Fan turns on but turn off right away? Help?
 

so I just recently flushed my coolant and changed my thermostat thinkin that would fix it but i recently found out that the fan doesn't really work. It would turn on for a few seconds when the car starts to overheat and it will turn off. So im 100% sure that the fan is the only problem... anyone have had this problem and fixed it? i would appreciate it if someone helped me... THANKS!

Year?

It's 2008 Bruce, almost 2009.

check the coolant temp sensor?

its a 91" with 1.8 motor and i didn't check the coolant temp sensor.. which should be the thing connected to the thermostat housing right?

thats the one

hmmm well im not really sure how to check that.. i can't see anything wrong with it when i changed my thermostat.. any suggestions how i can check it or what to check for? it cost about 30 bucks so id rather ask you guys first before i buy it.. btw 85-90 degree weatther shouldn't be that bad to overheat ? why are miatas so prone to overheat??? thanks

If the 1.6 sensor has been transplanted to the 1.8 motor, it is probably still driving the fan relay. The relay could be faulty or one of the connections could be loose. When the car is up to temperature high enough to activate the fans, the unit on the thermostat should short to ground. Take the connector off and short the wire to ground. If the fans stay on, it is a bad sensor. If the fans react the same way, check the relay and connections.

so just making sure... The connector to the thermo sensor which has only 1 wire.. I take that and wire it to ground? and the fans should stay on.. if they don't buy a new sensor?

yes

If they DO, buy a new sensor.

reading comprehension = FAIL!

so i haven't even tried fixing it yet.. because ive been busy. would it matter if i got a 94-97 thermostat sensor or a 90-93 or are they all the same?

There is no 94-97 fan sensor. The fans are controlled by the ECU based on the sensor feeding the ECU at the rear of the engine.

hmm so i was looking at replacement parts and the thing connected to the thermostat is a coolant temp sensor, or a coolant temp switch? they look almost identical?

The one on the front thermostat housing is a switch. The one on the rear is a sensor that allows various temps to be read and feed the ECU. They are not interchangeable.

so earlier today i was checking the connector and wired it to ground and nothing happened.. i know the fan still works because i turned on the ac and both fans turn on.. what could be the problem? what to do from here. just to make sure im suppose to wire it to ground right?

If you put the WIRE to ground and nothing happened, but turning the AC on brings in both fans, you have a break in that wire going back to the relay.

aw man that suks.. so is this thing replaceable or is it something i have to find and like solder it?

What thing????