360 Radiator fan not kicking in

For one thing, make sure there is no air trapped in the coolant lines. Follow the procedure for bleeding the air out of the system.

 

possible thermostat stuck closed. remove the thermostat, put it into a bowl of boiling water and see if it expands. If it doesn't, the that's the culprit.

 

Have a look on Eurospares web site- from the drawing of the radiator the temperature switch is item 9 mounted about 1/3 way down the radiator body- short that out and see if the fan starts. New switch listed about £25

 

How is that stopping a rad fan from starting ? It is controlled by a temp switch or am i missing something here.

 

thermostat closed means there's no hot coolant going to the rad, hence the fan "thinks" it is not hot enough to be turned on.

 

it is easier to remove the cabin access panels FOR ME.
but for tiny handed people, it is possible to lean over the engine and do it on the top. I myself is average build and i am fearing i'll drop some tools down to the floor pan so i didn't bother. extremely careful people with the right tools could do it, i'd say.

there are 4 bolts for a dome like cover . remove those 4 bolts and then remove the "dome" and u'll see the thermostat. there are 2 rubber gaskets u need to deal with. One on top and one underneath the thermostat. Be prepared for off-time for your car because i've seen 2 of my cars' gaskets completely destroyed upon removing. so buy these 2 gaskets beforehand even if your thermostat is good. cheap stuff. buy 2 of each gasket if you could. Installing these gaskets correctly could be a little challenging because you can't see it very comfortably when installing, you only kinda "peek" at it. so if the gasket is a little off center, then, you got coolant leaking. I myself re-installed 3 times before I made it right. But i could be clumsy. It depends on your skill and IQ i believe. LOL

 

the switch is accessible from the wheel liner ( front). Last time I checked eurospares, this part was discontinued from ferrari, so that tells u something: it rarely fails( i am not sure though, i've 4x 360s and they never fail me all these years) . Hence the thermostat theory. my thermostat got stuck closed 2 times on 2 cars and my fans won't turn on just like yours. I tested the fan by using a 12v too, just like you did, and I got the same result.

 

there's actually a simple test you can do

when your car's coolant temp on your dash is over 70,80 ,90 celcius, see if your radiator is hot. If it is hot, then you got a switch or fan problem, if it is cold, it is your thermostat or u need to bleed the coolant.

how to tell if it is cold or hot?

1. temperature measuring laser gun.
2. use your hand , need to remove the front bumper or you have decently long finger to touch the edge of the radiator through the front grille. ( my grille is broken so i just get in there easier than anyone else)

i used the 2nd method.

bottom line: if your radiator is cold, fan won't turn on, no matter what.

be careful not to overheat your car. Let somebody sit in the car and watch the coolant temp. turn engine off when its over 105C or maybe 110C

 

Have you checked the relay? Stuck on mine a couple of times.

 

It can be as simple as a relay with pitted contacts. I would bench test it.

 

I dont have a 360, i was looking at the diagrams on Eurospares. If you can get to the 2 wires on the switch you can open or short them to see if the fan runs. The switch may be wired to a relay somewhere so that is the next thing to check if playing with the thermo wires does not help. You know the fan works on 12 volts so it just the control side

 

I didn't look at the schematic, but it makes sense just having one temp sensor if both radiators are mounted in series. You can check the temp sensor by doing a continuity check with a meter and sensor soaking in boiling water, or what ever temperature the sensor supposed to kick in at.

 

on one rad only

 

have you measured the temperature at the radiator by your hand?

 

this might be of help: https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/360-cooling-fan-operation.364231/page-2

 

i did an experiment myself couple days earlier. in the trunk there are 2 relays that are in charge of the fans.
if i short those relays respectively, the respective fan will be on ( key on 2 position)

also pull out these 2 relays and use a battery or any 12v source to hear if there's a click
try that perhaps?

there are 3 fuse boxes in line at the LH side of the trunk if you open the liners.
open the topmost (rear-most) fuse box , u'll see those relays