Sorry if this has been answered, I searched for a while before posting this and didn't find what I was looking for.

I have a 2001 Cavalier 2.2 5-speed manual with nearly 200K on it. I had been haivng some compressor issues earlier in the winter and just didn't turn the AC settings to any position where it would kick on that compressor until I finally had the chance yesterday with the warmer weather. Well in the month since I decided to stop using the compressor, the cooling fan (the engine / radiator / condenser fan, not the blower motor) has stopped working. That was the first thing I noticed when I turned the compressor on. I wasn't too worried because a few years ago the same thing happened and I just swapped the blower motor relay with the cooling fan relay and figured out that was the problem. But this time, both relays are working and the big green 30 amp fuse under the hood also appears to be fine. So I have two questions:

First - is there anything else it could be other than the motor itself that has burned out? Second - is it possible to just replace the motor itself and not the entire huge assembly/shroud? I ask this because I had to do that when replacing the radiator a few years ago, it was a total nightmare trying to get that thing in and out. Not to mention I have that insane starter/ignition relay from the recall installed right in the way of everything and REALLY don't want to mess with that thing. I know they sell just the fan motor without all the other crap and was wondering if anyone has replaced it while it is still position.

Finally (a third question) - does this condition throw a code? I have no way of knowing because my CEL is always on due to a phantom EVAP condition.

Any assitance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

update: not any new codes. Had them read at autozone last night just for the heck of it.

wish that 30 amp fuse wasn't the only one in there so I could swap it like I did with the relay to eliminate that before I start dismantling things for that motor.

Still seeking any advice, input, help.......

I guess I'll continue to talk to myself until someone stumbles across this with some answers. Besides, I have another update. I swapped the BATT2 40 fuse just to see if the 30 could be the problem - but of course it wasn't and there was no change so I guess it is time to buy a new fan motor and put it in. (not buying the whole shroud/assembly). You'd think since I just dealt with replacing the radiator and hoses 18 months ago that I would remember this - but ironically it is because I was doing the whole radiator replacement back then that I don't have the answer to this question now when just wanting the minimal trouble possible to get that fan motor changed out.

I'll be doing this from the top-side since I have no safe way other than the stock scissors jack to raise the car - although I might jack it up a bit to get that bottom bolt off the housing. My biggest concern is working around the starter/ignition/recall relay that I had put in last year which wasn't there when I did the radiator. That is going to have to come off to get it out the top. But I seem to remember that even with the radiator and all the hoses disconnected, I *still* had a hell of a time getting that fan assembly past the starter. If fact, I was convinced for a long time that my starter problems last spring were a result of having banged the fan repeatedly against the starter 6 months earlier but it turned out to be the recall relay issue. I also never got that airbag sensor back to working correctly since it has flashed at me when I start the car ever since then and never used to do that. Anyway - what I want to know is what is the absolute minimum number of things I have to disconnect/unbolt/unscrew to get the fan out of the top. and if you loosen the radiator bolts, do you have to take the front metal/support X -looking thing off too? And if the answer to that is yes, how does that provide more room coming up behind the core support? I know there's no way it would ever come out in front of that support thing.

I hope someone reads this and can see what I am talking about and it makes sense.

Thanks again.

I haven't had to do that job (yet). But here's a nice video on replacing the radiator fan. Seems pretty easy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8EHnAM0ECo

I'm not sure if this is at all relevant, but your AC compressor won't engage if it's low on coolant. If it's low on coolant, that's probably from a leak (and probably from the compressor).

@RassMaTazz - Thanks for the youtube link. A good video that was very helpful to me.

@Dean Johnson _ I feel your pain. Working on cars these days is difficult because they are so complex and everything is so tightly packed into small spaces. I hope that you have been able to resolve the problems with your fan.

After reading through your posts I am concerned for your safety. First, please never get under a car that is supported only by a scissor jack. I hate to even think about how it would feel to get a hand, chest, leg, or head smashed under the weight of a car. And how long would you be pinned before someone came to help?

And this comment from your last post is troublesome: "I also never got that airbag sensor back to working correctly since it has flashed at me when I start the car ever since then and never used to do that."

I have been hit by an air bag and believe me...it is a violent impact. In my case I was put down for about two months with severe chest pain and, about two years later, discovered that I have heart issues that (according to multiple internet sources) could have been the result of that air bag incident. The passenger side air bag also deployed...luckily I had no passengers in the car, but that bag blew out the windshield. I have a 2005 Cavalier, pretty much identical to your car I would think. I can't make perfect sense of your wording in the comment above. But is ANYTHING about the airbag system is not working correctly it needs to be fixed. Please don't risk serious injury to yourself or...especially, others. Faulty air bags systems can result in accidental deployment.

So, the radiator fan is not working? The first step is to jump it to see if it works. If it works with a jump but doesn't come on when the engine gets hot or the AC is turned on, check for power and ground. If there is no power, you'll need to figure out why.

First, if you were having AC issues, the control module receives input from the AC pressure sensor. If there refrigerant level is low, or system isn't working properly, the sensor will not read an adequate pressure and therefore, the control module will not command the fan on when the AC is turned on. The fan should still come on when the engine gets hot, however. If the fan comes on with AC switched on but not when the engine is hot, suspect a problem with the engine coolant temp sensor.

If the fan does not come at any time (i.e. when the engine is hot or when the AC is turned on) and there is no power to fan, suspect a problem with the 30 amp fuse, the cooling fan relay or the wiring. The PCM could also be to blame, but it's not likely. Hope this helps.


https://www.yourmechanic.com/pro/mbevacqua