A cooling fan is an integral part of the cooling system of your car. If it goes out, you can overheat your engine and cause severe damage. Fixing the cooling fan motor on a Honda Civic can be pretty easy, but it does require a little extra effort to maneuver everything correctly in the engine bay. When done correctly, this job should take about an hour.
Make sure the engine of the vehicle is cool to the touch. Then open the draincock on the bottom of the radiator and drain the coolant into the bucket. When the coolant is done draining, close the draincock.
Unscrew the upper radiator hose at the radiator using a screwdriver. Remove the hose and push it back to the side.
Disconnect the wiring harness that leads to the fan motor using your hands. If you need to, use the screwdriver to open up the clip and pop it off.
Remove the bolts that hold on the fan shroud using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket.
Remove the fan shroud and fan motor as one piece using your hands.
Unbolt the fan and fan motor from the shroud using the 3/8-inch ratchet and sockets.
Install the fan onto the replacement fan motor, making sure to note the proper orientation. Then replace the assembly in the fan shroud.
Mount the fan shroud assembly onto the radiator using the stock hardware and the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket. Reconnect the wiring at this time as well.
Reattach the upper radiator hose using the screwdriver.
Fill the radiator with a 50-50 mixture of coolant and distilled water. Close the radiator cap.
