after I turn off the car the drivers side fan runs for a few minutes and I smell a little coolant but don't see any leaks anywhere. why does this fan stay on after I shut the car off. Do I need to change the temp. sensor that I see some people talking about on here. they say it's located on the lower passenger right side of the fan but I don't see it from the top view, do you have to get under the car to see it?? any help is greatly appreciated.

 

yes you need to get under the car to see it
The fan may run a few minutes,,, but thats not unless its really hot!!
Smell of coolant is BAD and must be inspected right away
Remove radiator cap when engine is COLD and make sure its full to the top
The resivor bottle should be at the cold line and the rubber tube attached inside the res cap must be attached securley

Get it checked TODAY- a shop can pressure test the whole system for leaks- like a rock hit the radiator or a seam on radiator is leaking
Whats your miles on car, year,

 

Thanks for the info. Its my wife's car 2000 3.2TL model.150,000 miles. I'll check the coolant and connections when she gets home from work,I'll keep you updated.

 

Is it hot outside when you park the car?

When we're up in the mountains and stop at a vista the fan stays on for a moment because the motor is hot and its about 90 out. Helps protect the rings from over heating, or so I've been told.

Coolant smell is bad. You should do as Tom says. If you have a leak, find it and fix it. Then rinse out the engine bay carefully avoiding electrical with the hose. Then fire it up and look for more leaks.

Remember to only top up with the same coolant you have in their. YOu should have honda coolant but confirm.

 

150,000
did you do the 105k mile timing belt-water pump job on the car?

 

rob- the fan just pulls air thru the radiator to prevent boiling over in hot shutdowns.

When you shut the engine off, there is an immediate 10-20 degree temp rise sensed and the fan comes on to bring it back down to 160-180~ (not sure exact temp)
at the radiator sensor.
Once the engine is off there is no coolant circulation to any parts of the engine. so it has no effect on them.
If you are driving hard hot and heavy into the mountains- when you stop- let the car idle for a few minutes, the fan will probably come on, the parts inside the engine are getting a low speed cool off after working hard at high pressure.. its better for the engine overall..and shouldnt hurt your mileage numbers

 

I'll let her idle then. I can always make the miles up on the down side

 

just put it in nuetral and let er rip-
like the sign says coming back down the hill~ l
Hold a little rpm to keep steering active and ac working good

this was a joke- DO NOT put the car in nuetral on downhill to save gas

 

What are the consequences-

 

this happens with mine but only when its really hot.
its happened a b nch of times this summer.

 

yes I had this done around that time, i'm going to check on the coolant tomorrow when it's light out. thanks

 

It was just very low on coolant. I filled it up and now its fine

 

OK- now you need to determine the cause of the leak- because there IS one!~!!
These cars dont just let the stuff evaporate- it leaks out!

 

What happens if you coast in neutral, with engine running- enlighten me. Thanks.

 

before i read asianstyle's first post i ahd no idea where to look for the ect sensor. i've been looking "to the right side of the passenger fan" with no luck.

tried searching but it's a little handicapped at the moment, and nothing on google.

help?