Mitsubishi Repair: Hopefully you can help me..Plymouth laser AWD Turbo.., engine coolant, mitsubishi eclipse

Question
Hey, I have a 92' Plymouth laser AWD, Turbo, Manual, 2.0, 15k miles.. The Cooling Fans do not turn on. It can be running for a short time and the engine will still be hot after an hour or more of sitting. I've asked around and nobody seems to know.. I've heard its a relative to the Mitsubishi Eclipse's and Eagle Talon's why I'm asking here..

Thanks!

Answer
Sarah,
Most engines will remain hot/warm for an hour or two after being turned off.  Your Laser is no exception, especially being a turbo engine.  Your engine will get hot very quickly, even when only driving a couple miles.

Your car should have 2 fans attached to the radiator.  One of them (I believe the one on the drivers side) will only come on when the air conditioner is turned on.  With your engine running, turn your A/C on max.  Both fans should turn on.  If they both do not turn on, then you either have a problem with your fan motors, the connection harness at the fans, or the relays that provide power to the fans.  

If your A/C is not turned on, only a single fan will ever turn on.  And this fan will only turn on when the engine reaches a certain temperature.  The test here is to drive about 3-5 miles so your engine temperature reaches normal operating temp, park your car and leave the engine running.  Your temperature gauge on your dashboard should show the needle around the middle. Open the hood and wait for about 5-10 minutes to see if the fan comes on.  If your fan comes on, you have no problem.  If your temp gauge shows the needle far below the middle, then your problem may be that your thermostat is stuck open and your engine coolant is never reaching normal operating temp.  Hence, your fan would not come on.

If your fan does NOT turn on in the above situation when the engine is warm, then you may have a problem with the radiator water temperature sensor.  This is a little sensor on the bottom of the radiator that monitors the temperature of the coolant.  When the coolant reaches about 180 degrees F, it allows power to get to the fan and makes it turn on.  You should have your mechanic check that sensor and the power relays that control it.

Good luck!