Towing - Fan question
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New User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3
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Towing - Fan question
I have a 06 F250 PSD and I'll pull an 8,000 lb camper. When going up steep grades at times I'll hear a fan kick on and run for 30 seconds to a minute. It reminds me of the fan that kicks on with my ATV at time when running slow and the motor gets hot. The truck pulls fine while the fan is running and I can maintain 60 - 65 MPH up the hills. All gauges never change, nothing shows running hot. Is this normal? Is this the main fan on the motor or is there an aux fans that helps with cooling. The truck has 8,000 miles and I'm getting about 11 - 12 mpg while towing.
Any help would be great.
Thanks!
Any help would be great.
Thanks!
Jäger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,491
Likes: 5
From: Northern Arizona
That's perfectly normal. The fan on the 6.0 is electric and temp activated so it kicks on automatically and it's quite loud. The warmer the engine gets the faster, to a point, the fan will spin to pull air through the radiator. That is the main fan your hearing, there is no auxiliary fan. It does a great job of cooling the 6.0!
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,950
Likes: 510
From: Foothills, CA
Yeah, ours comes on in varrying sounds, sometimes just a second or two of a low whir -- it really only comes on full blast on a long grade on a warm day. Very different set up than my Dmax, which was either all on or all off, and when it came on sucked noticable power and stayed on for a loooong time! (it was a viscous clutch style)
Hey Hunter, do you have a Rhino by any chance? Your name looks familiar from a Rhino site I occasionally am on...
Hey Hunter, do you have a Rhino by any chance? Your name looks familiar from a Rhino site I occasionally am on...
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 710
Likes: 0
From: Fallon,NV
diesel-dan, not to totally slam another product, but you are right about that Duramax....especially the LLY version! My dad's Duramax will overheat so fast pulling a boat up to Lake Tahoe in the summertime and the fan absolutely drains most of the power. We were only pulling a 22' ski boat last summer and the fan came on when the engine and tranny got excessively hot and the fan drained the motor so bad that I could barely pull 35mph up the summit. My dad was beside himself since we'd pulled the same boat with my PSD the weekend before and slowed down to 55mph because of cars getting in the way!
To add insult to injury, his tranny did a ****-poor job of slowing us down going down the other side of the summit with the Allison. With all the things that people complain about the 6L PSD, I do enjoy how it maintains good temperatures here in the heat of Nevada!
To add insult to injury, his tranny did a ****-poor job of slowing us down going down the other side of the summit with the Allison. With all the things that people complain about the 6L PSD, I do enjoy how it maintains good temperatures here in the heat of Nevada!
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Ogden UT
I recently went on a weekend trip pulling my 12k fifth wheel to Bear Lake, UT. My fan would come on at 216 and never went above 220. Part of my problem is I have some grill inserts that cut down on air flow, which doesn't help engine temp at all. I would be curious to see how much difference there is with and with out the grill inserts. Anybody have any experience with this?
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,950
Likes: 510
From: Foothills, CA
Originally Posted by dc3655
diesel-dan, not to totally slam another product, but you are right about that Duramax....especially the LLY version! My dad's Duramax will overheat so fast pulling a boat up to Lake Tahoe in the summertime and the fan absolutely drains most of the power. We were only pulling a 22' ski boat last summer and the fan came on when the engine and tranny got excessively hot and the fan drained the motor so bad that I could barely pull 35mph up the summit. My dad was beside himself since we'd pulled the same boat with my PSD the weekend before and slowed down to 55mph because of cars getting in the way! To add insult to injury, his tranny did a ****-poor job of slowing us down going down the other side of the summit with the Allison. With all the things that people complain about the 6L PSD, I do enjoy how it maintains good temperatures here in the heat of Nevada!
To add insult to injury, his tranny did a ****-poor job of slowing us down going down the other side of the summit with the Allison. With all the things that people complain about the 6L PSD, I do enjoy how it maintains good temperatures here in the heat of Nevada!Trending Topics
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
From: San Pedro, CA
That fan noise is absolutely normal. It scared the crap out of me the first time I heard it come on pulling my toyhauler home from Glamis on a real hot afternoon. Definitely gets you attention though doesnt it?
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 585
Likes: 4
Hey, guys, anybody care to comment on KYHunter's post where he says "...all the gauges never change ..."
I've had the same experience with my '06 and 19K trailer. None of the gauges move, but the fan does come on - can't miss it!
Also, does the fan react to transmission temperatures as well as engine coolant temps?
I've had the same experience with my '06 and 19K trailer. None of the gauges move, but the fan does come on - can't miss it!
Also, does the fan react to transmission temperatures as well as engine coolant temps?
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
From: Pen Argyl, PA
I just like hotroddsl avitar ! 
My fan comes on too on the 550 towing the horses and all the other crap, but only on hot days and pulling a long grade. Will agree the first time it does get your attention for sure. BUT it sure does it's job and the temp guage drops quickly too!
Bondo©
My fan comes on too on the 550 towing the horses and all the other crap, but only on hot days and pulling a long grade. Will agree the first time it does get your attention for sure. BUT it sure does it's job and the temp guage drops quickly too!
Bondo©