Lada Parts UK

GadgetBoy · Last edited by GadgetBoy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:43 pm; edited 3 times in total

Materials needed.

A suitable electric fan.
Suitable bracketry.
Some wire.
Crimp spade terminals.
A couple of ScotchLok connectors.
A Multilock 040 socket,22-20 awg. (See below)
Insulating Tape
A standard 12V general purpose relay.

Following on from investigations earlier this year by Ahma and Senihol it was discovered that the 1.7TBi ECU has both the circuitry and software to drive an electric radiator fan. I've been planning to make use of this knowledge for a while and now my car is going back together now was the perfect time.

The mechanical installation.

I chose a fan from a 97 Rover 416. The reasons for this were straightforward - it was there. I scrapped said Rover in August and I thought why waste a perfectly good electric fan so I whipped it out before I drove the car to the scrap yard. As it turned out it fitted perfectly.

The fan sits on the bottom rubber radiator mount and I made the brackets for the top out of some aluminium. Total time to make brackets and fit - about 45 minutes. Note: This particular fan fits upside down.

Electrical installation.

Find a suitable place for your relay. Mine is on the left hand bulkhead. Normally, the spare wheel would be in the way but with 205's mine doesn't fit so it doesn't matter.

There are 4 wires to the relay - the numbers in brackets are the relay terminal numbers. Yellow (85) and blue (86) are for the relay coil, the two blacks (30, 87) (only one visible) are the switched 12V for the fan. The blue, yellow and one of the blacks (30) need to go through the bulkhead. As you can see there's already a handy grommet for this. The other black goes to the +12V on the fan. The other wire on the fan goes to body - I screwed it to the mounting bolt for the fuel filter. You're finished in the engine compartment now.

All the rest of the wiring happens at the ECU and ECU fuses. You will have a yellow, a blue wire and a black wire. The blue wire needs to go in the "C/D" multiplug that goes into the ECU. You can see the plug in the picture below. You want position C1 (circled) which is top right and has a black/red wire in this picture because it's from a car with a factory fitted fan. The C1 position is empty in cars without an electric fan.

Now. The correct way to do this requires on of these:

This is the thingy mentioned in the materials required list. This is designed to fit in the multiplug and latches in. The wire is soldered into the inner wings and the outer wings are crimped around the insulation. The clip can then be pushed into the multiplug until you hear it click in. If you dont have these strip about 8mm on the end of the wire, apply solder to stop it fraying and push this into position C1. The plug is fully insulated. The proper clips are RS part # 362-8869 and Farnell part # 1654692. You can see the fitted blue wire in the middle of the following picture. Alternatively find an old computer plug with the right terminal and splice it to your blue wire. Floppy disk power connectors and processor/case fans have the right terminal.

Your final two connections are on the wires of the ECU fuse panel. The yellow wire goes on the fused side of the "Green" fuse. The fuse panel is colour coded red, black, green and yellow but the fuse panel is fitted upside down so you can't see the label. Look at this picture from underneath.

Now you know what the "Green" fuse is! Detach the fuse panel so you can identify the wires and use a ScotchLoc to link your yellow wire to the fused side the "Green" circuit.

Finally we want the black wire attached to the input of those fuses via its own fuse. You'll find the fuses all have a common input so simply use a ScotchLoc to attach a short piece of wire. At the other end of this wire use an insulated spade terminal and attach a 20amp fuse as shown in the picture.

This wiring exactly mimics the wiring in an electric fan equipped car. The blank in the fuse panel is where the fuse goes in such a car.

That's it. You're done. Tidy all the wiring up with insulating tape and enjoy your all new electric fan.

You don't have to use my wire colours. I used colours that were easy to describe. The fan takes a hefty current so make sure you use wire of a suitable rating. The yellow and blue wires carry a tiny current so virtually any wire will do.
_________________
GadgetBoy
'96 Niva 1.7i
Belfast, N. Ireland
http://www.ladaniva.co.uk

zon · Standard Joined: 07 Oct 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Norway

Great post!!!
Nice work too! Very Happy

Was thinking of doing the same to mine, even got the fan. Now i will definetly do it! That was a lot easier than i thought Shocked

.
Thanks a lot!

ahma · Gold Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 1065 Location: Sweden

Good instruction. One little trick - to override the fan control - just do the paper clip trick. As long as the clip is inserted the fan will run! Good to know when the CTS break down.
_________________
/mats
Niva -94 1.7 TBI *daily driver *
Niva -96 1.7 TBI *future unknown*
www.lada-niva.se

GadgetBoy · Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 9:46 pm Post subject:

You can also take a wire from the blue wire through a switch to ground for manual control of the fan. Useful while off-roading.
_________________
GadgetBoy
'96 Niva 1.7i
Belfast, N. Ireland
http://www.ladaniva.co.uk

ahma · Gold Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 1065 Location: Sweden

...and for offroading it is also handy to have a cut off - when the mud hits the fan... at least for us using a pushing fan..
_________________
/mats
Niva -94 1.7 TBI *daily driver *
Niva -96 1.7 TBI *future unknown*
www.lada-niva.se

SimonAllen · Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 10:04 pm Post subject:

yeah, they don't like being stalled... it lets the magic smkoke out of them! Handy to be able to turn them off in water/mud
_________________
1996 2.9v6 lada niva auto

Car mechanical/electrical work undertaken in telford. Doesn't have to be a lada! PM me for details.

crb247 · Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 4:46 am Post subject:

Nice write up David.
_________________
'96 Niva 1.7i Cossack - Daily Driver
'98 MPV 4X4
webby-http://sites.google.com/site/ladacanada/

Alejoint · Gold Joined: 03 Feb 2007 Posts: 1066 Location: Venezuela

Great article, David. Even a complete electrically-challenged dood like me could hook it up right.

Keep up the good work...

EDIT: Hi there, Chris!
_________________
Alejandro Gabatel
1991 Niva 1600
1992 Ford Bronco 4x4
FRONT DIFF BRACKET PROJECT

benji09 · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 8:03 pm Post subject:

i have fan in my niva it works fine on road and just as good off road i dont no the proper name for it but you can stop the fan spining with your hand and its still works fine
_________________
4x4 fun

excossack · Titanium with furry dice Joined: 27 Jun 2003 Posts: 8102

Viscous fan?
_________________
Regards.
John M6JPE
Wirral.

www.team6.org
www.nnoc.co.uk

benji09 · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 8:07 pm Post subject:

cheers was trying to remember are they good or would it be beter repalced im using the lada off road only naw
_________________
4x4 fun

SimonAllen · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 9:02 pm Post subject:

would be better with a leccy one, they don't throw the water around the engine bay as much when it gets deep. normally means you can keep running for longer.Plus the engine revs better without the big one attatched to the front
_________________
1996 2.9v6 lada niva auto

Car mechanical/electrical work undertaken in telford. Doesn't have to be a lada! PM me for details.

brandtaucamp · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:29 pm Post subject:

Hi Gadgetboy

I'm quite intrigued by this mod

At what temperature does the fan kick in? Is it a simple on/off, or a PWM control?

Brandt

ahma · Gold Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 1065 Location: Sweden

On 97C, off 93C
_________________
/mats
Niva -94 1.7 TBI *daily driver *
Niva -96 1.7 TBI *future unknown*
www.lada-niva.se

zon · Standard Joined: 07 Oct 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Norway