Electric fan problem...or not...???

[kingbilly]

With engine still running and car parked up after a small drive I can hear the electric fan whirling away...however, switch the air con off and the fan goes off...switch the air con back on and the fan comes back on...all this while stationary.

Does this sound right/okay to you guys...?

Thank you,
Billy

[jaydubveedub]

Sounds to me like the air-con pusher fan cutting in and out as you switch the A/C on and off.

Not sure if it's the same, but I used to have a BMW 330 and that had an electric fan in front of the air con radiator to force air through it (for when the car is not moving this there is no natural air flow).

Again, not sure if the GTI is the same as I haven't done too much nosing about under the bonnet but I wouldn't worry about it.

Does anyone else know?

[ub7rm]

The fan will always run with the a/c on.

The fan will run as jaydub.. says when there is no natural airflow and its warm.  Mine usually runs for a little while after turning the car off.

Sounds like normal behaviour to me. 

[dubcruiser]

As the two replies above, all sounds normal!! Start worrying when you switch the air con and no fans run!! 

[m0nkeymafia]

The fan will always run with the a/c on.

The fan will run as jaydub.. says when there is no natural airflow and its warm.  Mine usually runs for a little while after turning the car off.

Sounds like normal behaviour to me. 

Im glad you said that, mine does that and it worried me! Its quite noisy isnt it when your travelling slow or stopped!

[Teutonic_Tamer]

And it is important to remember that the two fans can work either in unison or completely independently.  And they can also vary their speed too.

[M11BYH]

My car has these symptoms too. Monitor your fans and see if they both are working, what generally happens (or happened in mine) my smaller fan failed, which resulted in the bigger fan coming on alot more and much faster and louder, compensating for the smaller fan failure. it always comes on and sounds like a jet! especially when i turn ,my ac on, it didnt do this before. ive orderd a new motor for my fan, costing me £118.

[m0nkeymafia]

I took mine for a service the other day and got them to look at the car fan issue.
They said it was normal even though it sounds realllly loud!

It almost makes me want to turn the A/C off... it distracts from the exhaust tones!!

[Vdubulyer]

Funny, I've just come back off me hols and found I've got the exact same issue.

It doesn't sound "normal" to me, I've had the car for 18 months and not noticed it until today.


Just took M11BYH's advice and checked the small fan - it's failed. Cheers for the tip!!

M11BYH - Have you got the part number?

[m0nkeymafia]

Where do you check for the small fan?