I got this Flex-A-Lite fan a while back because it's supposed to be one of the best fans for the SR/Koyo combination.
I got the FLX-150 with a built-in thermostat. It's a 15" unit and flows approx 2850CFM. It's supposed to be one BAD mother (and the price reflects that). I bolted it up to my Koyo and wired it up. My immediate opinion on the fan. The wiring directions SUUUUUUUUUCK. I deciphered their diagram and came up with 3 combinations. One, once the ignition was turned on once, it would stay on all the time. Even with the engine off, keys out. The other one would make the car run all the time. Even taking the keys out (and yes the turbo timer was off). The third made the fan on all the time when the car was on. By this time I was so tired of working on the wiring, so I just said screw it and went with it. On with the ignition is ok with me. Secured all the wires, and let it be. (I never did get the thermostat probe working).
Happy customer.
Fast Forward 3 months. Drift Day 8; Irwindale, CA. 10/19/03
Drifting starts at 9. After a couple laps, I hit the donut cones. Did those a few times, and went back to the pits to check on stuff, pulled in and let the turbo timer keep the car running for like 4 minutes to let it cool down. I came back about 10 minutes later and turned the car back on (about 10AM by now). My water temps immediately shot up to almost 110C. Something was very very wrong, and there was a godawful smell coming from my engine bay. So I'm trying to figure what the hell was going on, when I notice my voltmeter and engine RPM's dropping like a rock every 10 seconds or so. Then I checked out the fan. It wasn't turning, and every 10 seconds it looked like it was trying to turn but wasn't. So we (me & one of phase2crew <3 phase2) figured the relay died, went to radio shack and got a 12V relay and were going to bypass the fan relay with this new relay. Well we get back and start wiring and notice this grease crap at the bottom of the shroud. It also appeared to be the source of the smell. So I spun the fan and after a couple turns it locked up. After that it was not turning well at all. So we tried to get it to spin normally for about 30 minutes, but without specialized tools, we were screwed. At about noon, we gave up, and I called a tow truck (there was an uphill part of the drive home that it wouldn't have made without active cooling, with the heat in socal). So I missed out on 7 and a half hours of drifting that I paid for, learned almost nothing, and left very pissed off.
Fast Forward to 10/20/03.Email Flex-A-Lite; "my fan seized up, where do we go from here?"I get an email later that evening to fax in my receipt, which I do. I get an email about 10 minutes after I faxed it in that they would be sending me a new motor the next morning.
Fast Forward to 10/23/03.Motor arrived today. It is obviously a different unit. Took about 20 minutes to swap it out, thanks to the instructions (luckily better than their wiring instructions), and I'm going to put it back in probably tomorrow.
So basically, I'm not happy at all with the quality of their fans, but at least their customer service is good. I wonder if they have had problems with this motor before, given that they didn't ask any questions except proof that I had bought it. They didn't even ask for the old motor back. And the fact that the motor is very obviously different than the original one that came with it. I'm going to give this new motor a try, and I will report back if it breaks again.
If you were looking into this fan, if I were you, when you get the fan, just email them and tell them that the motor died and keep the spare around for when the motor fails. If it breaks on your way to work, sure it might suck, but nothing will piss you off more than when it breaks when you most need it. Oh and bypass the ignition relay that comes with it. Go to Radio Shack and pick up a 6 dollar relay. Much, MUCH easier.
I'm still pissed off about the DD8 thing though. Grrr.
Flex-A-Lite & Me (Review-ish)
wow that really sux! are u sure you wired in a correct way? hehe when i read that they said they were sending a new motor out the next day i thought u meant they mistakened that ur engine blew due to the fan failing and they were sending a new SR to you! then i read on. my suggestion: if your not real good with wiring id bring it to somebody that really knows what they're doing so u dont have to go through that again
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BuudWeizErr
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- Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2002 11:35 am
TurboKA37 wrote:wow that really sux! are u sure you wired in a correct way? hehe when i read that they said they were sending a new motor out the next day i thought u meant they mistakened that ur engine blew due to the fan failing and they were sending a new SR to you! then i read on. my suggestion: if your not real good with wiring id bring it to somebody that really knows what they're doing so u dont have to go through that again
There are only 5 terminals, with 1 that is for something else, forget what exactly. The wiring is not hard at all, their diagram just sucks and it doesn't seem to do what it's supposed to. I had one of the phase2crew look at it when it was running with the ignition on all the time and he said it was right, and that the probe was bad or something.
I don't know, all I know is that I will not be using their relay anymore.
EDIT: Here is my thread on Zilvia, 8-5-03. I had it in the car for just over 2 months.http://www.zilvia.net/f/showth...33945
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BuudWeizErr
- Posts: 4745
- Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2002 11:35 am
Good write up, I like the dates and documentation. I plan on running the flex a lite when I upgrade to the koyo.
Right now I am running a DSM radiator with their duel electric fans. I have a 12V relay from the fuel pump, so that they are always on.
I have only ran a little hot after running some laps on the track, but I think I will try flushing out the radiator first, and using some better coolant. Since the radiator came from a car that was sitting for a few years.
Thanks for the heads up,
Right now I am running a DSM radiator with their duel electric fans. I have a 12V relay from the fuel pump, so that they are always on.
I have only ran a little hot after running some laps on the track, but I think I will try flushing out the radiator first, and using some better coolant. Since the radiator came from a car that was sitting for a few years.
Thanks for the heads up,