Nissan Repair: 1996 nissan sentra gxe cooling fan

Question
the cooling fans are not functioning and car is overheating- they were functioning 2 days ago- what are troubleshooting tips for these electric fans?

Answer
Hi John -

Hopefully you have some type of 12V circuit tester, preferably a light type. You can save a lot of time by first checking if you have power to the fans.

Run the car until operating temperature. Just before it overheats, check power to the fans. If there is power, then the fan  motor(s) need replacing.

If there is no power, then it could be the following, in order of probability:

Fuse - Black box on fenderwell where large circuits are. There should be fuses and relays.
Sensor switch - Should be on or near the thermostat housing
Relay
Faulty wiring

If you have some familiarity of how to trace wiring, this is the time to do it, starting from the fan motors back, you can follow the power until there is none, and you will find the defective component.

Hope this helps -
aloha
Calvin