1999 Chevy Cavalier Fan Won't Come On

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CHEVY_1999
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  • 1 POST
Chevy Cavalier, 1999, MI:113,000

I'm having trouble with my cavalier starting when its hot or hot and humid outside, it rotates but doesn't start right away i usually have to crank it 2-3 times then it starts. Also i don't know if its related to the starting problem but my cooling fan doesn't kick on when its hot out either so the car will start to run hot, won't overheat but it will come close. When its cool outside it they both kick on fine. With the raditator fan ive flushed the radiator twice to make sure it wasn't clogged. I changed the engine coolant Temp Sensor, Thermostat, and relay switch and still the same results. Any Advice or assistance towards this problem would be GREATLY appreciated.
Jul 28, 2006 at 8:28 AM
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MIKEYBDMAN
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[quote:55058fecaf="Chevy_1999"]Chevy Cavalier, 1999, MI:113,000

I'm having trouble with my cavalier starting when its hot or hot and humid outside, it rotates but doesn't start right away i usually have to crank it 2-3 times then it starts. Also i don't know if its related to the starting problem but my cooling fan doesn't kick on when its hot out either so the car will start to run hot, won't overheat but it will come close. When its cool outside it they both kick on fine. With the raditator fan ive flushed the radiator twice to make sure it wasn't clogged. I changed the engine coolant Temp Sensor, Thermostat, and relay switch and still the same results. Any Advice or assistance towards this problem would be GREATLY appreciated.[/quote:55058fecaf]

So your car goes above 210 when its hot out and the fan does not turn on. Sounds like you have eliminated all of the parts on the cooling fan except the ground connection and the PCM. The ground for the fan is on the left side of the engine/transmission. Foolow the harness from the transmission selector switch and you will see two different wires coming out of the harness and grounding on the flange bolts. The closest one to the trans switch is the ground for the cooling fan. I would make sure this ground is clean and secure. Then that will leave the PCM computer. The PCM is located in the right front fefender. These are usually in the air stream leading to the intake and the air helps keep them cool. Check and make sure yours is clear for air flow. It may be a bad PCM, but that is a pretty expensive trouble shooting part. Hopefully you will find a birds nest clogging the air flow causing it to get too hot. We can only hope.
Jul 28, 2006 at 10:23 AM

Suggested Repair

Clean and secure the cooling-fan ground on the left side of the engine/transmission, following the harness from the transmission selector switch to the flange-bolt grounds; the wire closest to the switch is the fan ground. Also confirm the PCM in the right front fender has clear airflow. A failed PCM is possible but expensive, so check the ground and airflow first.

Conversation Summary

A 1999 Chevy Cavalier cranks but is slow to start when hot or humid, and the radiator fan does not come on in hot weather, so the engine runs near overheating. Cooler weather is fine. The owner flushed the radiator and replaced the coolant temperature sensor, thermostat, and fan relay without success. The expert says the remaining fan-circuit items are the ground and PCM, and recommends cleaning the fan ground near the transmission and checking PCM airflow before considering a costly PCM replacement.

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