Question:

I have a 1996 ford contour. In the morning when I use the heat I hear the fan come on. Should the fan be coming on? I have new coolant, new radiator and the Thermostat is about 18 mos old. Also there are no leaks. I think the fan coming on also is affecting my gas mileage. Help me please.

Answer:

Hi there are two possible problems. The first one would be the engine coolant temperature switch for the ECM if it is open this car will go into a back up mode where it will turn on the fan so the car doesn’t overheat. Thus as soon as you start it the fan would come on. The second possibility is a lot more costly and also possible. Ford had a lot of problems with the insulation they used on the wires. Disconnect the battery and grab the wire harness near the top of the transmission and see if the wires feel brittle you may actually see where some of the wires are bare. Hope this helps.