Chrysler Repair: cooling fans energize spontaneously: 05 T&C, plug interface, pin wire

Question
In the dead of winter my cooling fan will turn on and drain my battery.  I pulled the fan fuse to keep that from happening. Would it be a relay? And if so where is it located??  This is on a 2005 town and country touring   Thanks

Answer
Hi Trent,
It is likely the relay, but it also could be the wire that actuates the relay coil is shorting to a 12v source. The relay is located on the front bumper reinforcement, just in front of the radiator. It is riveted to the reinforcement for mechanical connection so as to dissipate heat that is generated by the relay. You remove the radiator upper crossmember to gain access to the relay.
Before changing out the relay however I would check to be sure that you don't have a false 12v supply to the relay actuation coil. If you look on the back side of the power distribution box where you found fuse 27 which powers through the relay to the fan motors, you will see a green plug directly under fuse 27's location. On that plug at pin 1 there is dark blue/violet wire that comes from the powertrain computer and which should normally have no voltage on it when the ignition is off. So when the fans start up spontaneously (after you reinsert the fan fuse #27 and wait for the malfunction to occur) if you will at that time put a fine straight pin into the #1 pin wire/plug interface so as to reach the internal conductor of the wire and then use a voltmeter or glow light whose other probe is grounded to determine the presence or absence of 12v you will have your answer. If it is 'cold' (no voltage present) then the relay has closed on it own initiative and must be replaced. If however you find some voltage to be present then there is a short circuit to voltage on that wire which originiates at pin 6 of the third plug (black exterior/natural color interior) of the pcm and you would need to follow up on that.
I suspect the relay, but rather than investing in that and replacing it without checking out the alternative possibility, I would recommend you do the voltage test.
Roland
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