[hockeybronx]

Hey guys, I'm from Canada and living in Puerto Rico for the winter, I bought a 02 ZX9-R - which to say the least, has lacked some serious routine maintenance.

One thing the bike has is overheating issues, especially in the nasty Puerto Rican traffic and Caribbean heat. I would like to install a simple switch onto the fan where I can turn it on any time, and I don't mind if nullify's the bikes sensor to turn the fan on because I'm pretty sure it's shot.

Can anybody give me a quick type up?

Thanks!

 

[dragoninink]

Mine is a pretty simple setup. Live from the battery with an inline fuse connected to a toggle switch and the other side to the fan.

 

[dragoninink]

Should add that I've seen a few setups without the fuse that work fine but I'd rather blow a 10c fuse than do something stupid to the fans motor

 

[hockeybronx]

Mine is a pretty simple setup. Live from the battery with an inline fuse connected to a toggle switch and the other side to the fan.

I read on a forum that you can run it as a "splice" off the wiring going to your Radiator. (fan switch). Would I just loop around the positive leading to the radiator with my positive, ground the negative, and hook both other ends to a switch?

 

[dragoninink]

I read on a forum that you can run it as a "splice" off the wiring going to your Radiator. (fan switch). Would I just loop around the positive leading to the radiator with my positive, ground the negative, and hook both other ends to a switch?

The only thing to ensure is that the cut in/out is part of the radiator. All you need to do is run a live to the radiator and the switch is breaking the live. The radiator is already ground, it depends on the swtich you use but the simplest is just a two pole with the swtich in the middle.

 

[dragoninink]

Here you go see if this helps

 

[hockeybronx]

The only thing to ensure is that the cut in/out is part of the radiator. All you need to do is run a live to the radiator and the switch is breaking the live. The radiator is already ground, it depends on the swtich you use but the simplest is just a two pole with the swtich in the middle.

I think I understand. I would prefer to avoid connecting straight to the battery. So to summarize the second option:

- Loop Wire1 around the positive leading to the radiator, and connect the other end of Wire1 to the positive on the switch

- Connect Wire2 from the other pole on the switch, to the power wire to the fan

- Connect the ground wire of the fan to anything metal????

 

[dragoninink]

The fan is already grounded. You need to know where the thermastat runs to. As long as it's cutting in after the point that you loop the positive from thats fine. If it's before this point the switch will not do anything for you.

If the fan its self has the thermastat running to it you need to ensure you bypass this with your live wire from the switch.

 

[dragoninink]

Other than that you are correct

 

[hockeybronx]

The fan is already grounded. You need to know where the thermastat runs to. As long as it's cutting in after the point that you loop the positive from thats fine. If it's before this point the switch will not do anything for you.

If the fan its self has the thermastat running to it you need to ensure you bypass this with your live wire from the switch.

Okay sorry dude, I'm super new at this.

Basically what I have is 2 wires (positive/ground) that plug in to the left side of my radiator with a rubber protector over it.

Then I have 2 wires running to the horn, and 2 wires running to the fan. So you want me to check where the 2 wires leading to the plug on the radiator run to?

 

[dragoninink]

Is there any partucular reason you don't want to run from the battery?

 

[dragoninink]

Okay sorry dude, I'm super new at this.

Basically what I have is 2 wires (positive/ground) that plug in to the left side of my radiator with a rubber protector over it.

Then I have 2 wires running to the horn, and 2 wires running to the fan. So you want me to check where the 2 wires leading to the plug on the radiator run to?

No problems.

Do you have the ability to check if one of the wires running to the fan is always live? What concerns me is that the fan is controlled by a thermastat. When the engine/coolant gets to a set temperature it allows current to the fan.

If you start the bike and the fan is not running and you put a meter to the frame and check if there is a current to the fan from one of the two wires. I'm pretty sure you will find that there is not. When the fan kicks in then you will have a current. You need to splice in to an active positive to go to the swtich then to the fan. Make sure you connect to the positive connector on the fan or it will not work, short out or run backward, none of which you want.

 

[dragoninink]

Okay just check my ZX11 the system works like this:

Positive on the battery to Junction Box
Junction Box to fan switch ( the temerature activated switch)
Fan swtich to positive side of the fan
Negative side of the fan to ground

You need to bypass the fan switch to make the manual switch work.

Does this make sense? It's difficult to explain when I know how it works.

I cn draw another diagram if you would like.

 

[hockeybronx]

No problems.

Do you have the ability to check if one of the wires running to the fan is always live? What concerns me is that the fan is controlled by a thermastat. When the engine/coolant gets to a set temperature it allows current to the fan.

If you start the bike and the fan is not running and you put a meter to the frame and check if there is a current to the fan from one of the two wires. I'm pretty sure you will find that there is not. When the fan kicks in then you will have a current. You need to splice in to an active positive to go to the swtich then to the fan. Make sure you connect to the positive connector on the fan or it will not work, short out or run backward, none of which you want.

Yeah the fan is completely off the bike right now, I have a suspicion that the Thermostat that controls when the fan turns on is shot, and since it's so hot here in Puerto Rico, and the traffic is so bad - I almost feel I should turn the fan on manually at like 190 Fahrenheit (sorry I'm used to Celsius I know my Ninja in Canada turns the fan on automatically at I think ~210F).

First thing I'll do is test if the fan comes on automatically, but if not that's why I'm preparing to wire it myself. I'm working on a drawing if you can give me 2 minutes I'll post it up here for you to look at!

 

[dragoninink]

Yeah the fan is completely off the bike right now, I have a suspicion that the Thermostat that controls when the fan turns on is shot, and since it's so hot here in Puerto Rico, and the traffic is so bad - I almost feel I should turn the fan on manually at like 190 Fahrenheit (sorry I'm used to Celsius I know my Ninja in Canada turns the fan on automatically at I think ~210F).

First thing I'll do is test if the fan comes on automatically, but if not that's why I'm preparing to wire it myself. I'm working on a drawing if you can give me 2 minutes I'll post it up here for you to look at!

No worries

 

[hockeybronx]

How does this look:

In summary:
- Strip power wire leading to radiator plug, loop Wire1 there and connect it to switch
- Connect Wire2 between other side of switch and power to fan
- Connect ground from fan to _________?

 

[dragoninink]

I have to go pick the wife up from work. Will check back later

 

[dragoninink]

How does this look:

In summary:
- Strip power wire leading to radiator plug, loop Wire1 there and connect it to switch
- Connect Wire2 between other side of switch and power to fan
- Connect ground from fan to _________?

Can see the image however. Loop the wire to battery side of the switch.

Ground to the frame. Other than that you are spot on

 

[dragoninink]

Good to see you went to the same art school as I did.

Looks fine. As I said just ground the fan to the frame.

 

[hockeybronx]

Good to see you went to the same art school as I did.

Looks fine. As I said just ground the fan to the frame.

Haha damn that's ugly! Thanks a lot, will give it a shot - have a great night!