Is that Noise Coming from Your Radiator?

At KG Truck & Auto in Glen Burnie, MD, we know how irritating an issue with your car, truck, or SUV can be, even if it doesn’t immediately affect your vehicle’s performance. One such problematic issue, the excessively loud radiator cooling fan, is a common plague many automobile owners will experience.

Your radiator fan should be audible. However, it should not be so loud that it sounds like a plane priming for takeoff, drowns out conversations anywhere near it, or scares children off the street whenever you pull onto the block. If people hear your fan coming before they hear your engine, you definitely have an excessively loud fan.

Some vehicles have inherently louder fans than others, for a variety of reasons…it may simply be something you have to live with. For most vehicles, however, the fan shouldn’t sound like a rogue vacuum cleaner underneath your hood.

There are two types of fans, mainly; mechanical clutch belt-driven fans, and electric fans. There are hydraulic fans as well, but they aren’t common, and typically are more silent than either of the other two types. Mechanical clutch driven fans are more likely to produce excessive fan noise, usually due to a worn clutch inside the fan assembly. Both types can succumb to other issues as well, however. Worn bearings, bent or broken blades, and unbalanced rotating assemblies can cause a fan to screech, howl, or otherwise make noises it shouldn’t.

Fortunately, switching out a worn fan for a new one isn’t a huge ordeal. But, you want to get it done sooner rather than later; while they typically last a long time after the noise starts, you run the risk of losing the fan completely, causing overheating, radiator damage, blown fuses, and belt loss.

If you have a noisy radiator fan, don’t put up with it any longer than you have to. Our expert mechanics are here to help with all your vehicle service needs. For the best auto repair and maintenance shop in Glen Burnie, MD, call or come by KG Truck & Auto today.