One of the most important parts of your vehicle is the radiator fan as it contributes to keeping the engine coolant cool. A lot of radiator coolant fans will last for a long period of time, perhaps as long as the vehicle is still operational. If a fan does break down, though, it could lead to more than just a broken fan – you could also be looking at a damaged engine. Depending on how early you catch it and the type of vehicle you own, the radiator fan replacement cost can be cheap or quite expensive.

Purpose of the radiator fan

When driving, air naturally flows over the coolant and keeps your engine cool. However, when driving slowly or stopping at stop lights, for instance, the radiator coolant fan has to kick on to keep the coolant cool. Without the coolant fan, your car is in danger of overheating when in heavy traffic. For this reason, a radiator fan replacement is a must, especially if most of your driving is done in a city or in lots of traffic.

How to determine a faulty coolant fan

There are several tell-tale signs which indicate that the radiator fan has been damaged. These may include the following:

• Warning lights are on
• Warm air blowing while the air-conditioning unit is working
• Overheating of the engine

If these signs and symptoms are caught early, the coolant fan repair services are fairly inexpensive. Unfortunately, if not caught early on, a radiator coolant fan breakdown may lead to overheating of the engine, which could lead to needing to replace the entire engine as well as the radiator fan. If you see any symptoms of fan problems, it is probably best to visit a professional mechanic. If you feel comfortable, though, you can check a few parts to determine the exact problem and better know the radiator fan replacement cost.

Reasons for a failing fan

Radiator coolant fans can fail for a lot of reasons:

• Damaged fuse
• The coolant is ineffective in its temperature sensor function
• Broken and malfunctioning electrical connections in your car
• A malfunctioning car controller mode
• A failed electrical motor in the radiator fan
• Broken radiator fan relay

If you have some experience with car mechanics, you might be able to replace a faulty part yourself to keep down the radiator fan replacement cost, especially if it’s something as simple as a damaged fuse. If you’re giving your car proper maintenance, you can easily avoid major car problems since a mechanic will catch any early signs of a failing fan. However, if the presenting symptoms are being ignored, the engine could definitely malfunction. A seized engine repair service is very costly than the replacement of the coolant fan itself.

Radiator fan replacement cost

As one of the more expensive car repairs needed (not including the replacement of a seized car engine, obviously), the replacement of the radiator coolant fan could incur about $128 to $162 in labor costs and around $465 in parts. So, total radiator fan replacement cost could be anywhere from $592 to $627. No matter how expensive this repair is, it’s an important one to get done immediately as it is really dangerous to drive around with a broken fan; the risks of driving with a damaged radiator coolant fan are greater than the cost. Additionally, it all depends on the type of vehicle you might have. The radiator fan replacement cost also depends on if you can catch the problems early on. Below are some of the price estimates for various fan services:

• Coolant related services – may range from $10 to $30
• Broken wiring and fuse replacement- approximately $10 to $20 (add in diagnostic costs)
• Damaged fan relay replacement – $60 to 70 including labor
• Engine coolant temperature sensor replacement – ranges from $120 and $160 (dependent on the type of vehicle and model)
• Fan controller replacement – average cost is between $250 and $400 (dependent on the type of vehicle and model)
• Replacement radiator fan -this may cost between $592 and $627.

If the radiator fan replacement cost is more than you are willing to spend, you might want to consider our cash for clunkers offers. Feel free to call now or get an instant quote from Cash for Clunkers. We also offer services related to buying used or junk cars, so feel free to browse around our website. Or if you want to know more about cars and their main systems or components, check out more information in the Cash for Clunkers blog.