Car is Overheating-Fans won't come on

[Snowdoggie]

It overheated at the autocross this weekend and I had to shut it off for a while. It did it again today in traffic. I replaced the fuse to the fans and they still don't go on.

What do I check next. The Fans? The thermostat? Where is the fan sensor on a 92 Miata?

[Titus]

It overheated at the autocross this weekend and I had to shut it off for a while. It did it again today in traffic. I replaced the fuse to the fans and they still don't go on.

What do I check next. The Fans? The thermostat? Where is the fan sensor on a 92 Miata?

The passenger side fan is controlled by the temperature sensor on the top of the thermostat housing. The drivers side fan comes on when the AC is turned on.

[Snowdoggie]

The passenger side fan is controlled by the temperature sensor on the top of the thermostat housing. The drivers side fan comes on when the AC is turned on.

This is interesting. When I turn on the AC, both fans come on. When the AC is off neither fan comes on.

[channelmaniac]

Follow the hose from the top of the radiator over to the engine... It connects to the thermostat housing and there is a wire that plugs into a switch on the top of that housing.

Unplug that wire by squeezing the connector and pulling it up. Turn the key on and run a wire from that connector to the valve cover and see if the fan turns on.

If it does, replace that switch. Oh, and DO NOT use any teflon thread compound as you WANT the body of the switch to make good electrical contact to the thermostat housing to ground that wire and turn the fan on.

RJ