Fan clutch

Tiny
JAMESW73
  • MEMBER
  • 2005 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER
  • 4.2L
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 175,000 MILES
I replaced the fan clutch twice on my vehicle. The second time was about three weeks ago. Now and it is still showing service engine soon. I checked the wires that plugs into the fan clutch and I am only getting one out of five that works. What is the part called that plugs into the fan clutch? I know it is a harness, but I cannot get a full name on it. And would I have to rewire the whole thing?
Tuesday, October 10th, 2017 AT 6:36 AM

28 Replies

Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
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Can you post the exact code you are getting with a scan please.
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Tuesday, October 10th, 2017 AT 3:46 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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What do you have for a code AND what do you mean "works".
There should be a ground (black wire) 12 volt feed from the fan relay (White wire) on the clutch power side. The other 3 wires are for the fan sensor. Solid gray wire should have 5 volts with the key on. Gray wire with white is a ground inside the ECM and the Dark Blue wire is a signal feed to the PCM.
With the key on and a cold engine the only wires that will show anything are the grounds and the 5 volt feed.

Have you checked the fan fuses and the relay?
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Wednesday, October 11th, 2017 AT 2:04 PM
Tiny
JAMESW73
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I'm getting code p0526 I tested the white wire and getting a good signal. But I'm getting nothing from the other one. I checked fuses and relay and they're all good
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Wednesday, October 11th, 2017 AT 2:08 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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OK that is a failure on the sensor side of the system. Check for 5 volts on the Solid gray wire, and a ground on the Gray/white wire.
What do you have for test gear?
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Wednesday, October 11th, 2017 AT 2:15 PM
Tiny
JAMESW73
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I got a multimeter
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Wednesday, October 11th, 2017 AT 6:16 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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OK test the wires above for powers and grounds. Should have battery voltage on White, 5 volts on the Gray wire and connection to ground on the Gray/White and Black.
There are a few connections in the lines so it's possible one or more have corrosion.
Testing them should show what's going on.
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Thursday, October 12th, 2017 AT 1:53 AM
Tiny
JAMESW73
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I tested the wires with my multimeter and all wires are good. Could it be just a faulty fan clutch. This is the 2nd one I put in now
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 1:07 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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It could be but I doubt it. I think you will probably need to get an Oscilloscope to check if the signal from the clutch is actually getting up to the PCM.

Does the fan seem to work OK and you just get the error or is it locked on high?
You installed the new one, cleared the code and it came right back correct?

There is a TSB on these where the wiring harness chafes on the bracket and causes them to lock and throw a code. This isn't the issue as the cable would have come with the new clutch.

There is also a TSB that reprograms the fan operation but it doesn't apply to yours.

So either there is a bad connection in the signal wires to the PCM (doesn't take much) or the PCM itself is messed up.

It might be time to take it to a dealer or good shop and have them verify where the issue is with an OEM level scan tool.
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 3:02 PM
Tiny
JAMESW73
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Could it be the temperature sensor? This is what I did I cleared the code by disconnecting the battery hooked it back up and started it. It almost sounded like a jet engine when I revved it up a little then it stopped after about 20-30 seconds. Shut it off and on againanf then about 10 seconds later the light came back on and it was quiet
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 3:08 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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Just to check do you have an autozone/advance/oreily around? Or similar place that will scan/clear codes free? Maybe have them scan it and see what code they get, then clear it. Some codes can be really stubborn and won't clear by disconnecting the battery. I always use a scan tool to clear them so I'm not sure if this one is a persistent one or not. Your description sounds like it is working OK, so you could try that. You could be chasing a ghost code.
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 3:31 PM
Tiny
JAMESW73
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Yeah I tried that and it comes right back on
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 3:33 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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Has to be a signal issue then. A VOM won't read the signal as it's a digital pulse not a sine wave or fixed voltage. Have you tried a continuity test from the connector back to the PCM? The dark blue and gray w/white would be the two to check.
Beyond that you need a scope or factory scan tool to read the fans duty cycle.
It's possible the old fans failure sent a power surge up the line to the PCM and the input is cooked but no way to tell that without seeing what the PCM is actually seeing from the fan.
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 3:40 PM
Tiny
JAMESW73
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So my best bet would be bringing it to a dealer?
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 3:42 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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A good shop with a good scan tool could handle it and be less $$$ the trick is finding the good shop.
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 4:12 PM
Tiny
JAMESW73
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Yeah that's very true. Thanks man I appreciate the help
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 4:13 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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Wish I could give you a better answer but without being able to see inside the PCM we have hit a wall. Where are you located state nearest large city, maybe one of us knows a shop in the area.
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 8:04 PM
Tiny
JAMESW73
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Albany ny
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Friday, October 13th, 2017 AT 8:14 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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Please let us know what you find. I'm interested to see what it is.

Cheers, Ken
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Monday, October 16th, 2017 AT 12:00 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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Albany, I'm 50 miles west of there. Used to own a shop on Central. Sold it and the new owners tore it down.
There used to be a good shop on Consaul Road and another was Capitaland over on Kraft, not the place on the corner of Kraft&Central but down on the left.
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Monday, October 16th, 2017 AT 3:46 PM
Tiny
JAMESW73
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50 miles west would be like cobleskill area?
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Monday, October 16th, 2017 AT 3:54 PM

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