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Wiring fans to Unision: ELECTRICAL Problems!!!

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Old Mar 29, 2011 | 08:07 AM
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Question Wiring fans to Unision: ELECTRICAL Problems!!!

1990 boosted miata
no "options" (such as cruise control, etc.)


So last night myfriend and I were attempting to wire my AC fan (the one on the right if your in driverseat) to the left fan (or clutch fan?). so that whenever the clutch fan normally came on, so would my ac fan... since my ac had been deleted.

wellll, after I came to the conclusion this wasn't happening after several blown fuses and tons of wasted time.

Then we attempted to wire them both up to a seperate switch, like a toggle switch, inside the cabin where the "cruise control" option would be. since that spot in my car was empty.. this, also, wouldn't work.

I'm not 100% sure why, I know we blew my AC fuse and didnt have another to replace since we blew about 17 other fuses and already replaced them. I don't know if this is effecting anything..

The only possible way we could even get the AC fan running was if it was unplugged [and we spliced into the wire on one side of the unplugged plug, the one thats connected to the fan, and not to the fuses..] and only had the AC fan hooked up. upon trying to get them both to run at the same time, it just wasn't happening.

After 4 hours in the unheated garage in 20 degree temperatures, we called it a night, and wired my AC fan unplugged, though unplugged shouldn't matter since the fuse is blown on my AC, my AC has been deleted also. the fans are not wired together we couldn't get them to work that way.

The AC fan is wired to my parking lights, so when my clutch fan isn't doing the job, i put on my parking lights and bam, instantly cooler.

i'd rather have it on a legitmate switch, and preferably a simple chrome toggle switch you can get from advanced auto for 5 or 6 $. that way when my cars warming up, it'll warm quicker, and preferably I can also idle without parking lights on [being a ricey-hardparker] that way too.

anyone have solutions? have done this before? any suggestions? The cooling I got from the other fan with the one previously running makes a GREAT difference, and I'm hoping to figure get them tied to unision eventually, I know it's been done before.
Old Mar 29, 2011 | 08:39 AM
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From useful saved posts http://www.miata.net/hakuna/parallel%20fan%20wiring.html.
Old Mar 29, 2011 | 09:08 AM
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i feel like an idiot for wasting a good bit of time, but i don't believe it solved my problem..
Old Mar 31, 2011 | 11:06 PM
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I've seen alot of write ups on parallel fan mods like splicing the two wires on the ecu together or splicing a wire into both fan plugs. But I was also wondering how to wire up the a/c fan to the main fan on a NON a/c equipped car. I have a 95 with no a/c and I got me a free a/c fan from a 92.

Anyone got this working?
Old Mar 31, 2011 | 11:39 PM
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Just get a bosch relay. Unplug the stock fan and use the stock signal as a trigger for the relay. Run a fused power line from the battery to the relay, and then use the output of the relay to the two fans. The fans only need ground and power to turn on.
Old Apr 1, 2011 | 05:59 AM
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Thanks for your reply. Are you talking about unplugging the a/c fan harness from the a/c relay and using a bosch relay instead and not using the stock a/c relay anymore?
Old Apr 1, 2011 | 07:24 AM
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You'd think after 2 or 3 blown fuses you would realize you're not very ******* good with electrical ****....let alone 17 blown fuses.

All you have to do to get both fans to come on at the same time is to run a jumper wire from the positive of the cooling fan to the positive of the a/c fan. One simple jumper wire.

If you want full manual control, just wire the fans like you would a foglight kit...hell, you can even use one of those $15 foglight wiring kits from VatoZone. But considering your previous work with wiring, I wonder if you could even understand how to do that
Old Apr 1, 2011 | 08:51 PM
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sorry double post
Old Apr 1, 2011 | 08:51 PM
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I saw the diy on this, my car doesn't have a/c so should I just get the factory a/c relay with fan harness and then jumper the wires even though I'm not gonna have a/c? I'm just wondering if that relay affects anything else because I don't have a/c controls
Old Apr 2, 2011 | 03:44 PM
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Here ya go, I drew you a picture of how to manually control it and never have another problem in your life with it. And also, I'm not sure what amperage stock fans pull, but dont use some dinky 22 gauge or some ****. Also if it blows a fuse, dont go putting a bigger fuse in it. Find the problem.

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Last edited by RyanRaduechel; Apr 2, 2011 at 04:08 PM.
Old Apr 2, 2011 | 04:03 PM
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Originally Posted by RyanRaduechel
Here ya go, I drew you a picture of how to manually control it and never have another problem in your life with it.

You mean until the day you forget to turn them on and overheat and have to replace the engine?

and that's a horrible way to wire fans...so yes, you will have problems.



I swear, you guys HAVE to be smarter than this? this isn't a joke?
Old Apr 2, 2011 | 04:10 PM
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How and why is it a horrible way to wire fans? Because its not being automatically turned on and off? If you pay attention to the temperature and turn the fans on there is no problem at all. Its the simplest way to do it, and thats what the OP asked for. A simple chrome toggle switch in the drivers compartment.
Old Apr 2, 2011 | 04:36 PM
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Remembering when you turn on your fans is retarded.

Running 12v through a chrome toggle switch is retarded.



all he needs to do is run the stupid a/c fan to trigger when the fan cooling fan does. it's simple and the outline on how to do it has been posted.
Old Apr 2, 2011 | 04:41 PM
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I know its been posted, and its retardly simple. Thats why I dont know why he is having such a problem.

I was just showing him how he could do it if he wanted to use a chrome toggle switch and manually control them.
Old Apr 2, 2011 | 05:04 PM
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Originally Posted by RyanRaduechel
If you pay attention to the temperature and turn the fans on there is no problem at all.
Yeah but if you forget one time, you've just overheated your motor and possibly damaged it.
Old Apr 2, 2011 | 11:42 PM
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True, you could also leave your radiator fan alone and just hook up the a/c fan to a switch
Old Apr 14, 2011 | 10:17 AM
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Originally Posted by itoen
True, you could also leave your radiator fan alone and just hook up the a/c fan to a switch
update:

sorry been off here for awhile, and sure made lot of stupid mistakes, but I honestly don't like electrical work at all, and stay away from it as much as possible, therefore, I'm terrible, worst than terrible- at it.

so now that we've bashed me to the death for my stupidity on electronics,

I left my left fan alone, to come on whenever it gets to temperature, and i have my other fan on a tiny chrome toggle switch i picked up at advanced auto for no more than 5$ and 10$ more in wiring. which I have extra in.

Basically i did it myself with some help of a friend, and thats why it was so difficult, i was forcing myself to do it and learn through attempt & fail methods so i in time stop relying on other friends with more mechanic knowledge to help with my car when needed.

All in all, i made in extremely difficult, way more than it had to be, and i apologize if there was a write up on this previously, I posted this maybe a week or two ago and wasn't aware of all the deep information i can find through the search feature.

thanks for the help guys.
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