Radiator Fan Problem

[Bill Wu]

Hello everyone.

Does anyone's RC390 have radiator fan problem?

My RC390's radiator fan didn't work when I rode today. The coolant temperature kept rising. When riding, suddenly the engine cut off while the RPM reached to 3000 ~ 4000. I guess it's a overhearing problem due to the broken radiator fan.

Did anyone encounter such problem?

It seems I have to go to the dealer again for repairing the broken air box (second time), broken radiator fan, and moist dashboard......

The quality is such disappointing.

 

[Diploman]

Problems with the shrouded fan fitted to the 2015 RC and Duke are a well-known issue. I would advise against going to the dealer for fan repair, because the dealer will only fit another (just-as-likely-to-fail) OEM shrouded fan. Instead, fit this solution, which will give you a far superior fan: more aerodynamically efficient, more mechanically reliable, lighter weight, and much quieter. Easy fitment. Follow this guide:

Spal Fan Instal How To - KTM Duke 390 Forum

 

[Seth]

Subscribed!

 

[stevieboy]

Problems with the shrouded fan fitted to the 2015 RC and Duke are a well-known issue. I would advise against going to the dealer for fan repair, because the dealer will only fit another (just-as-likely-to-fail) OEM shrouded fan. Instead, fit this solution, which will give you a far superior fan: more aerodynamically efficient, more mechanically reliable, lighter weight, and much quieter. Easy fitment. Follow this guide:

Spal Fan Instal How To - KTM Duke 390 Forum

I would think that getting warranty work done, besides being free, might lead KTM to realize they have a problem and fix it with better replacements. Unless they really do not care.

 

[=maz=]

I would think that getting warranty work done, besides being free, might lead KTM to realize they have a problem and fix it with better replacements. Unless they really do not care.

What is your time worth?
Being without the bike, running it into the shop, picking it up again, dealing with the Warranty claim...for me it would be cheaper and less hassle to fix it with a SPAL fan and give the bill to the dealership...if they give me the cost of replacing the OEM fan great, if not I'm still better off.

Up to you.

 

[Diploman]

The number of fan failures on the 2015 390's - both variants - has been so substantial that there is no logical possibility that KTM USA could be unaware of a systemic problem with this component. But it should not be forgotten that the 390 is a world bike, built in India for price-competitive purposes. Keeping the price point as low as possible is a crucial factor in the bike's marketability, particularly in the developing world. Therefore, as many components as possible are locally sourced in India. For the 2015 fan, Bajaj commissioned a new design intended to keep hot air off the legs of riders in urban traffic jams wearing light or no legwear, and little/no moto gear. The previous straight-through fans fitted to the 2013-14 models were , paradoxically, more dependable compared to the revised 2015 design, which adopted a (horribly aerodynamically inefficient) shrouded configuration intended to route radiator exhaust directly downwards, away from riders' legs. The contract went to an Indian company known as "Kinetic". The redesigned fan Kinetic supplied to Bajaj turned out to be a debacle, with a failure rate (especially in North America) that has tarnished KTM's reputation for quality. Maybe KTM/Bajaj will pressure Kinetic to improve the fan's quality. Maybe not. Maintaining the price point is a critical concern for bikes in this ultra-competitive market niche. If the changes required to improve the 2015 shrouded fan's reliability result in a higher -priced unit, the chances that those changes will be implemented are slim, IMO. Price dominates, and the likelihood that Kinetic will deliver an improved but pricier fan, or that the contract will be awarded to another supplier, is faint. This is just the economic reality of developing-world manufacturing in an extremely competitive market niche.

This is why it really is not worth any 390 owner's time to deliver the bike to a dealer with a warranty claim for a new fan. The 2015 OEM shrouded fan is a bizzare, inefficient and poor design, catering to the needs of developing-world riders, with little relevance to riders in industrial countries who wear moto gear. The replacement fan the dealer will fit under warranty will be the same flawed design which, even in the lucky event that it does work, is inefficient, noisy and has to spend much more time in active mode to accomplish what a more efficient fan can do in much less time. Is this a component you really want to have on your bike? Do you want to worry continually about its reliability? Why, in the end, would you want to waste your time with this cooling issue?

The SPAL fan is tested, proven, reliable, inexpensive, lightweight, quieter, outperforms the OEM piece and is far more efficient. Superior in every respect, except probably price. Eminently worth the price of upgrade, IMO. Install a SPAL and just forget about cooling issues.

In a hugely ironic twist, SPAL has a subsidiary in India. But they didn't get the contract.

 

[Treachery]

Subscribed!

Yeah, me too. Probably not that dissimilar to Honda reg/rect issues.

 

[stevieboy]

What is your time worth?
Being without the bike, running it into the shop, picking it up again, dealing with the Warranty claim...for me it would be cheaper and less hassle to fix it with a SPAL fan and give the bill to the dealership...if they give me the cost of replacing the OEM fan great, if not I'm still better off.

Up to you.

Yeah, I understand all that and I know my time only has value to me. I have a buddy who had his fan replaced under warranty and has had no additional issues with it. I also do not want to give KTM a free pass. My customers wont do that for me!

 

[RobbiRob76]

Hello everyone.

Does anyone's RC390 have radiator fan problem?

My RC390's radiator fan didn't work when I rode today. The coolant temperature kept rising. When riding, suddenly the engine cut off while the RPM reached to 3000 ~ 4000. I guess it's a overhearing problem due to the broken radiator
fan.

Did anyone encounter such problem?

It seems I have to go to the dealer again for repairing the broken air box (second time), broken radiator fan, and moist dashboard......

The quality is such disappointing.

Bearing went on mine with 600 miles... Warranty covered, no issue 6000 miles later...

 

[Bill Wu]

Thanks for all your reply. I planned to ride to the dealer to get my radiator fan repaired yesterday. BUT! The fan ran!!! I don't know why. The fan is working right now. And I reported to my dealer, and my dealer wants me to keep trying until the radiator fan is dead.

But two days ago. I filled up my fuel tank and ready to leave the gas station. When I started my engine, the coolant temperature is high as always (nearly reached the limit due to the hot weather in Taiwan). But I was wondering why the fan didn't run. When I rode then, when the engine reached 3000 RPM, engine cut off, and the fan still didn't run. The fan hadn't run even when I rode back home.

The next I day I planed to go to the dealer, the fan worked again. I'm not sure what is happening, but I'll keep riding. Hope the radiator fan won't suddenly stop again!

 

[Bill Wu]

Radiator fan problem came again.

Today, I filled up my RC 390 and left the gas station, the radiator fan did NOT run. When I rode back home, the engine turned off by itself due to the high coolant temperature (the dashboard also indicated the coolant temperature is too high) And I was unable to start the engine due to overheating.

Strange thing happened, after a while, after the coolant temperature went down. I started the engine again, and the radiator fan ran again!

The radiator fan didn't run only after I went to the gas station, turned off my engine, filled up, and started the engine, the fan failed.

I still don't know what's happening to the radiator fan. It does run, but sometime it does NOT. I also reported to the dealer. Now I'm waiting for his response.

Did someone have similar problem? The fan sometime works, sometime doesn't work?

 

[Diploman]

It sounds to me that your fan is not defunct but only operates intermittently and erratically. The probable cause for this behavior, IMO, would be a faulty temperature sensor. Try replacing the sensor and see if your fan operates consistently and correctly. KTM acknowledges that there have been problems not only with the 2015 fan, but also with temperature sensors which turn the fan on and off.

 

[MotoKam]

Radiator fan problem came again.

Today, I filled up my RC 390 and left the gas station, the radiator fan did NOT run. When I rode back home, the engine turned off by itself due to the high coolant temperature (the dashboard also indicated the coolant temperature is too high) And I was unable to start the engine due to overheating.

Strange thing happened, after a while, after the coolant temperature went down. I started the engine again, and the radiator fan ran again!

The radiator fan didn't run only after I went to the gas station, turned off my engine, filled up, and started the engine, the fan failed.

I still don't know what's happening to the radiator fan. It does run, but sometime it does NOT. I also reported to the dealer. Now I'm waiting for his response.

Did someone have similar problem? The fan sometime works, sometime doesn't work?

Start by checking to see if the fan is plugged all the way in. My overheating problems started with the fact the plug was partially out. However, the fan then failed and the motor shut off on three separate occasions.

I did the SPAL replacement and replaced the coolant with Engine Ice. Now, I can feel the hot air blowing out when I'm stopped at a light on a hot day or after exiting the freeway.

The repair cost about $100 and took me less than three hours. I'm sure the dealer would have given me a lot of crap and taken weeks to do any repair.

They wouldn't even tighten up the kickstand bolts under warranty when they worked themselves out.. They were going to charge me $90 to do that, but after I complained, they decided to do it for me as a "courtesy".

Some favor!

Do the work yourself. It's an easy repair. But don't cut the wires to splice the plug on. Slip the blades out of the plug and slide them into the stock plug. Way cleaner!

 

[Fasteddy]

FWIW,


Given the symptoms and that it only effects the fans operation here in order are what I would check for the intermittent issue.

Loose relay
Loose fuse
Loose fan connector.

The temperature sensor does not operate the fan, the temp sensor gives a value to both the combo unit and the ECU, the ECU then uses an adaptive algorithm (programming) to turn the fan off and on via fan relay 'K50' that is powered by single circuit 15 amp fuse 'F5', so, start with making sure relay and fuse / other connections are solid. Temp sensor and ECU's ability to read it are obviously working as combo unit indicates bars, and ECU puts it into shut down mode and sends over heat text signal / MIL via CAN bus to combo instrument.

 

[micahpearlman]

If you unplug the temp sensor the fan should come on.


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[Fasteddy]

If you unplug the temp sensor the fan should come on.


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FWIW,
I had to test your theory(it is raining out = bored), and yes it is a pain to unlock temp sense plug but can be done with long screw driver from left then access from right side.

No, unplugged temp sensor, in fact will not start at all, fan does not come on before / during /after trying and engine kicks back and seems pretty unhappy while trying to crank, check engine light goes on within a second or two flashing code.
Plug sensor back on but not locked, start, pull sensor and instant shutdown, still no fan so put plug back on fires right up...

 

[Bill Wu]

Thank you for all your help. I think I should check my fan connector and temperature sensor plug first. Could anyone post photos or tell me where they are? Thanks.

 

[Fasteddy]

I can't find any pics of where the fan connection is located, somewhere on right side??? it would be a two wire connector one black with yellow strip the other gray with yellow stripe according to the wiring diagram.
The temp sensor, which I am sure is not the problem is on the backside of the cylinder with a blue plug.
The relay and fuse are in the battery compartment, fuse label is on the underside of cover, relays are on the left side and fan relay is 3rd from the front.

 

[Bill Wu]

I can't find any pics of where the fan connection is located, somewhere on right side??? it would be a two wire connector one black with yellow strip the other gray with yellow stripe according to the wiring diagram.
The temp sensor, which I am sure is not the problem is on the backside of the cylinder with a blue plug.
The relay and fuse are in the battery compartment, fuse label is on the underside of cover, relays are on the left side and fan relay is 3rd from the front.

OK, Fasteddy. Many thanks for your help. I'll check it! Thanks a lot.

 

[cazh]

Same issues here, this bike is the worse bike i have owned. My engine shut off 3 times due to "high coolant temperature" i ordered the spal fan and will replace today, but last night the bike wouldnt start at all! A buddy said that the engine overheating may have blown a fuse or a relay. Or maybe the bike thinks its out of gasoline, not sure but now it wont start! Any ideas?