Locate the fan relay, and take it's cover off.  You can then reach down
and squeeze it shut by hand to see if things are functioning correctly.
This plus an increase in idle speed can keep the coolant temp closer
to the middle if stuck in traffic or something.

I think the radiator is a big factor here as well.  Mine is getting old 
and has already been "rodded out" once.  Too much crud collected over
the years/miles. 

- Frank
 
 >Some fans will run with the ignition switched off.  Other vehicle
 >manufacturers wire the fan to be able to run whether or not the ignition is on
 >or off.  Check the fan blades to see that they aren't jammed.  You can test
 >the fan itself by disconnecting it from the wiring harness and applying 12
 >volts directly.
 >
 >The electric cooling fan is usually powered through two temperature controlled
 >switches, a "slow" speed and a "high" speed.  The slow speed puts a dropping
 >resistor in series with the fan ( mybe around 0.5 Ohms???).   The resistor is
 >physically large, about 1/2" square and a couple of inches long, and the
 >outside surface is a rough ceramic material.   The high speed switch is direct
 >full battery voltage.  In some cases the resistor fails (typically "open"). 
 >Otherwise it is usually the switch. 
 >
 >These switches are usually screwed into the side tank of the radiator and have
 >2 leads each.  The fan should come on if you short the two terminals of the
 >switch together.  They are typically about 5/8" in diameter with flats for a
 >wrench , and have flat 1/4" male spade terminals on the top.
 >
 >Harvey
 >

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Frank Terhaar-Yonkers	
High Performance Computing and Communications Research
MCNC
PO Box 12889	3021 Cornwallis Road
Research Triangle Park,  North Carolina  27709-2889
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