80 308 radiator fan switch

Taken from the parts cross reference sticky page. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64460

RADIATOR COOLING FAN SWITCH 2 POLE
VW PN# 82395948182 180F
VW PN# 82395948172 160F

Another:

NAPA FS-193 Switch: On: 82 degrees C / Off: 68 degrees C

It appears from further reading that the part numbers for the VW unit may be obsolete. If I recall correctly the part is from an early 80's VW rabbit. You may want to try and source the Napa part first.

 

Mine was causing me issues, but I just cleaned off the contacts and the fan started working again. Cheap fix!!!

Aaron

 

Basically any two pole Rabbit fan switch from 77-79 should work fine. I would get the 180f one. The 160f sounds tempting, but wonder if the fans would end up running way too much to the point of wearing them out more quickly?

 

I would go with the 180 also. I have one in my 308 and the fans rarely turn on. No use having them running all the time. My normal WT is 165 +/- 5.

 

I think so too, but not only that, the original Lucas fans draw a considerable amount of current, so that'd put strain on the original wiring/fuse boxes if they were running for an extra long time...

FWIW I got the FS-193 switch at NAPA and if I remember correctly, the actual application for that switch is Peugeot.

 

That one switch works on all water cooled VW's from the mid 70's to almost mid 80's. It also fits Porsche 924, some BMW's and countless other cars...

 

Agree on using the 180 deg. switch. You don't need the fans when the car is moving. Enough air passes through the radiator when the car is moving that you don't need fans at all. It's only when you're stopped or in slow moving traffic that you need the help from the fans to keep things cool.

 

Not really. I put the 160 in mine 13 years ago.

No problems.

 

Would these also work for a 1987 328???

Thanks

 

Yes I put one in my 328. If you are really quick you don't need to drain the coolant.

 

Is the napa 193 the 160 or 180?

My napa guys are more used to drag racers.

Thanks

Bob

 

Here is a link to the part at Autozone.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/1980-Volkswagen-Rabbit/Cooling-Fan-Switch-Radiator/_/N-imbpqZ9pd8z

Here is the part at Napa. On at 174 degrees off at 160 degrees.

https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?A=ECHFS193_0252437196&An=0

 

Here's the box from a fan-switch thermistor I found at a local independent VW parts house for all of $8. It's the 180 degree (F) version and works like a charm (5+ years now) on my '88 328GTB. It came with an extra gasket too! Looks like it is the same as the aforementioned 'official' VW part number for a 180 degree switch.

Ciao,

Vincent
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Thanks for posting this info & the pic of the box...

 

Just diagnosed that I have a bad thermo-fan switch on my radiator. I'm going to need to replace it but curious how many folks out there have changed to a 180F switch? After some chat searching I see this popping up quite a lot as something folks like to do.

Car: '85 308 QV GTSi

Problem: Driver side fan not coming on. Passenger side fan comes on when AC is active.

Basic diagnose procedure:
Step 1: bad relay?
- swap the 12V relays in the dash for LH and RH to see if the dead fan problem reverses
- relays ok, problem persists consistently

Step 2: bad fan voltage?
- removed the leads to the radiator thermo-fan switch and used an alligator clip lead to short the line.
- turned key to accessory-I stop and measured the voltage at the 'bad' fan leads: it's okay at ~12V
- turned off the key, replugged the leads back into the fan and turned on again: fan turns on
- breathe big sigh of relief that the motor is still good.

Step 3: bad radiator thermo-fan switch?
- replugged the radiator fan switch leads back in and started the car up, let idle with AC compressor off until it got up to temperature. Temp steadily rose until it hit ~210F on the gauge and the fans never kicked on.

Step 4: verify thermostat and AC fan still working properly
- after letting the system cool for a short while, unplugged the leads from the thermo-fan switch, re-applied the alligator clips and took the car for a short drive around the block.
- temp on the gauge got up to just a needle width under 195 and stayed there while driving around, oil temp stable. Turned on AC (just enough to turn on and engage the fan) and temp stayed solid at 195.

Another question... on my '85 QV even with the thermo-fan switch shorted the passenger side fan (AC) never comes on unless the AC is engaged. I've honestly never noticed this before. I almost always have the AC on in my car unless it's so cold outside that a second fan isn't needed anyway.
Is it normal that the passenger side cooling fan is strictly dedicated to the AC system?