1988 Cutty International Coupe Radiator Fans!

[SigEpCutlass]

Guys,

 

I was just visiting my grandma this weekend and I need your guys' help to determine if the dealer screwed something up working on her car.

 

In short, my Grandma has a 1988 Cutlass Supreme International Coupe. It has less than 10,000 original mies on the 2.8 V6 engine, and was ordered by my Uncle from the Olds dealership my Aunt's brother owned back in 1988.

 

Options that I know of on the car are as follows:

 

Power windows and locks

Red/Black cloth power seats (I believe the fully adjustable RPO is AQ9)

Digi Dash (UB3 I believe...see Image)

manual climate control

Power antenna

Power Trunk release

AM/FM Radio w/ NO Casette or CD

The car DOES NOT have the auto digital climate control.

 

The interior is almost exactly like GnatGoSplat's '89 (except NO HUD, NO Steering wheel controls, and NO Auto Climate control):

 

 

Car was recently in the shop because it died on her at church and wasn't able to start. The dealer found there was no spark, so they replaced the ICM and a few other items to get the car to run properly. Along the way, the Dealer tech noted that the cooling fan was always running. They corrected that situation so the fan only ran when it was supossed to according to the dealer notes.

 

I drove the car around to a few different places on Saturday with her, and the car was running well and at the appropriate temperature. On the digidash, the temperature never exceeded 1/2 way. I did open up the hood and watched the fan turn off an on for certain climate settings in her garage. However, this was done at idle and the fan turning on when the A/C was running also corresponded with rising vehicle temperature.

 

Now, my question is this:

 

Did any W-bodies come with factory A/C with manual climate control have ONLY ONE fan mounted to the radiator?

 

I spoke with Shawn (GnatGoSplat) and he said that he thought that only cars without factory A/C would have one fan. I am suspicious that a fan is missing because the fan on the driver's side is mounted all the way over to the left side, and there appear to be notches/slots intended for having a fan mounted on the passenger side of the vehicle. For example, my '94 Cutty has 2 fans on the radiator. Shawn asked me if I saw any hanging connectors, but I don't remember seeing any. I didn't crawl under the cutty either while I was there this weekend, so a connector could have been shoved away somewhere. I'm not sure though.

 

I need to know "factual" information. If you're pretty sure...tell me that. I can't go on just guesses before either my Dad or I go after the dealer about it. My grandmother is 80 years old and doesn't have a clue about any of this stuff.

 

Thanks in Advance.

[Crazy K]

word is that the 88 model cars came with only one fan.

[Regal_GS_1989]

My 88 regal has 2 fans in it.

[SigEpCutlass]

My 88 regal has 2 fans in it.

 

Your sig says 89 Regal. Which is it? '88 or '89?

 

word is that the 88 model cars came with only one fan.

Hrmmm...Shawn told me that his wifes old '88 International coupe that they recently got back from a friend has two fans.

[GnatGoSplat]

Hrmmm...Shawn told me that his wifes old '88 International coupe that they recently got back from a friend has two fans.

 

Yes, my '88 Int'l definitely has 2 fans. Exact same fan setup as the 89.

 

[Regal_GS_1989]

Your sig says 89 Regal. Which is it? '88 or '89?

 

Both, I have 2 of them. An 88 and an 89

[Crazy K]

it may have been a mid-year change. look for a connector!

 

otherwise, if it were mine, I would upgrade the entire underhood harness to get rid of the MAF and add a map sensor. and in doing so, get the extra fan wire and fan.

[GnatGoSplat]

otherwise, if it were mine, I would upgrade the entire underhood harness to get rid of the MAF and add a map sensor.

 

That change is actually just a replacement MEMCAL. The 88's had both MAF and MAP. The new MEMCAL just uses the MAP only and turns the MAF into a IAT.

 

[5speedz34]

My 88 international that just got junked has one fan.

[ToroToro]

Yeah, my olds encyclopedia lists one fan for 1988, but the later '88s could have got two, like Ken suggests. I wouldn't think anything of it, and FWIW, no '88s got electronic climate control, SWRCs, premium audio, or CD.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

My 1988 GP SE 2.8 with A/C (not working.. but besides the point) had ONE FAN.

 

I wouldn't worry about it, I think it was suppose to come that way.

[Justin]

My first '89 CS with AC only had one fan, manual climate control.

[cutlsp]

my 88 cutlass only had 1 fan too i have put in 2 new fans.

[Robby1870]

my 88 cutlass only had 1 fan too i have put in 2 new fans.

 

Was the wiring already there for the second fan?

[cutlsp]

no i wired in a second fan and had to replace the stock one.....

[SigEpCutlass]

Thanks for the imput guys. I guess there's nothing to worry about.

[Brian P]

The "one" fan should be a little big bigger than one fan from a "dual" setup, at least from what I've seen.

Also on your grandma's '88, does it have the steel (rather than cast iron) exhaust manifolds with the different Y-bend? That's strictly an early 1988 model year thing and is pretty rare.

[SigEpCutlass]

The "one" fan should be a little big bigger than one fan from a "dual" setup, at least from what I've seen.

Also on your grandma's '88, does it have the steel (rather than cast iron) exhaust manifolds with the different Y-bend? That's strictly an early 1988 model year thing and is pretty rare.

 

Brian, I don't have easy access to the car for a while. The fan was around the same size as one of mine in the '94. How would I tell the difference with the Y-bend? I'm assuming if the manifolds are cast iron, they would be around the same color as cast iron cookware that stores sell? Is there a stamping on there or anything else I can use to distinguish it?

[Brian P]

cast iron is what you have on your car now, and all other 2.8's/3.1's from mid '88+. They just look rusty and scaly. If her manifolds have evidence of welding and look more "uneven", and will still have the "rust" look regardless of the mileage (but not so "scaly" for lack of a better term) those are the steel ones. The Y-split can be seen kind of under the TB area, where the crossover would be.

 

 

just did a quick search, you can ever so slightly see it on this '88 GP

[SigEpCutlass]

Hrmmm...I'm not sure if that's going to help Brian.

 

Umm...Brian...here's the best pic I can find of what's under the International. This pic was taken on Thanksgiving '05, and it was just as clean under the hood last weekend as is pictured here.

 

[Brian P]

Me thinks I see a crossover shield, indicating the iron manifolds, but it's hard to tell. In the photo that I posted, looking right below the drivers side dogbone mount, you can see a bit of it.

 

Have you found the build date of the car on the drivers side door jamb? Check it out next time just for curiosity's sake. I think the only w-cars to have the steel ones were built in late '87.

[SigEpCutlass]

I'll check out the build date the next time I see the car, and I think I see what you're trying to point out. There is a very good chance that the car was built in late '87, as the car was ordered directly from the factory by my Uncle, and then delivered to his wife's brother's dealership in 1988.