2008 Ford Focus cooling fan cycling off and on? Need help kinda quick

[fairlaniac]

Of course one day before my daughter is to go back to college her 2008 Focus has illuminated the coolant warning light in the dash. Checking things out I notice the fan cycling on and off and and I can hear a relay or solenoid clicking. I'm short on time and hope someone with concise answers can offer any ideas what to check and replace? Any diagnostics to perform?

I turned the heater on high so the low speed should come on at anytime. This is when it's cycling.

Thanks,

[My427stang]

I would start with a scanner and see if it's a temp sensor, but if no codes, then I would see if the fan relay is bad.  There is likely a key to tell you which it is in the underhood fuse box.  Likely you can swap it with one identical next to it, then replace the bad one if it corrects it.

[shady]

does the a/c compressor also engage when the fan runs?

[fairlaniac]

does the a/c compressor also engage when the fan runs?

Yes, the compressor kicks in with the fan,

Checked codes yesterday, zero codes.

The fans turn on so I'm thinking coolant temp sending unit?
Thanks,

[shady]

The fan always run when the a/c runs. If the heater control is on defrost  or defrost and panel even if the temp control is all the way on heat, the ac and fans will run. My guess is the temp. sensor is bad and the computer is activating the a/c to run the fans to try and cool it down.

[superduty]

Is it the coolant temp lamp or coolant level lamp?  Unplug the coolant level sensor and insert paper clip to test.

[fairlaniac]

First off, a misdiagnosis. The cutting out was the a/c compressor, low freon. Actually wound up being the t-stat and/or some crud in the radiator. A good cleaning of the radiator, new t-stat and a new temp sensor and all seem well.

Finished it on Sunday morning but I wasn't going to send her off to college without some time on the repairs so we drove her and I will take the car to her next weekend.

Thanks for the replies.