Its been in the middle 30's for the temp here in idaho. I have been running my 99 nomad and the 1500 drifter.
I noticed sitting idleing the Nomad cycles the engine fan about every two or three minutes.
The drifter just sits there and the fan does not go on. Its not overheating and the jugs feel warm not hot.
Whats normal do you think the nomad has a thermostat out or something or might something be wrong with the drifter. I would think both would cycle as there both 1500
anybody have any ideas
t6
It has been discussed before here, the Drifters Fan only switches on at very high temeratures. I have heard mine only one time in a traffic jam on a hot summer day (30 degrees Celcius). On a normal spring day it will not switch on.
I read that but would there be a differance in the two bikes?? Maybe differance is carb verses fuel injection? Pretty strange.
t6
The engines are different in several ways, even though they are both 1500... the set points for fan operation is about the same, but the differences in the engine and fuel systems likely make the nomad a bit hotter than the drifter. Drifters do run cool, comparatively speaking.
And, there are even differences between individual bikes of the same model when it comes to operation. Each model has characteristics common within the model, but there are always individual differences in the bikes.
If you aren't overheating, likely no problem. You KNOW the fan is working!
I have had my drifter for going on 3 years.
the fan has come on 2 times.
once sitting at a road construction blockage this last summer when it was over 100deg. f, and once while idling around a camp ground in 1st gear.
I live in mississippi, it gets hot here, even this last summer it was 105 f. here, it never came on as long as i was moving.
At first I thought it wasn't working too, my friends 800 fans come on a lot earlier and more often than mine.
45 Bravo
the fact that the fan is coming on is a good thing, many water cooled engines have a limited time that the fan switches on but the fact that it is cycling means that the coolant is circulating, I have three honda shadows and I have fitted bypass switches to some of them so that I can switch on the fan whenever I want to..
A good flush and coolant clean every year will ensure your engine has the best possible chance of working for a good long time..
Incidently, I hate it when you lot complain about hot weather it always reminds me that the sun came out here for ten minutes in 1994 in August and we all stopped work and had a very quick party to celebrate.
John.
The only way I could get mine to come on was on a hot day, lugged it down so it was working hard on an incline, finally it came on. Only time in 5 years. (that I remember, anyway!) :D
ok knowing I have an 800, and i live in a slightly cooler climate then some.....but I have never had my fan come on yet. I was stopped in traffic once last year, it was 29.5 * C or 85*F and just sitting there for about an hour moving very slow at a snail pace and it never came on......now i'll have to check it to make sur eit does work when needed.......
Quote from: CDNRatMan on March 08, 2013, 18:30:20 PM
ok knowing I have an 800, and i live in a slightly cooler climate then some.....but I have never had my fan come on yet. I was stopped in traffic once last year, it was 29.5 * C or 85*F and just sitting there for about an hour moving very slow at a snail pace and it never came on......now i'll have to check it to make sure it does work when needed.......
That would be a good idea, you should be able to link the blue and red wire at the thermal switch which should make the fan run..many of these switches work on one wire and the mounting of the switch to make the ground connection for the fan,,but looking at the circuit for the 1500 it looks as if the thermal switch has two wires that connect the +12v to the fan..so just turn on the ignition and link the wires and the fan should run, you don't need to start the engine.
If the radiator is clogged with silt it can insulate the switch from the circulating coolant and should be flushed by disconnecting the bottom hose and running water from the filler cap with a garden hose until it runs clear.
This is a general instruction and not exclusively for the VN bikes.
John.
once the weather gets a bit warmer I'll move it outside and do a rad flush.....just to be sure it is good fluid. Thanks JH
The fan of my 800 Drifter Works well. As son as i drive for a while around city, the fan startes from time to time working. In summer at temperature above 25ºC it switches also "on/off"....I'm sure the fan cools down the bike's temperature. Therefore I'm not worried! ;)
The thermostat opens and closes to keep the coolant within operating range. The thermostat starts opening at 136-144F (58-62C) and is fully open at about 167F (75C).The fan doesn't come on until the coolant reaches between 212 and 230F(100-110C) and it will go off again at between 207-217(97-103C).
Drifters tend to run "cool" except on the hottest days, stop and go traffic, etc. If you aren't getting indications of overheating, just keep your eyes and ears open. Sometimes it only runs for a few seconds, and that's enough to get it cooled down. You've probably just missed it.