>>
>>Hopefully someone out there can help me with this one.  Each year
>>my '83 vanagon's (water cooled) front heater fan burns out.  First,
>>it makes a lot of noise and runs intermittently for awhile.  At $155
>>for parts plus $44-88 labor this has gone on long enough.  I've
>>replaced it around 5 or six times and everyone tells me that the fans
>>(VW) are no good!  Recent information has come my way that there may
>>be a wiring problem with the van or a resister problem.  Any comments 
>>would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>>Steve
>>
Steve:

Obviously your cooling fan overworked.

First of all, the cooling fan should not come on very often. If your fan
came on very often and came on for a prolonged time then either your engine
has been over heating or your temp sensor has been too sensitive. If the fan
did get turned on too often and for too long it is likely to overwork its
way to destruction, burnt brushes or windings. The cooling fan on my 83
vanagon seems never turned on except occasionally in a traffic jam.

The 2nd possibility is that you indeed have a wiring problem. There are 2 set
of sensors for the cooling fan. One turns on the fan at a lower temp and
there is a current limiting resister to limit the fan to spin at a slower
rpm. The 2nd sensor kicks in at a higher temp and turns on the fan without
the current limiting resister. Should the first sensor failed to turn on
the fan the 2nd would cause the fan to work extra hard to cool the engine off.
The fan will overwork if the 2nd sensor is always kicked in.

Goog luck.

David Kao