Noisy Fans - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

jsmithdmd · 03-09-2007, 01:05 PM

I drove around most of the day today with the top down because it's nice and sunny and 77 degrees. When I would come to a stop or slow down to crawl speed I could hear a high pitched whining sound, kinda like jets warming their engines in the distance. I pulled into my garage and discovered that it was coming from the front of my car. I figured something might be wrong with the left front rad fan because I replaced the radiator and I could have put something together incorrectly. But when I listed to both sides I heard it. How would I know if the fans are actually working? Are they supposed to be that loud?

97 Boxster
105k miles

porsche986spyder · 03-09-2007, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmithdmd

I drove around most of the day today with the top down because it's nice and sunny and 77 degrees. When I would come to a stop or slow down to crawl speed I could hear a high pitched whining sound, kinda like jets warming their engines in the distance. I pulled into my garage and discovered that it was coming from the front of my car. I figured something might be wrong with the left front rad fan because I replaced the radiator and I could have put something together incorrectly. But when I listed to both sides I heard it. How would I know if the fans are actually working? Are they supposed to be that loud?

97 Boxster
105k miles

Sounds normal to me. Mine are somewhat loud too. No cooling issues. Does kinda sound like a jet engine

I don't thing you have any problem.

CJ_Boxster · 03-09-2007, 01:11 PM

Well they are sorta noisey and i assume its warm in your location and it makes sence that you hear them now cause when the engine warms and you slow to stops and sit there, the temp will rise and fans will trigger, Try going to a self car wash with a high pressure rinse and hit then radiators really good. I did that and it blew all these leafs and debris forward that i had no idea were there.

jsmithdmd · 03-09-2007, 01:13 PM

Actually, when I replaced the left front radiator I went ahead and cleaned the right radiator really well so they should be good to go.

MNBoxster · 03-09-2007, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJ_Boxster

Well they are sorta noisey and i assume its warm in your location and it makes sence that you hear them now cause when the engine warms and you slow to stops and sit there, the temp will rise and fans will trigger, Try going to a self car wash with a high pressure rinse and hit then radiators really good. I did that and it blew all these leafs and debris forward that i had no idea were there.

Hi,

You wanna take care with a High-Pressure Carwash Sprayer. First, the debris must be back-flushed or you just wedge it in tighter. Secong, the Radiators are made of fairly flimsy aluminum to save weight and maximize heat transfer, with a High-pressure washer, it wouldn't be too hard to damage them, at least to the extent of bending the Fins...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

CJ_Boxster · 03-09-2007, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

You wanna take care with a High-Pressure Carwash Sprayer. First, the debris must be back-flushed or you just wedge it in tighter. Secong, the Radiators are made of fairly flimsy aluminum to save weight and maximize heat transfer, with a High-pressure washer, it wouldn't be too hard to damage them, at least to the extent of bending the Fins...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Yeah that was in the back of my mind when i was using the pressure sprayer but god it worked soo well. As the water pressure hit the front of the radiators, the leafs would shoot out the sides and fly forward out through the bumper grills. Since then my temps have been in the norm.

jsmithdmd · 03-09-2007, 01:39 PM

I just got off the phone with the local indie P-car repair shop and they said it could be a valve or something. I'm fairly certian that it's not the fans because I can hear them kick in when I turn on the AC. This is just a high pitched whining noise coming fron the inboard region betwen the front tires. Anybody have any clue what this is?

CJ_Boxster · 03-09-2007, 02:32 PM

couldnt be a head valve cause the Valves>Head>Engine Block are in the back of the car, not infront. The loud noise could be the fans spinning at there fastest speed which is stage 2 speed. I think the AC activates the Stage 1 speed which isnt as fast as Stage 2.

jsmithdmd · 03-09-2007, 02:36 PM

Pretty sure it's not the fans because I can hear the fans kick in when I turn on the AC. I can hear them in additon to the whine. They aren't nearly as loud and sound smooth.

FrayAdjacent · 03-09-2007, 03:14 PM

Drove around a bit today, and got stuck in some traffic... from inside the car (top down) I don't hear the fans... but when I got out to get my mail, I left the engine running, and I could hear them when I walked around the front of the car...

They're not really that quiet.

What you might need to do is get in there and clean out the radiators. Sometimes they get crap in there that impedes the air flow, and the fans might be working harder.

jsmithdmd · 03-09-2007, 03:42 PM

Thanks man, but the radiators are clean. I just cleaned them a few weeks ago and I only drive my p-car on weekends. It's definitely not the fans because I can hear them in addition to the high pitched squealing sound when I turn on the AC