AC and radiator cooling fans not working 88T/C

July 25, 2015, 10:35:46 AM

1988 Turbo Coupe 5 speed standard, 62000 miles, owned 26 years. Last year when I put the Turbo Coupe up for the winter I decided 2015 would be the year to address "gauge fluctuation" which has been a minor frustration I have put up with for all of the 26 years I've owned this car. At any rate last week I pulled the cover, she's clean! Put the battery in, she fires up like she always has. She was fully serviced before she was parked last fall but I check everything anyway. I dial in the AC, standard type, not electronic climate control like my '93, and the AC doesn't start. I then notice the cooling fans, neither the small primary nor the larger secondary, are working. Coolant temp at the engine outlet reaches 215 degrees then 225 degrees still no fans. Hot wire the fans, after the car cools; fans work. AC clutch kicks in on queue but no cold air happens. Gauge fluctuation now takes a back seat to the new issues. This is outside the realm of my mechanical expertise, there are no such issues in my Flatheads and my Model T's so I spoke then to several folks I know in the mechanical trade and there are some interesting opinions. I spoke to two separate Service Managers at two Ford dealerships neither could see any correlation between fan and AC operation. One guy suggested "it's an old car that should have been put to rest a long time ago". I won't tell you where that conversation went. Anyone out there in "Fox" land have some suggestions other than "put to rest"? (As an aside, I know the instrument voltage regulator behind the dash doesn't seem to resolve the gauge thing because I've changed at least four of them over time.) Lots of questions I know but this is my absolute favourite car of all the late model cars I've owned. The antiques are another story!! Thanks in advance folks.