AC Fan not working

[KarmannMarco]

Hi guys I've got a 97 Montero LS 3.5. Its been 95-105 here in Texas for the past week or so and Ive noticed a decrease in performance with my AC system.
When out driving around at 10+ mph the AC blows nice and cold but when I sit and Idle at a stop light ( in 95+ degree weather ) the AC feels more like fresh air. So today I checked under my hood and noticed the fan for the AC does not spin at all with the AC on no matter what. Checked voltage at the plug for the fan and I have a solid 14 volts. Also the the AC related fuses and relays are good.
Is it common for these fans to go out ?
What the best solution for this problem ?
Any upgrades or mods I can do to increase efficiency ( example: aftermarket fan )
Any ideas are appreciated.
Thanks

PS: Not sure if this is related or not but last week i was stuck in standstill traffic for about 20 minutes while driving in Houston and for the first time since I've owned this truck the temp gauge went higher then the halfway line to a hair above then halfway mark between middle and hot. At this point the AC was not even fresh. Checked the fan clutch and its working properly/solid , the coolant is clean and completely full. Could the issue with the AC fan put extra strain on the trucks cooling system ? I am rarely stuck in traffic and this has not happened at all last summer. 90% of my driving is on the freeway and 10% is through small towns with 1k -2k population so a traffic jamb is a rarity for me.

 

[off-roader]

Replacing the fan is what I'd recommend. The stock fan is is just starting to get old at 17 years and countless usage (mine has 280K miles on it).

Do you know the vehicle history? Was the fan turned on/off/on/off all the time or just left on? Regardless I say just replace it for now.

If you want to do it yourself, you can download the FSM (Factory Service Manual) from mitsubishi links dot com and follow the procedure there. It's what I'd do.

As for your question about the slight overheating last summer... having the AC on may add more load to your engine but not the other way around so no, I doubt this caused an AC issue.

 

[eurosonic]

I would replace the fan. If your AC is running and the fan is not working you will begin to over heat.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Measure your fan/post a picture of it, I have several sizes of aftermarket fans collecting dust in the garage. BTW, I have many fond memories of camping and playing around Woodland Park when I lived in Colorado and miss the clean air.

 

[ca18_sean]

I had to replace my stock A/C fan recently as well. I got a replacement off eBay for $80ish? I also added a second aux cooling fan next to the OEM fan. I now have nice cool air on these 95+ degree Florida afternoons when I'm stuck in traffic

 

[eurosonic]

I had to replace my stock A/C fan recently as well. I got a replacement off eBay for $80ish? I also added a second aux cooling fan next to the OEM fan. I now have nice cool air on these 95+ degree Florida afternoons when I'm stuck in traffic

Any more info on the additional fan? Pics??

 

[ca18_sean]

Just a universal fan we use on our drill rigs at work. Something like a 10 inch pusher. They sell them at autozone, I'll see if I can find the box.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

I'm assuming you must have put it in front of the transmission cooler? I'm also interested, how did you wire it up?

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

Measure your fan/post a picture of it, I have several sizes of aftermarket fans collecting dust in the garage. BTW, I have many fond memories of camping and playing around Woodland Park when I lived in Colorado and miss the clean air.

Tried sending you a PM but your box is full. What size fans do you have and are they push or pull?

 

[KarmannMarco]

Thank for the suggestions guys.
Ill try and get it pulled this weekend.
I like the idea of a small auxillary fan as well.

Black ZJ , I love spending time in WP. I go up there about twice a year and stay for a few weeks. Have been trying to move there permanently for a couple of years now but every time I go up there I can never find something within my budget available for rent and once I'm back working on TX everything seems to open up.

 

[ca18_sean]

I bent the lines to the transmission cooler and sandwiched it between the cooler and the a/c condenser. It's wired in with the stock fan, comes on when I hit the A/C button. I'm sure there's a better way of wiring it up, but it's been like that for a couple months without issue yet!

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

I bent the lines to the transmission cooler and sandwiched it between the cooler and the a/c condenser. It's wired in with the stock fan, comes on when I hit the A/C button. I'm sure there's a better way of wiring it up, but it's been like that for a couple months without issue yet!

I just went and measured and that looks like an option for sure. Is it a pusher type fan? I hear reversing the blade and the polarity is less efficient that using a specific pusher fan.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Tried sending you a PM but your box is full. What size fans do you have and are they push or pull?

PM me your name and number, I have 3 or 4 sizes and configurations.