By George Swetland

What follows was in response to a "small" cooling problem encountered while in Phoenix for the GP in 1990. Due to a stress fracture, one of the brackets supporting the cooling fan in our Eclat broke. Needless to say, the under hood cacophony which followed was embarrassing to say the least. Studying the problem resulted in an easy fix... Here's what you will need... 1 pair of Bosch relays. Like the type which are used to switch on the 90.130 halogen bulbs in your headlights; 1 used fan shroud with two fans from an Audi 4000 with A/C, or 2 shrouds from an Audi 5000; about 4 hours and no Beer, screaming kids, or other domestic distractions.

Begin by removing the radiator from the car. I will not get into how this is done, as the manual states, it is "fairly straightforward". Lay the shroud over the radiator and you should find a near perfect fit. Much of this will depend on whether you are still using the outrageously overpriced stock radiator, or have had it replaced with a more conventional unit. If using 2 of the Audi 5000 units, some cutting and welding may be in order (I found out about the double fan unit from the 4000 after I had finished my project, using the 5000 units). Both work equally well, and what you will get is dependable tornado-like performance from the now shrouded Bosch units. Finish your project by wiring each fan through one of the relays mentioned earlier. Power for these should come from some heavy primary type wire connected directly to the battery. The stupid little button switch located in the top of the radiator hose now has less amperage to handle when using the relays and will probably last longer... if you haven't gotten rid of the damn thing already (but, more on that later...)

Well, here is the follow up to the Cooling Fan Fix part 1. I will try to produce more of these types of stories in the future, expecially now that I appear to have been amde the Eclat/Elite/Sprint Tech Rep. Sooo... Here we go!

Why? The manner in which the radiator cooling fans are activeated in the stock vehicle is by means of a small bullet or button switch which is inserted in a rubber grommet located in a Tee shaped pipe in the upper radiator hose. These are prone to leak, spray scalding water on you at the most in-opportune times, blow out and present themselves as a nuisance in general.

What you will need...

Heavy duty X-Acto knife, hammer, haeavy duty soldering iron or propane torch, 2 female cripm connectors and tool.

We first begin by removing the curious Tee shaped pipe from the upper radiator hose. You may wish to remove the hood as this makes access much less "fiddly". Find a local wrecking yard that has a large population of Italian cars. I find that "dead" Fiats or Lancias are in good supply in most areas. You are looking for a radiator with a fan switch mounted int he bottom corner. Using your X-Acto knife and hammer, cut into the radiator tank and remove the switch as well as the brass fitting that it screws into. Be aware that the preceeding operation will render the donor radiator totally useless. But, let's face it, if it was any good... why would it be in the junk yard! (Note: It would be wise to remove the switch from the fitting beforehand. Notice that it screws in and is usually fitted witha copper washer.

Once you have this home, fire up the torch and un-solder the remaining radiator shell scrap from the bottom of the fitting. Take the stock Tee shaped pipe and cut all but 1" off of the end formerly occupied by the notorious "bullet" switch. After thoroughly cleaning both pieces, solder the new fitting into the stub end of the stock Tee shaped pipe. If you have chosen the correct one, it will be a perfect fit. If not, back to the junk yard!

Before installing the switch and blasting out of the garage, take a few minutes and check out the switch to be sure it works. Wait until the wife (or significant other) is out of the kitchen. Prepare a pot of boiling water (I find this easier than trying to explain why I'm in the kitchen!). Attach the plus and minus leads from a Volt/Ohm meter to the two connections on the switch. Have it set to check for continuity. Your switch should "click" and show continuity after 60 seconds in the pot. These are set to switch over at 180°F. Other temperatures are available, check yours carefully. For those of you who are contemplating having a new radiator built, you can aks the shop to install one of these int he radiator tank itself, thereby despensing completely witht he foregoing. If all is well, install the crimp connectors to the wires, and install the switch. Connect the wires, top up the coolant and start the car. During warm up, watch your dash temp gauge. The fans should come on just before 90°C is indicated.

Since performing this modification on my own Eclat, I have experienced zero problems with fan activation. Do this now when it's cold outside and you will have a trouble free, cool running car come spring!