Replacing the electric fan on a Jeep Cherokee

Replacing the electric fan on a Jeep Cherokee

It is funny what wears out after 340,000 miles. The electric fan on my XJ has been making a noise all summer. I can always tell when the AC compressor kicks in because the fan is so noisy.

When the Freon got low and I needed to top it up, I really did not want to listen to the noisy fan while I waited for the can to empty. So I looked around at the parts Jeeps and found one with a good fan.

All I had to do to remove it was remove the two 8mm headed bolts at the top, disconnect the wire and lift it off the locating tabs. To reinstall it in my Jeep, I first disconnected the radiator overflow hose to make it easier to slip into place. One side of the fan is wider than the other and you have to warp it just a bit to get it to slip in and lock the tabs at the bottom. After a couple of tries, I got it to slip into place properly.

I tightened up the bolts, put the hose back on and connected the wire. When I turned on the AC again, it was much quieter.

If you are buying a new fan to replace yours, look into the later model fan with the curved blades. These drop right in place in your older Jeep. They are supposed to flow more air and run quieter.