Community Forums

Starxd · 10-19-2015, 09:32 AM

The fan clutch is definitely a Freightliner part. The manufacturer of the clutch is Horton, but when the motor home manufacturer receives the chassis from Freightliner, that fan and clutch are there. When I had mine replaced at the Cummins shop in Calgary, AB (due to my ignorance about what company was responsible for it), they had to order the replacement from Freightliner.

Additionally, when we were going through trying to find a solution when the clutch we replaced in Canada failed again in Arizona, we stopped in to a Freightliner shop in AZ and talked to the manager of the Custom Chassis (RV Specialty) shop, and he listened to our explanation and immediately replied that it was our fan clutch, that they would have to replace it, and how much it would cost. (Needless to say, given our experience we beat feet out of there.)

Slateous · 10-19-2015, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver007

Is the fan clutch a Freightliner or Cummins part? I ask because when I go on Access Freightliner I cannot find the part. Maybe class action needs to be taken against Cummins? I don't know but would like to.

I'm not sure FL or Cummings. My repair paperwork is in the RV. It may have a part # for reference. I'm taking it out this weekend & will look & let you know. FL service bullitan 3737 says to me they sure know there's a problem.

KarenS144 · 10-20-2015, 05:12 AM

Freightliner. We had ours replaced last fall. It was replaced by FL under warranty.

paddler54 · 12-18-2015, 08:07 PM

We were just leaving Savannah heading to Jacksonville when the loud "Over Heating" buzzer sounded. Pulled off to the side of the interstate and walked around to the back of the coach expecting to see anti-freeze all over my toad... no anti-freeze and no air flow from the radiator. I shut the motor off for a minute, then re-started, temperature gauge quickly moves back into normal range.

We made it to Jacksonville and returned home (380 miles) without a problem. So my question to those of you who have had the Clutch Fan intermittent failure. Will my local Freightliner Service Center be able to diagnose the problem using SS3737 if it has only failed once? Do I need to drive some more to increase the rate of failures? My coach is an 2008, ISB 6.7, with 39k on the clock.

Paladin76063 · 12-19-2015, 07:36 AM

Hey Paddler 54;

The problem with intermittent failures is that you don't decide when they fail. The fan clutch is a fairly complicated sub-system. Randy is right, it is a Freightliner part and in my opinion, should be recalled. I went to the NTSA site and complained about it and asked them to consider a recall; I encourage everyone reading this to do the same.

I found that it's easy, for me, to determine if the fan is operating: standing at the back of my coach, when the fan is on it blows a massive amount of air through the radiator, you can hear it and feel it. If the engine has been on for a while and you can't sense the noise and air, it's probably acting up. My fan went out at about 15K and I had the local Freightliner dealer replace it. I'm headed to Orlando next month and I hope the new fan operates as advertised. If not, Freightliner and I will become a lot more familiar with each other.

hawgguy · 12-19-2015, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paddler54

So my question to those of you who have had the Clutch Fan intermittent failure. Will my local Freightliner Service Center be able to diagnose the problem using SS3737 if it has only failed once?

This is common enough that if you describe the problem as above they should be able to diagnose & fix it. I wouldn't wait for it to completely fail.

Slateous · 12-19-2015, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paddler54

We were just leaving Savannah heading to Jacksonville when the loud "Over Heating" buzzer sounded. Pulled off to the side of the interstate and walked around to the back of the coach expecting to see anti-freeze all over my toad... no anti-freeze and no air flow from the radiator. I shut the motor off for a minute, then re-started, temperature gauge quickly moves back into normal range.

We made it to Jacksonville and returned home (380 miles) without a problem. So my question to those of you who have had the Clutch Fan intermittent failure. Will my local Freightliner Service Center be able to diagnose the problem using SS3737 if it has only failed once? Do I need to drive some more to increase the rate of failures? My coach is an 2008, ISB 6.7, with 39k on the clock.

Mine failed over 20 times before I figured it out. Freightliner diagnosis could not find the problem. They put something called a guard dog on it. Overheated on test drive and blew the water pump too! Just tell them to replace the darn thing.

lindenengine · 12-19-2015, 03:11 PM

Guys
I hear what you are writing about and agree but with caveat.
Make sure the radiator/condenser/ heat exchangers are not plugged up with external dirt or bugs and such things as grasshopper guts.

In short it can't cool if it can reject heat!

Having run a fleet of 1500 buses in Iraq in another life where it really gets hot its the first remedial repair call; clean it.
Dawn dish liquid works great!
Just spray on both sides let it soak then re-apply, then use a garden hose to loosen it (dirt) without bending the fins.
Seasons greetings
Dennis

f14av8r · 12-20-2015, 06:31 AM

Hi Everyone,
No need to wait for the fan clutch to fail completely. If you have even one overheating event such as those described here, have your dealer execute the troubleshooting procedure in Freightliner Service Bulletin 3737. It should identify the problem even on a "weak" fan clutch that hasn't given up completely. That's what it's designed to do since, as you've probably discovered, this intermittent problem is VERY difficult to catch in it's failure mode.
Best regards,
Randy

Starxd · 12-21-2015, 11:47 PM

I can identify with everyone who has posted their experiences with this fan, and I still stand by my decision nearly a year ago now to replace the failure-prone electronic hub fan with a direct drive Super Fan. I have logged thousands of miles since and have had no decrease, and in most cases a modest increase in fuel economy due to the markedly reduced drag on the engine. And I still can feel a slight increase in applied power to the wheels due to the lesser power demand of the lighter fan. So my advise - at the first sign of trouble with this worthless fan, cut to the chase and replace it with a simple direct drive fan. (Just remember to leave the fan ECM plugged into the fan harness to fool the main ECM into thinking the old fan is still there, or you'll get a "Check Engine" light.

paddler54 · 12-24-2015, 05:04 AM

Yesterday, I drove over to my local Freightliner service center and scheduled a service appointment. While there I mentioned the Freightliner Service Solution 3737 and got blank stares. One gentleman said he'd look it up but later said he couldn't find it. Anyone have a copy of this bulletin? I'm in need of that warm fuzzy feeling!

Starxd · 12-25-2015, 12:25 AM

All I can say is, if Service Bulletin 3737 pertains to replacing one trot line weight of a viscous drive electronic fan with another of the same make and model, I would run, not walk to the nearest trustworthy mechanic who would install an aftermarket direct drive fan in its place. Take it from someone who did have the stock fan replaced with the same model, only to have it fail again less than 2 years later

Slateous · 12-25-2015, 12:27 AM

Paddler,
I don't think the bullitan is available to the public. My FL service group told me to call the customer service # to seek financial support. They knew all about 3737 & eventually picked up 50% of the cost even though I was out of warranty. FL corporate does require them to go through a lot of checks & diagnostics before they will authorize the new fan clutch which increases the labor costs. My own humble opinion is it's cheaper to skip the process and just have them replace the clutch. My quote was $800. After 3737 it was no where near that. Hang in there and good luck.

paddler54 · 12-25-2015, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starxd

All I can say is, if Service Bulletin 3737 pertains to replacing one trot line weight of a viscous drive electronic fan with another of the same make and model, I would run, not walk to the nearest trustworthy mechanic who would install an aftermarket direct drive fan in its place. Take it from someone who did have the stock fan replaced with the same model, only to have it fail again less than 2 years later

Thanks for your recommendation. I have an extended warranty on my rig so I will have to do a factory replacement. I was planning to do a belts, hoses, radiator, fuel filters and transmission service in February. So having the insurance pick up a portion of the tear down cost is icing on the cake.