What is the lifespan of a car fan?
2 Answers
Higher rotation speeds lead to greater wear and affect lifespan. Generally, factory-installed fans can last about 5 years without issues. Below are related details: 1. Axial Fan: An axial fan's blades push air in the same direction as the axis. The impeller of an axial fan resembles a propeller, with most airflow moving parallel to the axis during operation—in other words, along the axial direction. 2. Centrifugal Fan: A centrifugal fan works by pushing air in a direction perpendicular to the axis (i.e., radially). Air intake is along the axis, while exhaust is perpendicular to the axis. In most cases, an axial fan can achieve sufficient cooling. However, when airflow needs to rotate 90 degrees for exhaust or higher air pressure is required, a centrifugal fan must be used.
In my over 20 years of driving experience, I've found that car fans generally last about 7 to 10 years or up to 150,000 kilometers, but this number is quite broad—it really depends on how you use them. If you're constantly navigating congested city streets, the fan is always busy cooling, which can wear out the blades and motor faster. However, if you do more highway driving, it's relatively less strained. Once, I forgot to clean it regularly, and the fan got clogged with dust, causing the engine temperature warning light to flash—it almost led to an overheating failure. So now, I recommend car owners to do a simple check on the cleanliness of the fan cover every six months, along with ensuring the wiring connections are secure. After all, if the fan fails, the entire cooling system of the car could break down, leading to time-consuming and costly repairs. Prevention is always cheaper than repairs.
