted at the bottom back on. If you cannot get to it, or it is too difficult, get under the car and remove that cover to access it. This is not much extra work so don't sweat it. Start the car and let the AC run. if it works then it works. Zip her up and continue with life.

By the way, the condensor fan is the one on the left looking down from in front of the grill. The one on the drivers side is for the radiator. Funny thing is that many posts on this site talk about protecting the radiator from rocks and such by adding a grate to the front. From what I saw that is actually the condensor being hit. That would probably be the source of more than one freon leak.

Let me know if I was not clear about something. I am a bit rushed today.

Anyone have anything to add?

 

[Twilightzero]

By the way, the condensor fan is the one on the left looking down from in front of the grill. The one on the drivers side is for the radiator. Funny thing is that many posts on this site talk about protecting the radiator from rocks and such by adding a grate to the front. From what I saw that is actually the condensor being hit. That would probably be the source of more than one freon leak.

You are exactly correct, the part you're protecting with the Home Depot Grill Guard is the A/C condenser, not the radiator. Without the guard your condenser takes it in the shorts! :shock:



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[bh241]

It may be easier to just hit it with +12v... if it fails, blows the fuse, or doesn't turn it's time to replace the fan.

Seriously, make a (fused) test wire, connect one end to the battery then connect it to the pin on the left (looking in to the connector going to the fan(s) ). Connect a wire on the other pin to ground.

It works with either fan. I'm a big fan (pun intended) of easy.... ;-)

 

[Honda Tech]

Who replaces fan blades?
Anyone have anything to add?

ADD: Sometimes when the motor over heats, the fan blade assembly (plastic) melts at the hub and has to be replaced with the fan motor.

ADD: An ohm meter is not the proper tool to use to diagnose inoperative electric motors.

 

[Legioss]

First, Thank You VBsnow for saving me approx. $600 of repair costs by ordering and doing this myself.

Second, a few edits per my experience yesterday installing my new condenser fan:

I bought a "TYC" brand replacement from "CarPartsDiscount" via Ebay. Unfortunately, their '1-day shipping' (via shipping map), was preceded by '9-day processing'. =( Also, DOUBLE-CHECK your part numbers!!! I actually ended up with the wrong fan, and had to make it fit. Make sure it is listed by YOUR year Element.

[If] your fan motor needs to be replaced. Do this:

Contact me as I got the entire assembly for right over $60.00 from an aftermarket guy who came through. Same EXACT part. The dealer wanted more than that for just a blade. I laughed. Who repalces fan blades?
Anyhow above the fan you will have a black cover that is held on with clips. Remove them by popping the heads up with a tiny screw driver which will realease the locks on them. Then unbolt the two brackets which hold the radiator in place. This gives you a tiny bit more room to pull out the fan assembly.

Note that he said RADIATOR. I thought he was referring to the fan bolts, and made this a lot harder on myself.

There are only two bolts on the fan assembly and they are right at the top of it. You may need to remove the container next to it by your left hand.

Yes. When replacing, there is a tab on the bottom that fits into a groove. You can see it with a flashlight.

Before you try to get it out, there is a wiring connector mounted on the bottom of the fan. Reach down and slide this to your right. Remember how you took it off because it is much harder to get back on. Once this is off, make sure you have unplugged the actual fan.

There are TWO connectors on my '04. "C" (see pic) is for the fan, and "D" (white) is for something else, just passing by. Please note that these pictures were taken from my head underneath the bumper, looking up. I couldn't get these off from the top, so I ended up removing the large cover under the car and doing it from the bottom. The "C" connector is the same as on the top of the fan. Practice on the one on top to make sure you understand how it works before trying the bottom. I STILL had a hard time, and ended up breaking it off the fan (on top and bottom). A small tab breaks, but no worries, as the new fan will have a brand new small tab to attach to. After disconnected from the fan frame, remember to also pull the "C" connectors apart from each other, to remove that little broken tab from the connector, so the new one will have a place to go. The "D" connector is a 'pinch, then pull to remove'. Pinch per green arrows, pull out towards right of photo. Remember, looking up from underneath. "C" on left, "D" on right.

Gently pull the radiator toward you and pull the fan out. You likely will lose some plastic against the frame but no worries, just cosmetic on the fan assembly. Now that the fan is removed, spit on the ground and say "this sucks."

Indeed.

Look at the bottom of your assembly. Notice their are to rods that support the bottom. When putting the fan back in these two pieces have to go EXACTLY where they were before. Make sure of this. It is done by feel. Bolt the fan on and plug it in. Make sure you slide that wire that mounted at the bottom back on.

Rods are easy to align from underneath. Plug the "C" connectors back together AND attach to the new fan frame. Remember to slide "D" back into place too. Reattach everything your moved/removed on the top as well.

If you cannot get to it, or it is too difficult, get under the car and remove that cover to access it. This is not much extra work so don't sweat it. Start the car and let the AC run. if it works then it works. Zip her up and continue with life.

Anyone have anything to add?

Bam!

 

[guitars555]

can anyone tell me if the condenser fan should run at the same time as the radiator fan? My Radiator fan runs properly, but the condenser fan does not seem to run at all.

 

[ramblerdan]

I think it only needs to run while the a/c is on. Have you checked to see if it's running while the a/c is operating on a really hot day? How well does your a/c work?

 

[Legioss]

I bought a "TYC" brand replacement from "CarPartsDiscount" via Ebay. Unfortunately, their '1-day shipping' (via shipping map), was preceded by '9-day processing'. =( Also, DOUBLE-CHECK your part numbers!!! I actually ended up with the wrong fan, and had to make it fit. Make sure it is listed by YOUR year Element.

Okay, I'm pretty pissed. The "TYC" brand fan died after only 21 months. I'm just starting to look at other brands to possibly replace it with. TYC is roughly $60, and JUST THE MOTOR from Honda is 3x the price at $175.

UPDATE: (x2)
Originally I thought I had mixed up the part numbers for an '03-'06 with an '07+, so rather than deal with an internet return when I needed a fan, I had modified it to fit. When I went back to TYC and CarPartsDiscount.com to look at warranty info, and see if I could get the NEW replacement that WOULD fit correctly, I discovered that CarPartsDiscount.com and OTHER sites list the WRONG TYC AC Condenser for your '03-'06 model Element THAT WILL NOT FIT! On the WRONG model the bottom 'pegs' are show to be 10" apart, but SHOULD BE somewhere around 7.4" apart (on center).

On the TYC site, the fan that LOOKS correct (I will verify after installing) is Part#: 610530.
http://tyc.mycarparts.net/products/TYC-610530?product_application_id=678893755

 

[Legioss]

On the TYC site, the fan that LOOKS correct (I will verify after installing) is Part#: 610530.
http://tyc.mycarparts.net/products/TYC-610530?product_application_id=678893755

Update: (x3)

I got the warranty replacement, installed, running fine, perfect fit.
Correct Model:
-Carpartsdiscount.com: Item No. 135619
-Parts Link# HO3113116
-TYC Part No. 610530

 

[robb5150]

Hi everyone... Um... I posted this originally to a sticky... maybe that was not the correct thing to do, so here it goes again...

I'm fairly new to the forums, and I have got a lot of information just by searching these, that's why I don't post often, everything I have needed is already here.

The condenser fan on my 2003 died, and since the motor was VERY expensive, the parts store suggested a replacement that is not as expensive (about as half) as the original one and that has been used many times as a replacement. The replacement I got from the parts store I believe is for either a Civic or a CRV (I'm not sure). It fits on both the connector and the housing, but it has a little box (I think it is a relay/resistor/capacitor of some kind) on the cables between the motor and the connector.

The guys at the store didn't give me any special instructions, so I'm guessing it was just a straightforward replacement, which I did. It took me all of 45 min, 2 beers and 2 pizza slices.

The original "old" motor is part number 065000-2572, Denso, as shown on the motor itself, part 38616-P3G-003.
The replacement I got is part number 38616-RNA-A01, Denso, as shown on the red Honda sticker on the box.

My questions are:

1- Is the condenser fan on the Element supposed to start as soon as you turn on the A/C, or does it have a delayed start?

2- What exactly is this "little box" and what is it supposed to do?

3- Can the "box" be removed/bypassed so that motor can be the same as the original?

I hope clarification to this questions may also help other Element owners out there.

Thanks in advance for your help.

EDIT/UPDATE: I was checking with a friend's Element that had been parked overnight, after two minutes of starting the engine, I turned the A/C on, and BOTH fans engaged. I think that answers question # 1. On mine neither of the fans engage under the same conditions. Gonna check the fuses now. I'll keep this updated.

Still looking for answers to the second and third questions, though.

 

[robb5150]

UPDATE:
I checked all fuses and relays, they were OK. After doing the procedure for the HVAC self-check as outlined on the Factory Service Manual, this points to either the compressor or the compressor's pressure switch.
Is there any away to diagnose either one, or are we talking about specialized service from the dealer or an A/C shop?

 

[johneday]

Replaced AC Fan, Now Radiator Fan Won't Turn On

Guys,

I appreciate the posts regarding the replacement of the AC compressor fan. Very helpful.

I removed my old fan and installed the new condenser fan but then noticed that the radiator fan won't turn on. I was careful working around the two wires that attach to the bottom of the new compressor fan, and I am not sure what else I may have done.

The radiator fan was operating correctly just yesterday. Maybe it is coincidence and it just happened to die, but the chances seem slim.

Any help is appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[Legioss]

Guys,

I appreciate the posts regarding the replacement of the AC compressor fan. Very helpful.

I removed my old fan and installed the new condenser fan but then noticed that the radiator fan won't turn on. I was careful working around the two wires that attach to the bottom of the new compressor fan, and I am not sure what else I may have done.

The radiator fan was operating correctly just yesterday. Maybe it is coincidence and it just happened to die, but the chances seem slim.

Any help is appreciated.
Thank you.

I'm pretty violent with some installs. I installed new fans THREE TIMES, once the wrong model, and still had both running fine. I vaguely recall fan info was switched somewhere. Did you visually verify (looking under hood) which was/wasn't running before replacing same one? And that 1 starts with the car starting, and the other starts with the AC turned on (if I recall correctly, no time to read on way to work).

 

[desinia]

can anyone tell me if the condenser fan should run at the same time as the radiator fan? My Radiator fan runs properly, but the condenser fan does not seem to run at all.

Easiest way to check is turn on your A/C and look under the hood. If it went on, you're fine.

 

[johneday]

I'm pretty violent with some installs. I installed new fans THREE TIMES, once the wrong model, and still had both running fine. I vaguely recall fan info was switched somewhere. Did you visually verify (looking under hood) which was/wasn't running before replacing same one? And that 1 starts with the car starting, and the other starts with the AC turned on (if I recall correctly, no time to read on way to work).

Thank you for your suggestions Legioss. It was definitely the ac compressor fan (passenger side) that was the dead fan, while the radiator fan (driver's side) was turning at all times when the engine was on.

You made a good point about being careful with installations. There are two wires that clip to the bottom of the compressor fan housing, and I have no idea what they do. They do not operate the compressor fan, but appear to use the housing as an anchor point. Maybe I cut into one of the wires when I re-attached them to the new housing. Who knows - maybe one or both of them control the radiator fan that will not start.

Thanks again!

 

[johneday]

As it turns out, after checking the radiator fan with the car battery (on advice from very helpful forum members), the radiator fan is dead. I thought it would be too much of a coincidence to have the radiator fan die just after installing the new AC compressor fan, but it happened. I suppose it makes sense, considering that the radiator fan was having to work so hard during the time the compressor fan was dead. Thanks again for the help.

 

[abakja1]

First, Thank You VBsnow for saving me approx. $600 of repair costs by ordering and doing this myself.

Second, a few edits per my experience yesterday installing my new condenser fan:

I bought a "TYC" brand replacement from "CarPartsDiscount" via Ebay. Unfortunately, their '1-day shipping' (via shipping map), was preceded by '9-day processing'. =( Also, DOUBLE-CHECK your part numbers!!! I actually ended up with the wrong fan, and had to make it fit. Make sure it is listed by YOUR year Element.



Note that he said RADIATOR. I thought he was referring to the fan bolts, and made this a lot harder on myself.



Yes. When replacing, there is a tab on the bottom that fits into a groove. You can see it with a flashlight.



There are TWO connectors on my '04. "C" (see pic) is for the fan, and "D" (white) is for something else, just passing by. Please note that these pictures were taken from my head underneath the bumper, looking up. I couldn't get these off from the top, so I ended up removing the large cover under the car and doing it from the bottom. The "C" connector is the same as on the top of the fan. Practice on the one on top to make sure you understand how it works before trying the bottom. I STILL had a hard time, and ended up breaking it off the fan (on top and bottom). A small tab breaks, but no worries, as the new fan will have a brand new small tab to attach to. After disconnected from the fan frame, remember to also pull the "C" connectors apart from each other, to remove that little broken tab from the connector, so the new one will have a place to go. The "D" connector is a 'pinch, then pull to remove'. Pinch per green arrows, pull out towards right of photo. Remember, looking up from underneath. "C" on left, "D" on right.

Indeed.



Rods are easy to align from underneath. Plug the "C" connectors back together AND attach to the new fan frame. Remember to slide "D" back into place too. Reattach everything your moved/removed on the top as well.



Bam!

Just fyi, the D plug that retains the wire can be opened with a flat head screwdriver. No need to remove the plug from the fan shroud if done from the top. Makes it easier than removing the bottom plastic shroud. Yu will still need to disconnect the C plug frm the shroud though,..

Discovered this while changing out my alternator.

 

[Legioss]

A little FYI. I was recently working on newer Elements, and the fan behaviors are different. I'm not sure where the design was changed (maybe 07?), but the fans control is partially temperature based. On 03-06(?), the radiator fan goes on if the engine is on, and the AC fan goes on when the AC is turned on. On newer years, 07+(?), the engine needs to heat up to a certain temperature and AC may or may not need to be turned on, to make both under-hood fans go on.

Also, remember to check fuses and relays for the fans in the under-hood fuse box. I have had the AC fan go out three times (the fan itself, not the fuse or relay), but this weekend we found an Element that was completely missing a relay AND the fan was dead.

 

[dimlight85]

I know this is kind of an older thread but I'm pretty sure my condenser fan is dead and my radiator fan is on it's way out.

I noticed my E getting hot when at idle and the A/C not blowing cold when at idle either. After reading on here, I checked the fuses and relays and everything seems A-ok. When the a/c was on, the fans weren't spinning. I decided to give the condenser fan a push and it started spinning while the compressor was on but not at what I thought should be full speed and would need a push when the compressor kicked off and then back on again. Also, the radiator fan wasn't coming on at all until I have the motor a few taps with a screwdriver. It kicked on at full speed and cycled normally after that which tells me it's on it's way out probably.

If I'm reading correctly, you can just replace the motors on these fans and not the whole assembly? I'm not averse to changing the whole thing however if it's cheaper that way.

 

[ccflyco]

I can't speak for the radiator fan, but I recently (2 weeks ago) changed my condenser fan. Aftermarket-wise, the fan and motor was about $68 while the motor itself was $59. I figured the savings weren't worth it when I could get a brand new unit for $9 more than just the motor. And replacing the entire unit is actually less work than changing just the motor.