I dunno if the circuit is independent of the ECU or not. Either way,
re-securing any ground wires in the area may help. On a car this old,
there could be some corrosion in any electrical connector. Also, is it
possible you have a thermostat that is stuck open? maybe the coolant
temp never goes up enough.

One source for OEM parts might be www.subarugenuineparts.com . No
connection, just a satisfied customer. I suspect a generic part would be
OK if you don't mind a little rewiring. They probably won't have a soob
connector.

Carl

On Jun 30, 1:56 am, apn68...@forteinc.com wrote:

You don't say which series Subie you have so I'm guessing here.
The radiator cooling fan is controlled by the ECU from a separate
temperature sensor, NOT the temperature gauge you see in the dash.
The ECU temp sensor has two wire connection unlike the gauge sensor
which only has one wire.
On my 93 Legacy Turb both sensors at at the rear of the engine block
under the air intake pipes.

Of course Carl could be correct and it's merely dirty connections - my
rad fan connector is immediately behind the rad at the lower L/H side
looking from driver's position.

Hi,

Being possessed of a genetic predisposition to being a cheapskate,
sometimes I've found I have happier DNA when I've troubleshot things
sufficiently BEFORE rushing off to part w/ my money.

So, have you checked the individual components?

The fan may be burned out. Disconnect it from the factory harness and
hook it up to a known power source (battery) and a known good ground. It
should run. If not, you know where to start! I found a good one for my
car at the junkyard.

If your car's wired like mine, I believe you have power coming from the
harness to the fan motor, and ground is completed thru the thermoswitch
mounted in the radiator. W/ the harness unplugged, check it for voltage,
and check the thermoswitch for a closed circuit when it's hot enough.
Depending on the switch operating temp and the temps you can achieve
idling, you may be able to do this "on the car" but depending on
circumstances, you may not be able to get it hot enough, and it'll have
to be removed from the radiator and tested in boiling water. Suggest a
new one from Subaru if yours is bad.

If your car has A/C, there may be an auxiliary circuit to activate the
fan, regardless of coolant temps, whenever the A/C compressor's engaged.
You'll probably want to spend a few bucks and get a manual to show your
wiring for the specific car. Check all the associated connections.

If all that checks out, polish as many of the contacts as you can reach
w/ some fine sandpaper or steel wool (or even scratch 'em clean w/ a
small blade), put some dielectric grease in any connectors you've
disconnected, and plug everything back together to see if it's just a
corrosion problem. Also, trace the ground from the thermoswitch and see
if it's good wherever it connects to the chassis.

There are possibly other problem areas related to ECU contacts, other
coolant sensors, etc., but I'd start as close to the problem as I could,
then work back into the depths...

Rick