Check your condenser fan / Easy how to replace condenser fan
 

A known issue with the 2007/2008 Honda Fits is the Air Conditioning. Symptoms vary, and there are multiple ways to fix it. This is specifically for the Condenser fan not spinning. I'm going to give you detailed and easy instructions to test and replace this fan with as little trouble as possible, with pictures. I'm also going to describe some symptoms that may not be the condenser fan, but may exist alongside it with resolutions. I would like to personally thank Doctor J for his/her excellent communication and suggestions on this forum. Without Doctor Js help I would not have been able to do this so easily. Other people talked about jacking up the car, pulling the oil filter off, and taking off body parts and panels and even the radiator. My method, the one Doctor J suggested so graciously, didn't require getting under the car at all, or pulling any body panels off, or loosening the radiator. All it took was a $8 toolset from harbor freight, a $62 fan off amazon, a beer, and 25 minutes. I do not normally work on cars either!


1. Symptom: AC button is stuck or will not light up the color blue when I press it/The button doesn't feel right/it's softer than the Defrost button next to it. I may get constant AC, or I may get constant warm air.
Resolution: Replace the AC and Defrost button set on the dash itself. It's important to do this and not let it sit! The AC button stuck is known to pop fuse #10 7.5 Amp in the cabin fusebox, and the 10 and 11 relays in the hood fusebox. It may stop BOTH THE ENGINE FAN AND THE AC FAN FROM SPINNING, leading to overheating. Bad. One of the easiest ways to damage a good engine is overheating. Replace this if squishy or not working before doing other work! Genuine parts found on amazon and ebay for $50.

2. Symptom: My AC/Heater/Vent is really loud, or doesn't blow at all. A noise may or may not emanate from under the glove compartment.
Resolution: Wonderfully simple! Buy a whole new blower fan and pop it in. Takes a phillips head screwdriver (3 bolts if I recall) and one plug to pull. Order a genuine blower fan online. Simply get on the ground and look up under the glovebox. It's all right there to access. Clean the inside of the blower space with shop towels and micro fiber to feel good about yourself.

3. Symptom this writeup is for: My AC blows cool for a while but eventually gets hot. If I turn it off and drive, after a while it may work again.
Resolution: A couple. Maybe it's overcharged, maybe the AC clutch is worn, but *maybe* the condenser fan is not spinning at all!

Ok. You have symptom 3. First thing is first: Start the engine, turn the AC on full blast, let it sit for 10 minutes blowing cold air. Maybe even drive it for a few blocks. Just keep the AC and the Engine running. Pop the hood while it is running, and look down at the fans behind the radiator. Are both spinning? Is only the driver side spinning, but not the passenger side? The driver side fan is the engine radiator fan that keeps the radiator cool. The passenger side fan is the condenser fan that cools both the air conditioner condenser and the main engine radiator. If both fans are spinning, stop. This write up won't work for you. If both fans are not spinning but you know the engine is warmed up, buy two new relays and put them in the hood fusebox. Numbers 10 and 11. Also be nervous because this means your engine isn't being actively cooled. In fact be so nervous that you stop using your car until you know at least one fan spins before you fuck up a perfectly good Honda Fit.


Is the passenger fan (condenser) not spinning, but the drivers side spining? Ok, this write up is for you! Move on.

How to verify it's your condenser fan:
new 9v battery and some wire, or a multimeter. Refer to attachment one, titled fan connectors. Above each fan is a single plug that connects the fan to the car power. If you have a 9v battery, turn off your car, unplug the condenser plug, follow the wires with your eyes and notice which side is going to the fan. Take the battery and connect it to plus and minus using wire. Does the fan spin? Well crap. This write up isn't for you, because your fan spins. Look at other threads for ideas. Hint: Replace both relays.

Does the fan not spin? Likely a bad fan. Almost certain. OK, the multimeter method: With the engine hot, and the AC on full blast, unplug the same condenser plug. Put your multimeter to DC and check voltage of this plug. Are you getting 12+V yet the fan isn't spinning? I got 14.2. Congratulations, you're on your way to much cooler air! Time to replace the fan.



If your condenser fan needs to be replaced:

10mm socket, both short and long preferred.
A flashlight is helpful.
A new replacement fan off ebay/amazon/internet. I used a TYC 611010 Honda Fit Replacement Condenser Cooling Fan Assembly from Amazon. Costed $62.50. Dealership wanted $350 for this part.
A beer, maybe some weed, maybe water.


Refer to attachment #1 titled Fan Connectors. Unplug both fan connectors, your car should be off.

There are two 10mm bolts attached to soft rubber that hold your air cleaner box in place. Take those out, remove the airflow sensor plug at the top that's pointing towards the cabin and pull the entire air cleaner box off the engine. Note that 3 parts pull off, the main intake, a little metal hose in front of that, and the cold air intake leading to the driver side fender. Don't have to be too gentle but take your time.

Remove the radiator overfill cap off the radiator overfill bottle on the right of the radiator fan. Lay this cap and hose on the battery. Remove the 10mm bolt located on the left side of the radiator overfill bottle (it's attaching the bottle to the radiator fan), and gently remove the entire bottle from the car. Put it somewhere safe. Might as well look inside and see that it's clean and has blue fluid. If the fluid is ugly, flush the radiator later on. And clean the bottle up with a hose or something. Refer to photo 3, radiator overspill.

Look down between the fans. There's a fat black hose that has a white tension holder keeping it in place. Pull on this hose until it pulls out of the white tension holder, push it out of the way to the left, close to the engine. It will now be closer to the passenger side and up against the engine block.

Remove the two 10mm bolts holding the radiator fan to the radiator drivers side and carefully bring the fan down to the ground through the wide hole at the bottom of your car. Let it rest on the earth. Be really careful not to make it slap against the radiator, radiators are a lot gentler than you think. Try not to bend any of the metal fins. If you bend a few, ok, but it's shoddy workmanship. You'll always know they are bent and it might mess with your head. So do it right and take your time. Take a drink of your beer. Refer to attachment #2, top of car.

Referring to attachment #2, top of car, remove the other 2x 10mm bolts holding the condenser fan to the radiator. These are shorter than the drivers side bolts, so set them in order. Now, look down into the fan. Notice there's that plug you unplugged already? See how there's a plastic holder that keeps that wire held against the fan shroud? (photo attachment 4) Pull on it until it pops off. Follow this wire down the left side, as your are facing it from the front of the car. Notice it is held with tension in 3 places? Just pull and it'll pull out. Don't force these wires, they are strong but not perfect and you're working on a 10 year old car. But pull good, it will slide off the shroud. Notice at the bottom there is another plug that goes towards the motor? Feel with your fingers, you'll feel a button on the end of it, push down, and pull that connector off. This is a two wire plug connector going towards the engine. Make sure now that this wire is off the radiator shroud. Pull up with your hands on the shroud, the fan will lift up. At the bottom of this fan is a resting bolt that the fan falls into, so pull straight up and it'll fall out of the bolt. Look at your replacement condenser fan and you'll see it's open ended. Refer to attachment #4, bottom of car to see what it looks like if you're looking at it from the bottom.

The condenser fan is now loose and ready to be pulled. Have a sip of beer, be mindful of your radiator fins, and walk that fan out by going through the free space you made by removing the main radiator fan. It's not that bad. Don't push it against the radiator, just walk her out. Fan comes out drivers side.

Walk the new fan in the same way, and be mindful of where the wires are. The wires will be in behind the fans towards the cabin, not in front of them.

Walk the new fan past the hose in the middle, reach down with your arm under the hose, and just past it feel around for a bolt. This is the bolt that the bottom connector rests on. Walk the new fan into this bolt. Refer to attachment #4, bottom of car, part D. With love and guidance it will fall into place. The fan is now ready to be bolted into place. Tighten the top two 10mm bolts that hold it in place, put the cable back into place, plug in the top plug passenger side that powers the fan.

Lift the drivers side radiator fan, notice that it does not have any bolts on the bottom, just two on top. Tighten them, reattach the overfill bottle, put the cap and hose back in. Put the middle thick hose back into its place.

Put the airbox back on.

Great job. Finish your beer, start the engine and turn that AC on full. Let it sit, do both fans spin? Is the AC a lot colder? Congratulations.


I consider fitfreak to be a fantastic resource and I thank everyone who made this possible.

this is very good and helpful.

but its only forgetting one thing, which became a little problem -



When trying to drop the radiator fan, there is a ATF cooler hose in the way. You can not ignore it (labeled B), as you stated on diagram picture 4.

any advice for this part? can I just disconnect the cooler hose? I imagine coolant will spill everywhere...

I would take off the ATF hose (closest to driver side wheel) from the transmission fitting and stick the smooth metal rod in it (spark plug or bolt may work too, but it's low class:)); also I would take air filter box stay bracket from transmission (two bolts)

perfect. thank you so much.

one more note to add to this, for anyone attempting this. (learn from my huge mistake)

MAKE SURE you don't get bolts mixed up. on the last step putting it together, excited that I finished and fixed the A/C - I mistakenly, in a hurry, mixed up the the bolts from the air cleaner box(long) with the radiator fan bolts(short) - and punctured/destroyed my radiator. :(

aside from my own dumb mistake, thank you Boltaction and Doctor J

It's important to know. Thanks for sharing!
The radiators are getting very fragile due to their age. After pulling an upper hose on the junk yard I noticed rotten edge of the hose nipple (hidden in the hose)
Where did you get your replacement radiator from?