Your 1995-1996 3.0L V6 Toyota Camry comes equipped with two radiator fan switches. One is a two terminal switch and the other is a one terminal switch.
In this tutorial, I'll explain how to test the the two-terminal switch. This switch is known by several names:
- Radiator fan switch 1.
- Water temp switch 1.
- Coolant temp switch 1.
Contents of this tutorial:
- Radiator Fan Switch Basics.
- Symptoms Of A Bad Radiator Fan Switch.
- Where To Buy The Radiator Fan Switch.
- TEST 1: Checking Radiator And Condenser Fan Fuses.
- TEST 2: Activating The Radiator And Condenser Fan Motors.
- TEST 3: Checking Fan Operation With The Engine Running (With A Scan Tool).
- TEST 4: Checking Fan Operation With The Engine Running (With A Infrared Thermometer).
- More 3.0L Toyota Camry Tutorials.
APPLIES TO: This tutorial applies to the following vehicles:
- 3.0L V6 Toyota Camry: 1995, 1996.
Wiring Diagrams: You can find the cooling fan motor wiring diagrams here:
The following tutorial will help you test Radiator Fan Switch 1 on the 1997-2001 3.0L V6 Toyota Camry:
Radiator Fan Switch Basics
Radiator fan switch 1 is crucial for controlling your Camry's radiator and condenser fans when the AC is off and the engine exceeds its normal operating temperature and needs to be cooled down.
Here's a breakdown of the key details you should know:
Location:
- Radiator fan switch 1 is located on the thermostat housing. The thermostat housing is located on the side of the engine facing the transaxle.
- The connector has two wires: blue with a black stripe (BLU/BLK) and black with a red stripe (BLK/RED).
How it works:
- Below 190°F: The switch is normally closed, meaning there's continuity between its two terminals. This keeps the radiator and condenser fans off, allowing the engine to reach its optimal temperature.
- Above 208°F: The switch opens, breaking continuity between the terminals. This triggers both the radiator and condenser fans to turn on, pulling air across the radiator to cool the engine.
There are a few ways to test the coolant temperature switch, but I'll show you a simple method I've been using for years —and the best part is, you don't need to remove the switch.
Symptoms Of A Bad Radiator Fan Switch
Over time, the radiator fan switch can fail, preventing it from accurately detecting coolant temperature or activating the radiator fan relays.
When this happens, the radiator cooling fans won't turn on as needed, which can lead to engine overheating and other cooling-related issues.
Here are the most common symptoms of a faulty radiator fan switch in the 1995-1996 3.0L Toyota Camry:
- Engine overheats: The engine temperature rises, especially when idling or in stop-and-go traffic, because the radiator fans aren't activated to cool the engine.
- Radiator fans not turning on: The fans fail to engage past the coolant temp activation point of the radiator fan switch (208°F).
- Intermittent Fan Operation: The cooling fans work sporadically or inconsistently due to unreliable signals from the switch.
- Fan relays fail to activate: The radiator fan relays don't receive the activation signal from the fan switch to engage the fans.
- Cooling fans running constantly: If the switch fails in the "open" position, the fans may stay on even when the coolant temperature is below 208°F. This can lead to poor fuel economy and excessive wear on the fan motors.
Where To Buy The Radiator Fan Switch
The coolant temperature switch (radiator fan switch) on the 1995-1996 3.0L Toyota Camry isn't an expensive part. The following links will help you comparison shop for it (and it's connector) and save a few bucks:
TEST 1: Checking Radiator And Condenser Fan Fuses
IMPORTANT: Before you begin any of the radiator fan switch tests, first confirm that the amperage draw of each fan motor is under 15 Amps. This is an easy test that can be done with a multimeter. You can find the test explained here:
To begin testing the radiator fan switch, we'll first check the CDS Fuse (30A) and the RDI Fuse (30A) to make sure they're in good condition (both are located in the engine compartment fuse/relay box).
Let's get started:
- 1
Locate the CDS Fuse (30A) in the under-hood fuse box of your Toyota Camry.
The CDS Fuse (30A) supplies power to the A/C condenser fan motor.
The condenser fan is the one located on the right (passenger) side of the radiator. - 2
Remove the fuse and check its condition.
- 3
Replace the fuse if blown with a fuse of the same rating (30A).
- 4
Locate the RDI Fuse (30A) in the under-hood fuse box of your Toyota Camry.
The RDI Fuse (30A) supplies power to the radiator fan motor.
The radiator fan is the one located on the left (driver) side of the radiator. - 5
Remove the fuse and check its condition.
- 6
Replace the fuse if blown with a fuse of the same rating (30A).
Let's interpret your test result:
CASE 1: Both fuses are OK. This is the correct and expected test result.
Your next step is to go to: TEST 2: Activating The Radiator And Condenser Fan Motors.
CASE 3: The CDS fuse was blown. This usually tells you one of two things:
- The A/C condenser fan motor has a high amperage draw.
- The amperage draw of both fans, when running, is greater than 30 Amps.
Replace the fuse with a fuse of the same rating. If you haven't done so, check the amperage draw of the fan motors. The following tutorial will show you how:
If the amperage draw is within the correct range, your next step is to go to: TEST 2: Activating The Radiator And Condenser Fan Motors.
CASE 3: The RDI fuse was blown. This usually tells you that the radiator fan motor has a high amperage draw. This high amperage draw will blow the fuse every time the radiator fan motor activates.
Replace the fuse with a fuse of the same rating. If you haven't done so, check the amperage draw of the radiator fan motor. The following tutorial explains how:
If the amperage draw is within the correct range, your next step is to go to: TEST 2: Activating The Radiator And Condenser Fan Motors.
TEST 2: Activating The Radiator And Condenser Fan Motors
Up to this point, you have:
- Confirmed that the amperage draw of each motor is under 15 Amps.
- The CDS fuse and RDI fuse are not blown.
In this test section, we're gonna activate the fan relays and fan motors by disconnecting the radiator fan switch and turning the key to the ON position.
If 1.) the the radiator fan relays (1 and 2) are OK, and 2.) the wiring between them and the cooling fans is OK, both cooling fans will activate.
Let's get going:
- 1
Locate radiator fan switch 1 (on the engine coolant thermostat housing).
You can identify it by its 2-wire connector's BLK/RED and WHT/BLK wires. - 2
Disconnect the radiator fan switch from its electrical connector.
- 3
Turn the key to the ON position but don't crank or start the engine.
- 4
Both fans should turn ON.
Let's take a look at what your test results mean:
CASE 1: Both fan motors turned ON. This is the correct and expected test result.
With this result, you've confirmed that the entire electrical circuit for the fan motors is working properly. Specifically, this means:
- The fan relays are functioning correctly.
- There are no wiring issues between the radiator fan switch and the fan relays or between the fan relays and the fan motors.
Your next step:
If you have a generic scan tool with "live data" capability and your Camry is OBD II equipped (1996), go to: TEST 3: Checking Fan Operation With The Engine Running (With A Scan Tool).
If you DON'T have a generic scan tool or your Camry IS NOT OBD II equipped (1995), go to: TEST 4: Checking Fan Operation With The Engine Running (With A Infrared Thermometer).
CASE 2: Both fan motors DID NOT turn ON. This test result usually points to a bad radiator fan relay (and there's 3 of them).
Testing the radiator fan relays is your next step. Although it's beyond the scope of this tutorial, you'll need to verify whether one or more of the relays are faulty.
CASE 3: The radiator fan motor DID NOT turn ON. This result indicates a problem isolated to the radiator fan motor circuit (wiring), only if you have:
- The amperage draw of the radiator fan motor is under 15 Amps.
- Checked its operation by applying 12 Volts and Ground from the battery.
Although it's beyond the scope of this tutorial, your next step is to:
- Check for an open-circuit problem in the blue (BLU) wire between the radiator fan motor connector and Radiator Fan Relay 1.
- Check for an open-circuit problem in the white with black stripe (WHT/BLK) wire between the radiator fan motor connector and chassis Ground.
CASE 4: The condenser fan motor DID NOT turn ON. This result indicates a problem isolated to the condenser fan motor circuit (wiring), only if you have:
- Tested the amperage draw of the condenser fan motor.
- Checked its operation by applying 12 Volts and Ground from the battery.
Although it's beyond the scope of this tutorial, your next step is to:
- Check for an open-circuit problem in the black with red stripe (BLK/RED) wire between the condenser fan motor connector and CDS Fuse (30A).
- Check for an open-circuit problem in the red (RED) wire between the condenser fan motor connector and Radiator Fan Relay 2.