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Battery keeps draining and fans will not turn on

Tiny
TNEAL777
  • MEMBER
  • 1994 JAGUAR VANDEN PLAS
  • 4.0L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 54,000 MILES
If I do not drive the car for a week the battery keeps draining. When I do drive it the fans will not turn on and the car overheats.
Saturday, April 14th, 2018 AT 10:20 AM

17 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,512 POSTS
Hello,

It sounds like you have two different problems. first is I would check the fuses for the cooling fans. (Fuse panel below)

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-fuse

For the battery drain does this car have a CD player? If so a CD could be stuck in the player causing the internal motor to run.
Here is a guide for that as well:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-dead-overnight

Please let us know what happens.

Cheers, Ken
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Monday, April 16th, 2018 AT 11:39 AM
Tiny
TNEAL777
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Thank you for your help. I will check everything and let you know how it goes.
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Monday, April 16th, 2018 AT 12:18 PM
Tiny
MIKE H R
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,094 POSTS
As far as the battery draining after a few days, have the battery check, had the same thing happen, it was a new battery a garage had put in the Fire Bird and getting it home and a few days later the battery was drained. New battery had a bad cell.
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Tuesday, April 17th, 2018 AT 11:43 AM
Tiny
TNEAL777
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Hi Ken. I checked my fans with the multi-meter and the motor is good. I replaced cooling fan fuses and relay. My electric fans still do not come on. When I turn on the A/C it does not get cold and the fans do not come on.
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Monday, April 23rd, 2018 AT 5:41 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,512 POSTS
There is a thermo switch that causes the fan motor to come on let try shorting that to see if the fans will work here is a wiring diagrams for the fans so you can see how they work. It a two wires sensor up by the thermostat housing.

Check out the diagrams (below).

Please run this test and get back to us.

Cheers, Ken
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Tuesday, April 24th, 2018 AT 11:17 AM
Tiny
TNEAL777
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  • 9 POSTS
Hi Ken. I tested the thermo switch connection with a paper clip and the fans came on. Does this mean that the thermo switch is bad and needs to be replaced in order for the fans to turn on?
Thanks
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Wednesday, April 25th, 2018 AT 4:48 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
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Sure does, the fan never come on correct? If so the thermo switch is bad.

Let me know what happens.

Cheers, Ken
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Thursday, April 26th, 2018 AT 9:37 AM
Tiny
TNEAL777
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Thank you so much for your help! The fans finally turned on. :-). So it was the thermo switch. We really appreciate it!
Now it seems like my reservoir seems to gets really hot and steam comes from it. When I loosen the top pressure and steam come out. Is it because I am not topping it off at the proper amount that it is building up so much pressure?
Thanks Ken.
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Thursday, May 3rd, 2018 AT 9:19 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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How fast does it get hot? This could be because of a ticking thermostat or a slight blown head gasket.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

Can you take a video of the problem and upload it here?
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Friday, May 4th, 2018 AT 11:03 AM
Tiny
TNEAL777
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  • 9 POSTS
The car does not get hot. The car stays in the normal range. It is the reservoir that is builds up pressure and steam.
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Friday, May 4th, 2018 AT 12:02 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
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This could be normal depending on how fast it pressurizes. You could still have a blown head gasket even though it does not overheat and there is no coolant in the oil. Please do the chemical test.
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Sunday, May 6th, 2018 AT 11:37 AM
Tiny
TNEAL777
  • MEMBER
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Okay. Thank you. What chemical test do you recommend? My electrical cooling fan fuses blew but I changed them. I also replaced the cooling fan relay switch. My thermo switch was bad and I changed that also (which you had advised) and it worked, happily my fans worked again. Could this switch being bad caused the car to get hot, overheat and blow the head gasket? Or what could have caused the blown head gasket so I could address the issue so it does not happen again? Clogged radiator, bad thermostat or water pump for example? Appreciate your expertise.
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Sunday, May 6th, 2018 AT 12:08 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,512 POSTS
Getting hot can cause the head gasket to blow but it can fail due to age as well. You can get a chemical tester from Amazon follow the guide and let me know. Click the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VVBSFTF/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=2carprcom-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B06VVBSFTF&linkId=fc9d3fef1fdd238a3290279a162b7db3

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Monday, May 7th, 2018 AT 9:52 AM
Tiny
MIKE H R
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,094 POSTS
I agree with Ken, I would also check the radiator for air flow. I had a car that had so much junk between the radiator and A/C unit that air could not get through enough for the radiator to cool down. When you put coolant in it is the car running? That way it works out so it does not vapor lock.
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Monday, May 7th, 2018 AT 4:58 PM
Tiny
TNEAL777
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Thanks Ritzel. How do I check the radiator for airflow? Yes, the car was running when I put coolant in. Thanks Ken for the Amazon link.
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Monday, May 7th, 2018 AT 7:22 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
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I like to use a garden hose and shoot water through the core you can see how much dirt is in it and how the water is flowing through.
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Tuesday, May 8th, 2018 AT 10:58 AM
Tiny
TNEAL777
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Okay, thanks.
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Tuesday, May 8th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM

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