Cooling Fans and sensors

[gsuploader]

Hi

My Car has decided to give a service charging system error

While I am taking it a part to see if it the belt tensioner or belt ( or newish alternator )

I am also checking at the woeful looking relays that GM decided to put int eh very forefront of salt and road debris.

Got the fans out and to take the mounting plastic off the top of the rad I had to remove a sensore with a serious locking mechanism yellow in colour

I dunno waht it is or how to test it anyone can help it would be appreciated.

I alos have to get the relays out to test em and see why the fans never come on even when the temps rise

I am not sure what the parameters are supposed to be and it is possible I have never gotten into the zone

never been near the red that is

alll isnight is appreciated

I am now mor eand more resigned to an eventual head removal and repair on this

it seems the most likely thing that sis causing my coolant probs

I also as a total aside got the scare of my life while passing some farm truck I kicked down into passing gear and passed with full force only to have a large noise occur

I suspect I broke the rear bank manifold or its connector pipe

would the engine torquing over in its mounts do this?

The engine was not smoking afterward and runs normally but sounds like it has no muffler

the only other sound I ever heard like that was when I passed a car under similar conditions and thre a rod in a Iron Duke straight four ciera

[Ranger]

Got the fans out and to take the mounting plastic off the top of the rad I had to remove a sensore with a serious locking mechanism yellow in colour

I dunno waht it is or how to test it anyone can help it would be appreciated.

That's the air bag sensor. DON'T MESS WITH IT!

[Cadillac Jim]

The relays at the bottom inside of the radiator are the fan relays. There should be a cover below this from the rear of the bumper to behind the radiator that keeps road debris and salt out of the radiator. If it is missing, replace it. It is necessary for good cooling because without it, air can flow under the radiator (and A/C condenser, and power steering cooler) instead of through it.

Check the torque wishbones on the top front of the engine, which connect to the front radiator brace. If the torque wishbones and/or the front motor support are bad, then yes, the rear of the engine can bump against the firewall and make a terrible noise inside the car, and I suppose that the engine might move enough to damage the exhaust system.

From your message, tt seems as if you pulled off an exhaust pipe. This is quite serious. Cadillac exhaust systems are stainless steel and come as all-welded systems, except for bolted flanges at both ends of the catalytic converter. If repairs have been made with clamps instead of welds, it may be possible that one of these clamped exhaust system coupling has been pulled out. Or, something may have simply broken. In any case a trip to Midas or Meineke is in order. Make sure that they use stainless steel components and welds in the repair or you will be back in a year or two if you have cold, salty winters; a good stainless steel exhaust system repair should come with a 100,000 mile warranty or better.

I have two suggestions. First, you have already messed with the air bag sensor without knowing what it is:o; this is a safety hazard because it can cause the air bags to go off or become inoperative if you don't handle this sensor carefully and re-install it properly. Keep the battery disconnected until you are sure. Get a factory shop manual for your car from eBay or other source of used GM factory manuals, or from Helm, Inc., who publishes factory shop manuals for GM, Ford, and other car manufacturers. It has all the data, procedures, troubleshooting charts, wiring diagrams, and step-by-step procedures with drawings that you will ever need for working on your car. Second, once you can safely connect the battery and drive the car, drive it for a half hour or so and read the OBD codes. Use the link in my signature block for instructions on reading the OBD codes. Post them here.

[gsuploader]

Got the fans out and to take the mounting plastic off the top of the rad I had to remove a sensore with a serious locking mechanism yellow in colour

I dunno waht it is or how to test it anyone can help it would be appreciated.

That's the air bag sensor. DON'T MESS WITH IT!

battery is disconnected

i will not mess with it

I figued it was something very important due to the lock

thanks for the confirmation

[Ranger]

Check the torque wishbones on the top front of the engine, which connect to the front radiator brace. If the torque wishbones and/or the front motor support are bad, then yes, the rear of the engine can bump against the firewall and make a terrible noise inside the car, and I suppose that the engine might move enough to damage the exhaust system.

Jim, don't you mean "dog bones" aka torques struts?

[Cadillac Jim]

Yeah, the dogbones. Wishbones would look really funny, wouldn't they?

[gsuploader]

Wow thanks for the replies

I had the battery disconnected and so I simply reconnected the sensor

I did not in anyway alter it otherwise so I assume it is good and will throw a code if not

It is very hard to see under this car and as I do not have ready access toa hoist and do not have sufficient jackstands for the weight of this behemoth I was forced to take a guess atthe exhause issue as being either at the manifold ( a trouble light showed it was not) or rearward

I can pull gently on both exhaust pipes and they move backwards

This has to be better than a break at the manifold I dont see how a person could get in there to work or a mechanic cheaply.

SO anyway Im off to work on my Motorcycle and my Jeep and My Cadillac car

Im in a race with the ***** Junkman as someone once astutely observed