Re: yikes! melted/charred rad. fan connector!

[Huw Powell <human@nh.ultranet.com>]

> down the street, I notice my water temp is higher than it's
> ever been.  One space away from H!

I am being there and doing this as we speak.  Random hi temp events are
scary!

> So, something's not right.  I try running the heater, but it
> doesn't really have an effect.

Here in NE at 80-90 F it will bring the little needle back down for a
while.  I wouldn't try it in slow traffic though!

> I shut it down and inspect all the fuses that appear to be for
> the fan.  All are OK, so I pull the boot off the back of the
> wires going to the fan motor.  I find that the ground wire is
> rather cooked and frail.

In my case, the fuse is damn hot and is the culprit - or its connection
to the fuse box, or some such irritant.

> What I'm going to do now is fix it with some crimp connectors,
> and I'd like to put a fuse inline.  It's my understanding that
> there is no fuse from the factory, right?

What year?  My 82 goes 12v to sensor to relay, relay switches 12v
through fuse to fan.

> So, when I do this, I can use a 30 amp fuse, right?  And there
> already is a relay, so I don't have to add one of those?

Your fuse should protect the wiring, and both should be greater then the
load rating.  For 30 A use 10 GA.  I don;t know what your fan draws (or
mine for that matter).
 
> I'm on my way to browse Huw's site to see if he's got something
> one this there.

Hi there!  Nothing here but us gremlins.  I guess there will be soon,
though.  I'm getting tired of bypassing the stock fuse box, wiring etc.,
to take care of things that start melting in 16 years....

> p.s.  Damn, I just did go to his site, and it looks like I need an
> 80 amp fuse or circuit breaker?!  Back to the drawing board (dealer).

That section is specifically a fix for the type 44 cooling fan - ie the
5000 body style.  They have monster multi stage fan motors with no
fuse.  I copied someone's excellent thorough post about it.

I'm going to start hacking tomorrow.  I really want this to stop - did
it 6/25, 6/27 on the way to Mt Wash. and again today.  though today
reaching down and wiggling the HOT fuse got it working again.  Who said
underdash fuse boxes suck?  Well, me, but I didn't mean it, really!

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.thebook.com/human-speakers/audi-main.htm