Alright, 68 383'I had my derale elctric fan on for a few weeks now. the toggle switch gave up on me yesterday. So for a temp fix last night I just connected the lead wire to the 12v source in the fuse box so whenever you turn the key fan comes on etc etc.

I figured i would get a new toggle today? graemlins/clonk.gif

On my way to work this morning I was coming down the freeway made it about 15 miles and then the car shut off.

Car turns over, has gas flowing to carb but wont kick.

The tow guy pulled me off and disconnected on spark wire and told me to crank it. He said there was no spark!

I left it on a side street and took a cab to work.

Could it be a fuse in the box? I will check that first? If it isnt as simple as that what would be next on my list?

The distributor and coil are pretty new about 6 months.??? Accel HEI built in coil..Im puzzled..

Could it be the module in the dist? voltage reg?

P.S. I was also running a sound system with amp.
I never had a problem in the past using them but maybe it drew to much load on the system??
Thanks

Not answering your phone. You have a meter or any tools with you?
Good chance you lost power to the distributor. Check fuses and disconnect that electric fan from the IGN terminal.

I dont have a meter but I do have tools. The phone sometimes doesnt work in the building.I disconnected the fan right away and no spark. I will check the fuses when I get off. I am trying to find out all the options for when I get out of work!

Thanks again

I think you definately want to run that fan with a relay, i am wondering if you drew too much current through the ign terminal on the fuse block and burnt through somewhere causing an open circuit in the ignition wiring.
Maybe try and run a hot wire directly from the battery to the HEI and see if it will start then.

Yeah I was "hoping" I could run the fan for a day until I got a new toggle. I spoke to the guys at derale and he said I could run it directly to the 12v source, insted of using the toggle.

I am thinking that the combo of the stereo and that might have cause a short! I ran the fan witht the toggle for weeks with the stero and never had a problem.

But now that i think about it, I dont rememer my tach working either?

Check your module too...had one of those go on me once...whole truck shut off in the middle of the road.

Well I got the beast home.

Started diggin around under there and found out that I had hooked the fan to the IGN switch. There is 3 terminals. the top i believe is radio, middle accessory and the bottom one say IGN. The letters are rubbed off so its hard to read.

Insted of the middle ACC I must have not been paying attention and put it on the bottom.

The problem: A blown fuse. A 20A right next to the bottom IGN terminal.

Put in a new fuse and off I went.

Now I am alittle confused on one thing my tach wasnt working now? :confused:

Im gonna check the whole thing out tomorrow and hook my fan back up with the toggle.

Thanks again! Also to the Famous John Muha once again for returning my call!

ALso to help prevent this little mishap again.

Should the radio be connected to the top terminal, Fan to the middle ACC and the volt meter to the IGN?

Or am i wrong again?

IMHO, I would only use a toggle switch to energise a relay to operate a cooling fan, I think they draw to much current to just use a toggle switch. With just a toggle switch you have hi current wiring in the interior of the car, which is not needed or safe. Keep the power wires to the fan as short as possible and use a relay to operate the fan, a relay hardly uses any current at all.

So whats the easiest way to do this?

I run a mech fan but I tend to just use the electrical when I am sitting in the 100 dergree L.A traffic. Anyone who drives I-405 knows what i mean....Its the worlds biggest parking lot!

My two cents.

The Derale 16" high performance fan will gulp around 18amps continuously. So, they have to be relayed with a 30 or 40 amp relay.

Using a toggle switch by itself can be a problem too. Most toggles are NOT rated for 18amps continuously and therefore the failure. Use the toggle switch to "switch" the signal circuit of the relay.

Source the fan from the DC Bus or battery, not the ignition switch or fuse block. YOu can pull the signal 12volts from the switched side of the fuse panel thru the toggle switch to operate the relay though.

Not famous for much but listen to what others are saying. It's what ruined your switch then popped your fuse. Install a relay. Good thing you weren't out in the desert. (I-10 is worse than the 405).

My question is,

Why does derale tell people to do this if its not right?

Also you guys are going to have to tell me how to do it in kid terms because I dont understand electrical at all?

You can post it or email me! Thanks!!!!!!!

It's not that the fan company is wrong. They just assumed the buyer would know the best way to install it.
According to information here, you can get a fan wiring kit from Summit. Just subsitute your toggle switch for the temp sensor and it should do it for you.
http://www.chevelles.com/cgi-bin/forum/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=22;t=003670