Engine Compartment Fan

Hello All, I'm a happy new owner of a Cayman R. Thanks in large part to planet-9, I knew what I wanted and what to look out for when I was looking for my 987. I also knew enough to have a Porsche pre-purchase inspection, where only issue it has is that the engine compartment fan needs to be replaced. Although I've found the part number through Sun Coast Porsche , I've not found any details online on how to replace it. Does the front engine cover need to come off to replace it? Although it seems tightly packaged, I'm thinking that I may be able to unbolt it and drop it while only removing the top cover for access. I'm assuming that since engine temps don't seem to rise at all that it not functioning is not a serious issue, and I simply take it easy a few minutes before I park the car.

I understand the engine compartment fan runs anytime the compartment temperature gets too high; even with the engine off. Therefore, a faulty fan might increase the chance of an engine fire, and over a period of time could accelerate heat damage to hoses, plastic, etc. The digital copy of the factory manual I have does not include any details on removing the fan, and I have had no reason explore further, but here are some photos from my '06 CS showing the fan: Photo 1 is looking toward the front with the engine cover removed. Fan is in the upper right corner. Photo 2 is a close-up of the fan in question.

thanks for the post car_guy - I learned something new today! looks like it may come out from up top?

Is there a digital service manual for the 987.2 ? When I removed the top cover it didn't seem like pulling the fan out upward would be possible. I should be getting the fan in the mail this week, so I'll update this thread with how the install goes.

You could try ALLDATAdiy.com. It's subscription but very affordable. I don't know if they cover this fan or not.

So I replaced the fan today. I wasn't able to remove it or install it from the top. I removed the front engine cover only to realize that it doesn't give any access to it at all! I almost gave up for the day, until I decided to remove the fan from the motor & mount in place to be able to squeeze it out. I was able to remove it in two disassembled pieces, and I reinstalled it the same way. The bad news is that I applied power with a bench power supply to the fan I uninstalled and it spun! The Porsche PPI and a recent visit to a different Porsche dealership (that didn't know about the PPI) said that the fan was faulty and needed replacing... not sure how I feel about that. Is the temperature sensor built into the fan? Is the fuse for this fan easily accessible?

In the case of the 987.1 the temp sensor is mounted to the intake manifold between runners on the right hand side. Easy enough to check while you have it apart. Not sure about the fuse.

I have noticed my fan of the 2010 runs more often that my 2008 ever did

Thanks for clarifying that car guy! I wasn't clear what this fan does as obviously it is not related to engine cooling. Driving in the SC summer heat this thing turns on after 10 minutes and works all the time. It is quite interesting to know at what engine compartment temperature the thermostat turns it on.

I couldn't find the relay for that fan - where is the "central electrical system - rear end"? I had some time to see if the temperature sensor was at least properly mounted (and it was). My engine temp never goes over 175F, which according to a post I've seen means that my fan would never turn on when the engine is on (engine temp > 185F). While idling in a garage, I had a Fluke multimeter with a thermocouple read 55C with ambient air at 32C, so it seems like I'm not normally operating in conditions under which this fan would turn on. I didn't want to artificially initiate it with a hair dryer when the engine is off, but that would require air temps >80C from what I hear, and that just doesn't seem likely unless I really race it and pull over to park it. I've still ordered a replacement engine compartment sensor and relays (which I still need to find), but I don't think this fan comes on very much during most operating conditions.

I captured the attached info on fan operation a couple of years ago while I still had my 911C4. The suggested test might not work on the Cayman , but these cars have many aspects that very similar, so maybe... You might also want to check for the mentioned dash warning.

Thanks Car_guy, I got my fan operational yesterday after finding the "central electrical system - rear end". Turns out it was just a blown fuse. I think what happened is that some debris kept the original fan from spinning and it took out the fuse from the high load. When I tried to spin it with my hand it seemed to be stuck. In theory I would not have needed to replace the fan itself, but it was a nice learning experience in removing the front engine cover and finding the location of some of the relays. I still have one question though. The online diagram: 2012 Porsche Cayman central electrical system rear end shows three possible fuses for number 8: 3A (fuse) ,15A (lock fuse),(40A large fuse in that location that appears to be listed as ENGINE COMPARTMENT / Rear window heating large fuse). I've only replaced it with a 10A fuse because that's what was already there. Anyone know how to decipher which fuse actually belongs there?

Are you sure about the 3 amp? What I find for the gen 1 cars is a 15 amp for the engine compartment fan, a 40 amp for the secondary air pump and a 30 amp for the rear window heat. It appears that the fuse holder only is for the 15 amp fuse with the other two held separately. FWIW my 2008 appears to have had a 10 amp fuse also. I also caught the 40 amp fuse incidentally to what I was really photographing. The 30 amp fuse didn't make a cameo. As to what fuse you should have I'd go with 10 amps until you can check with your dealer. What's there currently is usually a good bet. Especially when it's not easily accessed like these.

My engine compartment fan is not working on my 2007 Cayman S . So far i've confirmed that the fuse is fine. I've disconnected the sensor and the fan didn't come on. No warning light for fan failure. Fan does spin freely. I can't seem to get power directly to the fan to test it without removing the fan. Any suggestions on other tests before I start replacing parts? One point worth mentioning is that the owners manual indicates that the fan will only run for 30 minutes after the car is shut off. So I've done any tests within a few minutes of shutting the car off. This also would seem to explain the second relay in the wiring diagram. Not sure if there us a minimum run time to engage this system. I should note that the engine was just rebuilt over the winter. No way if knowing if the two are related.

I think ihave same problem with you but I can not find the location of "central electrical system - rear end". Can you tell me where is it?