I think my electric fan may be dead, haven't had chance to use some wire direct from the battery to test it (which is + which is - on that fan connector?), but heard if I run the AC it will automatically turn on, but it doesn't.. Which setting or for how long / how hot does temperature gauge have to read before electric fan will kick in? I dont want to have an actual hot day on the highway in bumper to bumper traffic before I test it out. How much is a replacement fan anyway and do you guys recommend OEM Dealer or something like a Dorman replacement?

Thank you all, and nice Jeep on the beach with the tarp setup SteveMongr, that's a great idea!

Squelchtone

btw, I have all new coolant, new thermostat housing and a Stant 180F thermostat (does ECU only turn fan on if temp is 210 or higher?) as well as new upper and lower hoses, and radiator checks out ok, no leaks. Just trying to stay on top of it since I have a 2001 XJ with a 0331 head and 143,000 miles on it. Thanks.

 

2001 e-fan does not automatically kick on when A/C is on. It does on all 4.0 earlier years except perhaps '98 - '00. PCM turns fan on when temps reach ~218* or when certain conditions are met in the A/C system. 210* is normal running temp.

180* thermostat can lead to a false sense of security in that it does not protect against overheating.

 

Okay, so I have a 2000. Is that electric fan supposed to kick on when the AC is on...or not?

 

So I am in a similar position. Clutch cycles about 10 times a minute.

I removed the plug from the low pressure switch and confirmed with the engine off it is closed which means there is some refrigerant in there.

I looked at the crappy AC recharge kits, a lot of the reviews say the gauges are inaccurate, fall off, etc.

I'm torn between buying some R134a and a set of gauges, and just taking it somewhere. I'm worried that they'll try to give me some BS about a dead compressor etc.

Did you guys use proper AC gauge set that measures high and low side, or just a can with a gauge from the auto store?

Also, the R134a at the store worries me because it has "sealant" in it. We all know cooling sealant is bad, so I'd feel better with no added "sealant".

 

I understand the only way to properly add/remove or check levels is to use a gauge set. A single gauge can overfill and cause problems. Also a real gauge set can read problems with the system. Mine was just diagnosed, bad expansion valve. Works great now after replacing it.
The cycling of compressor could be from low refrigerant levels.

 

Can anyone confirm this? I have never heard this before about the 2001 models. In most A/C systems, a fan needs to kick on to help cool the condenser down.

The E-fan *should* switch on whenever A/C is activated, and also when temps reach 218.

If your A/C is constantly cycling, you are more than likely low on refrigerant as Steve pointed out. If you plan to get this done yourself....get a set of these. WELL worth the money. I got them with a 20% coupon, and you can find those and print them off on the internet. I also got the vacuum pump so that I could do the whole job right. It's true, the single gauge AutoZone jobs don't do very well at all. I have one of those and the gauge just goes crazy when I plug it in and doesn't make any sense. This is a pic of the gauges and vacuum pump in action when working on my car/DD.



The only problem with these gauges I had is that the high side hose wasn't crimped down. I used a little hose clamp and tightened that sucker on there as much as I could, and no problems that I can tell.



I just charged up my '98 last night after pulling vacuum on it for a while and I put one little 6oz can of EnviroSafe R12a (NOT R12) in, and it blows ICE cold. Do your research though before deciding on either R12a or R134a. There's a lot of debate out there and using that stuff isn't entirely legal in every state because of it's potential flammability. But let's save all that debate for another thread. The fact is, A/C requires some sorcery and I highly recommend that you Google the crud out of this topic if you want to learn to DIY and do it right. The hardest part about A/C work is fixing leaks or clogs.

 

^ Excellent.
I also thought the e-fan should always run when AC is on.
..Sorcery is correct, I take AC issues to a friend/specialist. It can be complicated.

 

Don't make no never mind to me. You can confirm how the e-fan works if you are interested by doing a quick search. But don't give others incorrect info.

 

No need for an attitude there, buddy. I didn't want anyone to get incorrect info and as I said, I had never heard this about the 2000 and 2001 models. But, I did some searching, and alas....post #42

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/gre...3/#post2709139

That's interesting. So it appears that the refrigerant COULD be low enough for just the E-fan to not come on during A/C operation, but the compressor still could. It's all based on the psi ratings. Learn something new every day.

 

I was looking at this set:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JFHNG0

So what is the vacuum pump used for?

 

Those look nice, but the first thing I noticed is that it doesn't appear to have a purge valve on the yellow hose (center) connection. There should be a little valve there so that you can purge air from the hose and gauge set when connecting a can of refrigerant, so you don't push that air into the system.

(circle in the middle--above it is a sight glass so you can see the refrigerant in there)


The vacuum pump is used to clear the system of contaminants and water. The vacuum will boil off any water in the system as water vapor and also can suck out other crud that might be floating around. The vacuum pump is also used to see if the system is leaking. What you do is, hook the vacuum pump up to that center yellow hose (also for recharging), and pull the vacuum down on the system to around 28-30 inHg. Run the vacuum pump for a good half hour or so, and then close the manifold valves and trap the vacuum inside the system. Let this go as long as you'd like...at least 45 minutes to an hour. Watch the low pressure side (blue) gauge, and if the vacuum drops, it's likely you have a leak in the system.

 

Any DIY step by step instructions that cover the sequence of things to do?

And that's weird I swear I pasted an Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JFHNG0

Holy crap, when I post an Amazon link the site is changing it to a Walmart link!!!?!

 

Huh, that's pretty crazy! It definitely took me to Amazon too...strange...

Anyway, there's lots of DIY out there on the internet, but one burning question I had I could not find an answer to. That question was, do I release the vacuum from the system before charging? The answer to this question is YES. I had to figure it out for myself and cost me a couple cans of refrigerant. Do some googling and you'll find the ambient temperature vs. the gauge readings and what these numbers actually mean. It would be most helpful to get a book on it. I don't normally recommend Hayne's but I hear they have a good A/C manual.

 

You're welcome.

 

Thanks for the help! If I can't get a buddy to do this I will try the DIY route. Does not seem like rocket science.