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Fans staying on after car is shut off

///Audience

Ready to race!
I realize this is a common question with the answer being that it's a way for the motor to cool off after a hard run or a long drive in the heat.

My question is, what makes the engine decide to do this? I made my usual commute today and for the first time since owning the car (6 months), the fans stayed on when the engine was shut off. I knew this was a VW feature and thought little of it. 5 hours later, the engine has fully cooled down and I moved it from my parking lot inside my bay at work (100 feet and about 30 seconds of drive time). After shutting it off (temp gauge was showing low temps), the fans stayed on. I let it sit another hour, turned it on and turned it right off and the fans stayed on again. I then drove home in the rain (30 minute drive) and the fans are still on after car is shut off.

What is the protocol that tells the fans that they need to stay on?
 

VINNY1

Ready to race!
Something is wrong! In the summer 85°+ heat, and running hard, the fans will run for a couple of minutes, otherwise not at all.

BTW, I'm stage 2.
 

WAP

Go Kart Champion
Are you tuned?
 

///Audience

Ready to race!
yup, stage 2 uni. Ive also had two check engine lights on for a few weeks (all evap codes that the dealership refuses to mess with due to being tuned: p2400, p0444)
 

drewmtb1

Ready to race!
When my ecu failed I had the fan issue but they never turned off. They stayed on until they drained the battery. Have you tried a more mod friendly dealer to look into the evap codes? Have you tried clearing them? I don't think those codes are for the gas cap but that does throw an evap related code if it is lose.
 

2013R

Drag Race Newbie
your ECU fried. and i saw another post today on that topic too.. man we are dropping like flies..

welcome to a $1600 bill or so. especially since the dealer knows you are tuned.
 

roddyc

Passed Driver's Ed
Mine run occasionally if I've run hard and let the car idle for a little bit before shutting it off.

From reading around, it seems that the fans always on could be an ECU issue if you've been tuned before. Apparently if the ECU isn't resealed properly after being opened, moisture could be introduced and short the ECU causing the fans to run constantly. I'd probably try to start with the shop that originally tuned you.
 

DSR7

Ready to race!
...whoa.

Wait. The GTI's fan is supposed to run after the engine is turned off on hot days/excessive heat?

My new '13 has never done that. Ever. My wife's Tiguan does, but I figured it was only a feature on her model.

Crap.
 
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WAP

Go Kart Champion
^Yes, but you have to run it HARD to get them to stay on.
 

zerocal

Passed Driver's Ed
Welcome to the "fan" club.... no pun intended.

My fans started doing the same and same codes were pulled. The dealer replaced the fans under warranty, but turned out to be the ECU.

Working with my dealer and Uni, I was able to get another ECU (tuned) and was back on track. So 99% sure something hardware wise is wrong with your ECU and it needs to get replaced.

Keffer VW has the lowest price on the net about 850 and the dealer will charge about 350 for install and flash.

good luck
 
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