Up until a few days ago my cooling fan had the problem of not ever shutting off even after the car was switched off. I replaced the radiator cooling fan relay (by the battery) and this did not solve the problem. I ordered a new one for the dash but it seems to be the wrong relay that arrived. (Also, if anyone has a map of the relays behind the fuse panel that would be much appreciated.) While driving two days ago, the fan switched off and has not gone on since. I can't seem to get it to turn on even after swapping between the two cooling fan relays I have. Also, I've read that my car should only need this fan while using the AC or in extremely hot driving conditions. My car is overheating after 20 minutes of driving in normal conditions. Lastly, when I popped the hood today to inspect the fan I noticed coolant on the passenger side of the engine just below the seal... (I think that's the head gasket?) The coolant level had not however diminished to my knowledge and was just below the maximum line. I had the timing belt replaced and the engine seals basically overhauled less than 4 months ago so I'm hoping this is not a blown head gasket... I can't really drive the car now without having to worry about the overheating so any help would be appreciated. The fan is not stuck and I can spin it by hand. Also, when I unplug the fan and plug it back in there is a clicking noise that seems to indicate that it is getting power. Help?

1992 Volvo 740 Wagon

For info regarding relay locations, layouts, etc., consult 700-900 FAQ in drop-down box in upper right corner of the Brickboard home page. There's pretty full coverage of the topic therein.

The constant running could have worn out the fan. The coolant on the pasenger side could be coming from the water pump. Try connecting the fan directly to the battery to see if it works. Could have a plugged radiator or stuck thermostat. Although the overheating could have been going on for a while causing the fan to run all the time until it finally wore out.

The coolant temp sensor in the radiator may be faulty, or not connected to the wire properly, thus no fan action.

You may be overheating because of a stuck-closed thermostadt, or the water pump is not circulating the coolant properly. I'd go for the thermostadt first - cheap and easy to replace.