Your Honda Civic’s condenser fan is an integral part of the car’s heating and air-conditioning system. If this fan malfunctions, it is only a matter of time before the rest of the system develops issues. Let’s not forget that it will also affect the movement of your car.
In this post, we will show you the most common reasons why your Honda Civic condenser fan has stopped working. We will discuss how to fix each of the problems as well. Without further ado, let’s get started.
How the Condenser Fan Works
Before we go ahead, we must discuss briefly how the condenser fan works. This will give insight into how to detect issues and the likely problems affecting the fan.
Every car’s engine comes with a combustion chamber. It is within this chamber that explosions that cause the car to move do occur. These explosions are the reason why your car’s engine heats up pretty quickly.
How does your car maintain a favorable temperature while moving? Coolants keep moving to and fro the radiator and engine. This protects the engine from overheating, and ultimately, breaking. The condenser fan, also known as the radiator fan, helps to maintain the right temperature for your car’s coolant.
Once it stops working, the car engine could get damaged. This is why you shouldn’t leave the problem too long without fixing it. As soon as you notice that the fan isn’t working as it should reach out to your mechanic.
Honda Civic Condenser Fan Not Working: Possible Reasons and Fixes
There are several reasons why your Honda Civic condenser fan is not working. In this section, we will discuss the most common ones and how to fix them.
Broken fuse
Your car has several fuses, each one support different electrical circuits. When an electrical surge is going towards any of the electronic components, the fuse cuts the supply. This protects that component from getting spoilt. When this occurs, the fuse wire cuts and we say that the fuse is blown.
Most times when the condenser fan stops working, the main issue is a broken fuse. The best way to solve this problem is to change the fuse. Usually, the condenser fan makes use of a large fuse. Use the fuse map to locate the associated fuse and quickly change it to avoid more damage to your car.
Malfunctioning coolant temperature sensor
Depending on the Civic model, there are two possible HVAC systems. The first is one where the fan control integrates with the engine control unit. In the second, there is a separate fan control module. Whatever the case is, there is always a temperature sensor to help the car know when the condenser fan should start working.
Once this sensor gets broken, it becomes impossible for the control unit to start up the condenser fan. After you have checked that there is no broken fuse, the temperature sensor is the next most likely cause. Simply check the repair manual of your car to see which sensor controls your radiator fan. Check to see if it is functioning by using a multimeter. If it isn’t, you need to change it.
Bad connection or broken wiring
If you have checked the two causes above and none of them is the issue, then you may have a bad connection. How do you check for bad connections or broken wiring? Observe all the connections linking the condenser fan to the relay or control unit. Also, check all the connector plugs if there is corrosion anywhere. After doing this, check all the connector plugs at the control unit and relay.
Trying to measure the wirings using a multimeter in this case is not effective. This is because you have to gather a large chunk of wires before you can get any proper readings. The best you can do with a multimeter is to use it to check for power from the condenser fan.
Insufficient coolant
What happens when the coolant level gets low? There is a higher chance of getting air into the system. Once this happens, the sensor is unable to get the right temperature readings. This is why you should always check your Civic’s coolant levels and refill it once it is low.
You should know that if you don’t, there is a risk of the engine getting overheated. In the end, it could get seized which will cost you a lot of money to fix.
Broken condenser fan
Sometimes, the reason behind the malfunctioning of your condenser fan is that it is broken. These fans come with electrical motors that suffer wear and tear after a few years. This results in them getting spoilt and malfunctioning.
One way to test the electric motor of your condenser fan is to plug it directly using a 12v+. Disconnect the fan connector and take a wire directly from your car battery to ground the connector. If the fan doesn’t work, then it is broken. This is the easiest way to check for a broken condenser fan.
Faulty relay
A relay is connected to your condenser fan to power the coolant fan. This is necessary since the radiator fan draws a lot of power. Sometimes, the relay gets faulty and prevents the fan from coming on.
You can find the relay inside the fuse box located in the engine bay. The best way to locate the relay is to check the car’s repair manual. It is pretty easy to test a 4-pin relay. Simply take it out and provide pins 30 and 85 with 12 volts. While doing this, ground pin 86 then check pin 87 for voltage. If the relay is faulty, there will be no voltage and you need to replace it.
Bad controller module
If your Civic has a separate module that controls the condenser fan alone, then the module could be bad. You will find it inside the engine bay and it is mostly exposed to dust and heat. This condition can affect its overall function. Check it for visual damages, bad soldering, and corrosion. If you notice any issues, replace the module.
