A few months ago I figured out that my fan clutch on my Ram 2500 5.7 Hemi was sticking on at certain times and temps. Dodge has replaced it twice and this past weekend it stuck on again for 120 miles while bucking a WY headwind. Has anyone else had problems with the fan clutch sticking on? Its hard to tell if it is on or not unless pulling a load and then the fan noise in the cab of the truck makes it hard to think.

Mine comes on under a hard pull in my diesel Ram (2013) but goes right back off when the hard pull is over. If yours sounds like mine does there is no way I could live with it for long period of times. How much weight were you pulling and how hard was the motor working?

If you were bucking the same strength of headwind I was in the last time through WY it was a hard pull. My MPG went from a normal of 6 to 3MPG due to the wind. It was like going up a 6% grade for 150 miles.

Mine was replaced at 100,000 miles. You will hear it when it comes on. Yours might have been working as it should as bucking a head wind is sort of like climbing a hill especially if you were towing. What did your temp gauge indicate when the fan it was on? On the diesel (I know yours is a gas engine) the fan comes on and then immediately off as soon as the temps drop a little. Rarely does it stay on more than a few minutes.

The first couple times it did it if I could keep the coolant temp over 208 the clutch would stay off but once I hit 220 where it should kick on to keep the temp in check it would bring the temp below 200 and not kick off. On colder days it was hard to get the temp over 208 with the clutch running the hole time. This last time I was coming down a steep gravel grade on snow so I had the rig in 4 low and 2nd gear so compression would hold me about 10 mph, when I hit the bottom the fan clutch was on and stayed on until I climbed the first sister just East of Evanston WY. What really brought this to my attention was a couple months ago coming over the sisters in Wy, I struggled over the first hill then half way up the second hill the fan clutch kicked off, my world became quiet, I could hear the engine working and geez the rig had power imagine that.I'm pulling around 10,000 loaded with quads so pulling up a grade in the summer I would expect it to come on but not while running flats in below 30 degrees air temps. I have been watching my temps closely, the 2014 Ram has a nice dash display which shows trans, coolant, and oil temps on the same page.

Are you sure the clutch is not working as intended? There is not much to a fan clutch and they have worked the same way for decades. Normally a very robust part and rare to fail this early or at all, and especially rare to have two of them fail. Sounds to me that your engine temperature is rising above the clutch's engagement temperature setting and fully engaging the fan which is completely normal.

2014 Ram 2500 fan clutch problems | Good Sam Community

buddyIam
Explorer
Nov 06, 2014
Will transmission Temps affect either viscous or electric fan lock up?

How about the torque converter unlocking.
buddyIam
Explorer
Nov 06, 2014
Will transmission Temps affect either viscous or electric fan lock up?
jmtandem
Explorer II
Nov 05, 2014
I had a viscous fan clutch on the libby, and after 2 failing to engage and causing high temps, I now run with a straight race fan. Luckily, the baby diesel doesnt turn a lot of RPM, but there is a noticeable "garbage truck" whirl. Just appreciate it working and not causing overheating issues.

I looked into going with a Horton on my Cummins when OEM quit. But the TDR/Cummins diesel forums suggested OEM is better. Not even sure if Horton still makes fans.
ChooChooMan74
Explorer
Nov 05, 2014
I had a viscous fan clutch on the libby, and after 2 failing to engage and causing high temps, I now run with a straight race fan. Luckily, the baby diesel doesnt turn a lot of RPM, but there is a noticeable "garbage truck" whirl. Just appreciate it working and not causing overheating issues.
BenK
Explorer
Nov 05, 2014
Silicone fluid fan clutch or electrically engaged?

Most fluid fan clutches fail 'open'...meaning they do NOT lock up and the max
lock up is 90% or so. Electric clutch is 100% locked (no slippage)

Most fluid coupled has a bi-metal strip wound into a circle that
is hooked up to the switch mechanism on the clutch

If electric, how is the temp sensed and what turns the clutch on?
jmtandem
Explorer II
Nov 05, 2014
There is no voltage in a fan clutch, purely mechanical.

The fan clutches on the diesels are viscous but also tied into the ECM.
Bedlam
Moderator
Nov 05, 2014
My Ford had an electric one. It could be triggered at different temperatures based on load and whether the air conditioning was on at the time.
DavidP
Explorer
Nov 05, 2014
Bedlam wrote:
I had the fan clutch fail to engage before but not stay stuck. Could you measure the voltage to the clutch to see if it is a sensor or mechanical problem?

There is no voltage in a fan clutch, purely mechanical.
Bedlam
Moderator
Nov 05, 2014
I had the fan clutch fail to engage before but not stay stuck. Could you measure the voltage to the clutch to see if it is a sensor or mechanical problem?
larry_barnhart
Explorer
Nov 05, 2014
During the cooler mornings here in Casa Grande az and we drive though the rv resort our truck's fan roars for a few minutes. We have had this truck since Dec 2004 so I still have to explain the reason for the noise every time.

Not good reason for me telling story but it is a truck not a Cadillac.

chevman