[bbach]

imported post

I've never noticed this before and wonder if it is even anything to worry about. Riding on a hot day this weekend, downtown, when I slowed to a stop light, I would hear two chirps, like a little bird, then the cooling fan would kick on. I have never noticed this before. In fact, I have ridden about 4,000 miles this year and don't recall the cooling fan kicking on at all.

I just changed oil to a Honda full synthetic. The heat gauge is under half where it's always been. I don't know if the synthetic oil changes anything. It seems to make no difference at all good or bad.

So when I got home, the cooling fan was running like crazy. I pulled into the garage, shut it off, let the fan come to a complete stop, and started it back up. There were two chirps, like an intentional notification, and the fan kicked on again. Why I suddenly have the cooling fan kicking on and have never noticed it before is weird enough, but the two chirps surprised me.

Any insite into this from anyone?

 

[GWEddie]

imported post

Does the chirping sound like a dry fan bearing as the fans startup? The fans are not easy to access but if you could spray some lube in there it might quiet them down.

 

[DaveO430]

imported post

I would look for something foreign in the fan shrouds.

 

[bbach]

imported post

Yea, some sort of rubbing was my first thought. However, the chirp is so well defined, like the chirp you get from locking your car with a key fob, but not as loud. Two chirps and done like some sort of notification. I'm finding it interesting that the cooling fan is running at high speeds now just after switching to a 10/30 full synthetic on the advice of the Honda service dept here. I should have just stuck with a good 10/40. Why did I try fix whatwasn'tbroken? I might be changing the oil again here real soon.

 

[DaveO430]

imported post

Never heard of any audible signal for the cooling system. Did the dealer do the oil change? I doubt changing to any oil could affect the cooling to any noticeable degree.

 

[bbach]

imported post

Actually found out that the chirps are normal.
"That chirp is perfectly normal, just the fan motors kicking in. The reason there are two chirps is that to reduce the sudden current draw the ECU switches one fan on slightly before the other one."
I'm beginning to think that this might be the first time I actually rode for quite a while at slow in town speeds on a really hot day. Maybe what was happening was just me noticing something normal for the first time. Usually, while I might ride around town a bit, I make it a point to hit the highway and quite frankly, I've never even heard my cooling fans kicking on before.
Thanks for all the responses.