I've noticed some trucks have an electric fan in front of the radiator and some don't. Anyone know what option package included this fan or why it's there in the first place? My 2002 XE-S/C doesn't have it. This weekend we had 8 trucks and I didn't see why some had and others didn't. I thought it might have been part of a tow package, but 2 of the trucks with the fan didn't come with hitches and 1 with the factory hitch didn't have it.

One odd thing coming back from GOX there were 3 of us driving together and the 2 with the fans were having overheating problems.

Do you have a/c?

I believe Nissan ditched the electric fan for 2002.

I saw an x that had a/c but no fan.

All of the X's I looked at had AC. Also some of the trucks without it were 2001's.

It's an auxillary fan that comes on as a backup when the main fan isn't enough; such as when idling and when the A/C is on. I've never seen an Xterra that didn't have one so you've baffled me. Then again I've never looked closely at the '02's and I've never seen an Xterra so stripped it didn't ahve A/C.

One thing though: Are you sure the others that were missing hadn't removed the factory fans altogether and installed electric fans behind the radiator? A few people have done that with mixed results. Generally the electric fans installed to replace the engine driven fan don't pull as much air through so that could be why they were overheating. More than likely that's what you saw at GOX.

None of the guys in my club have removed it. We weren't aware some had it and some didn't. The owner of the 2001 SE without the fan is very minimally modified: Tires, Surco Rack, ARB and lights. He didn't know about the fan either.

I have a fully loaded 2001 SE, and I DON'T have this "mystery fan" people are talking about either. I've also NEVER had an overheating problem in the year I've owned my truck. A while back I posted a thread about a "mystery plug" I have tucked up near my horn that is not connected to anything. I bet this open plug is for this fan in question.

I noticed the mystery plug on mine last week, and wondered how it was wired. I couldn't find the fan or mystery plug in the ESM.

Only the 2000's, the real SUV's, have the fan stock. I believe Nissan removed the auxilary fan for 2001 possibly to save money (but still charge $400 more than the MSRP the year before). Nissan also rearranged the wiring and hoses under the hood to not make it look like such a rat's nest, for 2001, and then again in 2002 and 3 to allow room for the SC. There is also something else omitted from the 2001-2003's under the hood, wiring-wise, but I can't recall right now what it is.

Well, FWIW I don't think the Aux fan is needed. Aside from saving money they probably realized it wasn't doing anything. I think mine has come on maybe 3 times since I bought the truck in October of '99 and all three times it was very, very hot out and I was sitting idling. Even so the temp was not much beyond what we normally see. Nissan probably figured out that it wasn't needed.

Guess I'll have to start looking more closely at other trucks now.

I have a 2000 w/ an electric fan and I've had overheating problems. Of course, I also had a cracked manifold - could that be related to the overheating?

My overheating occurred when it was really hot out (~95) and I was driving on a steep uphill at about 80 with the A/C on. Turning the A/C off and slowing to about 70-75 would usually stop the temperature from rising, and but it would remain high until I started to go downhill again.

Weird. All Xterras have come with A/C, even the bare-bones 4-cylinder models. The AC evaporator should have an electric fan on top of it in front of the driver's side of the radiator. If this has been dropped, I have no idea why.

I know on some Frontier models there was some discussion of a second electric aux radiator cooling fan, not for the A/C, and the extra harness connection behind the grille that was still there after it was dropped from production. Or something like that. Regardless, I would think all Xterras have the A/C fan at least.

A picture of the fan can be seen in this Ebay auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1866666539

Brent

I have the same problem with overheating. I've been battling this problem for 6 months now. I've changed the thermostat, had the radiator rodded out, and still it overheats. Dealer didn't see any problems the first three times i took it there.

Anyone going to, or have, plug in an electric fan into the mystery plug and see if it works. I m curious, if I had the time I d do it.

keep in mind that after you plug it in you'll have to let your truck sit out in the hot sun idling with the A/C on for a long time before the thermo switch would kick the fan on. Of course if they left out the fan they probably left the thermo switch out too!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ChuckH:
[QB]Well, FWIW I don't think the Aux fan is needed. Aside from saving money they probably realized it wasn't doing anything. I think mine has come on maybe 3 times since I bought the truck in October of '99 and all three times it was very, very hot out and I was sitting idling. Even so the temp was not much beyond what we normally see. Nissan probably figured out that it wasn't needed.

That's three times it was needed, apparently. The X was not made just for normal use, but also for those extreme uses where temps may go "out of range."

This is an bad idea, kind of like "what does this big red button do?".

Plugging a potentially high current device into an unknown connector is very likely to cause you grief and expense.

I didn't see any "extra" plug in front of my radiator. I did see a plug though (that looks like the one in your picture from ebay) that is used for the temperature probe for my rear view mirror. It is located right near the one connector for the horn.

I have the fancy temp/compass mirror, and I have the "mystery plug".

On the Frontiers it was present until September of 2000 on the '01s, afterwards it persisted on the SC trucks through the end of the model year. The rest retained the wiring harness. For '02 it was dropped altogether, along with the harness. Most report that it only ran when the A/C was on. I have the harness but no fan on my truck, and am looking to add the fan to help my A/C get colder in this Texas heat. My truck has never gone beyond the halfway mark on engine temp.

Mine has the fan

2001 XE with tow package. Weird
Never had any overheat problems either.
Pic of the fan behind the calmini bumper

Xman6,

How is the fan attached, brackets or thru-core? Has it ever come on, and if so, when? Does it look like for those who have the wiring harness in their truck for this fan option, would it be an easy install (with a stock fan)?

I didn't get the package that allows power windows/locks, ect. My foglights didn't come prewired so it's no surprise to me that I don't even have the mystery plug.

My X, a 2001 (build date of 5/01) does not have the fan.

Mine does have it. It's a 2000 with a 4/00 build date.

As far as I know it hasn't ever come on. If it has, it's awfully quiet. I always hear the elec. aux fan on my "second car," it's hard to miss. Is this one reeeeeeally quiet or does it have to be as hot as the sun out to kick it on??

Well I think I have heard it come on as I can hear a fan kick on and off. I say think because I have never stood and looked at it to make sure it is it and I don't like to assume. I am away from the X (work) righ now so I can't answer about how it is attached right now but will look later.

I think it kicks in only when the A/C is turned on, correct? It might operate at other times, but I don't think so.

Brent

It looks to be mounted with brackets to parts of the body and a metal bracket that goes from one end of the radiator to the other. Not sure if everyone has this or not. As far as when it kicks on I don't believe you are right Brent but I can't be sure. I hardly ever {usualy never)run my air and and I know I have heard it kick on while sitting at a drive through without the air on. Again something I wont sware to but can almost be sure. If needed I can take pictures and also see when it kicks on and off. Guess I never really paid much attention to it before.

I had an electric fan in my 2000 model, as I remember distinctly taking the truck to an outdoor fair at the Bass Pro Outdoor world in Atlanta and having a guy ask if he could look under my hood, as we were talking about 4x4's.

He said to me, did you install the electric fan? I said nope, I just thought that it was another cooling fan.

My 2002, I believe, has one as well. I will go out and check.

In the 2000 the extra fan is turned on by the ECU. The A/C switch and the engine temperature sensor are simply inputs to the ECU which decides whether or not the fan should be on.

My 2002 SE SC does not have the fan.

Build date of 8/02

On a side note, there is pleanty of room up in front for one heck of a fan! I was suprised at how much space is between the grill and radiator.

I have A/C in my 2001X, but I have no fan.

XMAN6 and I basically have the same Xterra (same year, same packages), but he has the Towing package while I do not, and he has the fan and I do not.

Just a guess, but the fan would be useful in maintaining the engine temp which could increase under the xtra strain of towing a load.

That is the only reason I see for this difference between our X's.

edited to add: Now the question I have is were the X's with the fans pre-2001, and was the hitch on the X without the fan bought as part of the factory package, or purchased after the original sale like mine?

Ken, do you have a wiring diagram for a 2001 X which indicates what this mystery plug is wired to???