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Fan Trick -turn both fans turn on and remain on low-speed
While
working to improve your driving at the drag strip, you may have an
opportunity to make several consecutive passes without stopping to cool down
the engine. This routine is called "hot-lapping," appropriately so, because
it causes the coolant temperature to soar above 200F degrees, often above
220F.
On a C5 motor with a stock engine management computer (ECU/PCM), elevated
coolant temps cause the PCM to retard timing, which reduces horsepower. None
of us want that.
By using this "Fan Trick" both fans turn
on and remain on low-speed, keeping the coolant temperatures close to an
ideal 194F while hot-lapping. As always, it's a good idea to keep an eye on
the coolant temperature shown in the Driver Information Center (DIC).
This Trick is free, requires nothing more than one piece of wire and a white
marker. And results in no permanent change to the car.
Here is the procedure for the "Fan Trick."
You'll
need one piece of wire, ideally 14-16 gauge, multi-strand copper. Cut a
piece about six (6) inches long and strip the insulation from the last
half-inch of each end. When not in use, I kept that piece of wire in the
glove box inside my racing glove.
Pop the
hood and locate the fuse relay center on the passenger side just forward of
the battery.
Remove the
cover and confirm the internal configuration is the same as the one
pictured; if the car is a stock 1997-2004 C5, it should be.
[Note: Smoke, once emitted, is hard to get back
into electrical components. So check this out yourself; I provide no
warranty and bear no responsibility for consequential damage arising from
following this procedure. But it works for me and others without incident.]
Now, identify the lower right-hand relay. Note the orientation of
lettering on its face is the same as the others. Maintain that orientation
when you're finished.
Remove
Relay #45 by wiggling it and then pulling it straight up. Drop a dot to mark
the terminals shown. Drag strip window marker or office "white-out" work
equally well for this purpose. Once marked, you won't forget the correct
terminals.
Now insert
the ends of the prepared wire into the two marked sockets. You should hear
both fans turn on.
Replace
Relay #45, being careful to keep the wire-ends in place. Once the Relay is
firmly in position, you should still hear both fans.
Once you verify the fans are still running, reinstall the cover. You are
finished.
The fans will continue to run at low-speed until you remove the wire. Using
this procedure, I have run the fans of my 2002 Z06 for six-hours without
draining the battery.
Contact Information
- Postal address
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2701 Quebec Drive Corpus Christi, Tx. 78414
- Electronic mail
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General Information: icuall@c5help.com
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