1988 cad. cimarron dash lights flash cooling fans kick on and air con. does'nt work

Watch the engine idle long enough for the coolant heat make the radiator cooling fan cycle on and off at least twice. This way you know the cooking fan circuit functions.
Other test is turn your air con switch on, then the cooling fan should turn on with the air con.
One more is when the overheat light comes on, turn on your air con to make the cooling fan run.
Last i want to say is find the coolant temp sensor fan swith , usually on the radiator, and inspect the connection for loose, faulty, good, bad.

engine cooling fan motor spinning too slow
faulty thermostatic switch
it may have a relay in the engine bay cluster

interior cooling fan has a relay

air con system fault or out of gas
the switch has worn
or the fan motor itself is worn out

The engine cooling fan comes on when the engine temp. reaches around 180 degrees F , The air con fan comes on with the air con switch.

the air con fan comes on with the air con switch. the engine cooling fan comes on when the engine temp. censer reaches operation temp. most times the air through the radiator when driving is enough to keep the censer cool and the fan not working if you stop at lights for any length of time it will come on.

I didn't know it had a light on the dash that said "cooling fan temp".
My 93 doesn't.
The cooling fans are controlled by the computer and turned on when the ac is running or when the engine reaches 220 degrees.
A mechanic would check the fuse and relay for power and the fan motor for power and ground.

Sounds like 2 different problems here. The ac gets warm when standing idle, is most likely the under hood fan not kicking on when ac is on. This may be a fuse issue or a relay. When ac is on, the fan should be on all the time. Relay maybe in an electrical box under the hood. Unplug the fan and test for power with a test light to see if the fan has power when ac is "on".

The inside fan not working on levels 1& 2 is likely the voltage ballast issue. this is an electrical block which controls voltage to change fan speeds. Usually found under the passenger side dash, right in the air flow comming from the fan and inside the air flow housing. Usually held in by 2 or 3 screws with a connector and 3-4 wires sticking out. this should be under $20 to buy and quite easy to change, if you can find it. Try behind glove box etc. Do not test the new one without it being in place, as it may burn out very quickly without the air flow to cool it.
Good luck

Hi,
it is generally because the air con heat exchanger has to be cooled in order for your air con to work correctly and cool the interior of your car.


The air conditioning utilises a gas by the name of freon. This gas is pumped around the air con system by a compressor. The gas, going through the aircon cooler or heat exchanger, starts to cool down. Depending on the system layout, the gas is forced through a very small aperture situated after the cooler. It reverts to a liquid, passes through the matrix in the car, a fan blows the interior air of the car through the matrix. The fluid picks up the heat, and cooler air exits the matrix and, (hopefully) cools the interior of the car. This endless cycle is repeated as long as the air con is powered on.

Hope this brief description will suffice.

cooling fan or heater fan? if its cooling fan then the coolant temp sensor is bad

the blower motor has no affect on the AC system,
start the engine and turn on AC and watch the AC compressor to see if clutch engages,if it doesn't the system isn't full,if you are correct the clutch should be engaged and should quit when you change heater speeds,

If the car makes the sound you say,try this.Turn the air/con off and on and see if the sound goes off and on.The car has an electric fan that comes on with the air/con to help cooling of the motor.It may also be the fans for the engine cooling system.If the car starts without the sound and it then kicks in later,its the cooling system working properly.Hope this helps