Quick Radiator question

Hey all, I wanted to thank everyone for solving my last problem related to ignition coils. The fix seems to do the trick and no more CEL. Now the bigger question... My passenger side radiator fan is very loud, while the driver side radiator seems quiet (Idk maybe not even working?). Temperature of coolant seems completely fine between the 8 and 0 of 180, even under "spirited" driving. I will probably clean them out really soon but I wonder if anyone has experienced such symptoms. I really don't want to go through the hassle of taking of the bumper but I will get to it eventually. I am just wondering if this is something I have to take care of right away or it can wait. Don't want any problems.

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A very loud fan is cause for concern. I'm not in favor of letting something go until I'm forced to deal with it. If the fan motor is going bad there's a risk the fan motor could suffer a mechanical failure which could result in collateral damage. For instance, my Turbo's passenger side fan motor shaft snapped -- I do not know when it happened though I'm sure I heard it but thought something was kicked up by the tires and hit the underneath of the car. The coolant temperature did not really climb. While the radiator fans are rather quiet it was a bit less noise than usual that prompted me to check for fan operation and it was then I found the passenger side fan not blowing any air. As an aside, the passenger side radiator fan in the Boxster quit working and besides the time the passenger fan in the Turbo quit working another time -- more recently -- the driver's side fan was not working very well and the coolant temperature never gave any indication of getting hotter than usual. When I got the car to the dealer the tech found the shaft had snapped -- he had never seen this failure before -- and the fan had damaged the radiator. Thankfully it didn't hole the radiator but bent the fins down and the radiator along with the fan motor and fan assembly had to be replaced. (This was done under CPO warranty.) Anyhow, I'd not let this go but have it looked into. If you have not had the bumper cover off to really clean out the radiator ducts you should consider doing this or having it done. But wait until after you have the noisy fan diagnosed. The bumper cover may have to come off to deal with this noisy fan and at that time the radiator ducts should be cleaned out. If you tackle this yourself take notes, draw diagrams, take pics, to record where every fastener is and what style goes where and how the bumper cover fits. The techs tell me they can always tell when someone has been at the bumper cover as the fasteners are mixed up, sometimes even missing, and the bumper cover is not installed correctly. Or you can have this done. I've had it done at a dealer for both cars with other service and the tech adds some time to remove the cover, clean the radiator ducts out very thoroughly, then of course install the bumper cover. Afterwards, whenever I have the car in for some service, usually an oil/filter service (several times a year as I have the oil changed every 5K miles) the tech will blow out the trash as it does not get bad enough to become compacted.

Fan motor and fan relay failures are not uncommon for the 996. I agree with Macster - you should have it checked by your mechanic.

Alright, So I did some web searching and discovered my problem. The Ballast Resistor on the drivers side is dead. I have to cut out the old resistor and solder in a new one. No problem, but I can avoid soldering by attaching it directly to the fan connection. Problem I have is I can not find a DIY to get to the cooling fan. I see how to remove the bumper, and how to move the condenser to get to the radiator, but I am unable to see how to get to the fan. Can someone help me with getting to the fan? Is it from the other side? I checked to make sure the drivers side High speed fan will work, but the low speed will not. Also checked to see if the resistor was working (Hot working, cold not working) and It was cold. Both cases support a dead ballast resistor.

While I have had the fan motors dealt with on both cars more than once I have had this done at a dealer. I do not know the details on how to get down to the fan and fan motor. However, based on what I have observed I would expect someone with some automotive DIY experience if he took it slow could figure this out Based on what I've observed I know access to the fan requires the bumper cover removal (to state something painfully obvious), and the wheel/tire on the side of the radiator of interest has to come off too. The wheel well liner must come away, though an experienced tech might manage to get away with loosening some fasteners and pulling the leading portion of the liner down and away. As long as you do not break this/crack this plastic liner I guess that is ok. If they are old they can be fragile though so be careful. Also, temperature plays a role. I remember when I replaced one it helped to leave it in the sun to get nice and warm and more easily maneuvered into position. Once the bumper cover is removed and the wheel/tire and liner is out the way the A/C condenser can be unbolted and moved out of the way. I do not think it has to be disconnected but of course I can't say for sure. If it does then I think the proper course of action would be to take the car to a shop so the A/C system could be evacuated properly before opening the system to outside air. Try to avoid letting the thing hang suspended by its connections to the A/C lines. Then the radiator is unbolted and the fan assembly exposed. I do not think the radiator has be disconnected from its hoses, but I can't say for sure. Obviously you do not want to disconnect this from its hoses unless absolutely necessary. Be sure you properly route and secure the fan harness with its resister. Techs tell me they often find these out of place or jammed between plastic panels. They want to be out of any way of water splash from the tires and yet in the open (so to speak) for proper air flow as they run hot. If they are splashed hot they can crack and this can ruin them. If they are jammed into a tight space they can run hot and fail prematurely.

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I have replaced the resistor without accessing the fan motor itself. The bumper cover and the wheel well liner both need to come off. Check YouTube and Pelican Parts website for videos and instructions for both of these. Really not too difficult if you read up about fastener locations, etc. From what I can remember, I was able to unplug one end of the old resistor and I snipped off one of the wires leading to the fan motor itself. I plugged the new resistor into the harness and for the clipped wire I used a type of soldering connector that you simply heat up with a small torch or lighter. For additional protection I wrapped the connection well with electrical tape after that and put it all back together. I purchased the resistor on EBay or Amazon.