What did I do? (Miata content)

Now, I will admit, the car still isn't ready to start yet (need to put the intake back on, change the oil and fill with coolant).

But, I unlocked the column the other day to start working on throwing the rack back in, I noticed at the "ON" position, the cooling fans came on. Went back and forth a few times, they always came on at the "ON" position with the key.

I have removed the A/C and the P/S........I'm assuming maybe removing the A/C has futzed with a ground, that tells the ECU that the A/C is ON, so the fans turn on everytime the key is in the "ON" position.

If that hypothesis is correct, how I can fix it? Or just not worry about it and leave them on all the time since it will mainly be an HPDE car in hotter climate?

I'll freely admit that this post is "by the seat of the pants" and that you should probably wait for Keith or someone else, but...

Check your thermoswitches. Often in Mazdas, when they fail (and they do), they'll go into a "fail-safe" mode and just complete the circuit at all times, which would cause what you're seeing here.

A/C MIGHT have something to do with it, but i know on the mazdas of a similar vintage i've worked on, when i removed A/C, i had to do some wiring trickery to complete the circuit for the other fan. The A/C SHOULD only be affecting one fan, not both, i believe.

One fan, or both fans?

What year Miata, so as I can sneak a peek at the wiring diagrams and see what might be going on?

IIRC, one fan is A/C related, one is coolant temperature related. I've set mine to come on together, so I have forgotten what the stock setup is.

The 1.6 (90-93) the fan is controlled by a switch on the coolant neck at the front of the engine. If you ground the wire coming out of this switch, the fan comes on. Quite possible this is what you did.

It's a '90........we also have done the coolant re-route kit while the car has been up on jack stands.

I didn't get out of the car to check if it was one or both fans, I'll check that this evening.

Yup, definitely let us know which fan is spinning up. I'm guessing it's the one on the driver's side and you'll find the wire to the thermosensor is grounded out somewhere. You don't typically touch anything involving the AC (passenger side) fan when you're doing a reroute.

^The sensor we put in the block off plate up front, right?

I was underneath the car messing with the suspension while my dad was doing the coolant reroute. I'll have a look around tonight and see.

Yup, that's the one.

hey, when did Keith grow a last name?

AngryCorvair wrote: hey, when did Keith grow a last name?

Wait, its "Tanner"? I thought it was "The Miata Guy".

My publisher requested it so people can find my books more easily Hey, it helps pay the bills.