I have an 02' sport 3.5, it has an electric fan in front of the radiator and a mechanical fan on the engine. Lately i've been smelling some coolant, but no leaks, and I noticed the electric fan does'nt come on. Does anyone know what temp. that fan should kick on, is there a fuse for it, do I need it, Temp gauge reads in the middle , has not changed. I just bought this truck and am trying to figure it all out.

 

the fan you are mistaking to be for your radiator is actually for your a/c condensor. looks like a smaller radiator with a small fan on the front of it to push air across the fins and then across the fins of the radiator. your manual fan should always work if not there will be some clutch slipping. as far as your coolant smell, try a leak detector kit with ultraviolet dye and flashlight and glasses to see where it leaks of just look around with it running and up to temp. most likely a small leak, maybe around the water pump, the thermostat housing and dont forget the little hoses going thru your throttle body. but check the electric fan, let the car warm up, kick your ac onto cold and go watch for it to kick on, if it doesnt then track down the relay in your fuse box and check it to make sure its working properly.

 

And to 98's cogent comments I'll just add that picking up a manual for your new toy will help you immensely in trying to figure it all out ....

As for your fuse question, yes, there is are fuses for this in your main fuse block in your left engine compartment. Fuse 3 is a 25amp fuse that traces to your condenser blower motor by way of a blue/white wire. Fuse 2 is a 10amp job that traces to your AC clutch relay by way of a black/red wire.

 

mothman, i think the only manuals you can get for 98-04 is a shop manual in 3 volumes for around 100-200$, they dont make a chilton or haynes manual for those years

 

98, Looks like you are right about the Sport model manual's unavailability; you can, however, get a Haynes for the straight Montero for those years for $39.95, and they do share many of the same systems which should prove helpful in troubleshooting nevertheless.

http://www.books4cars.com/listings.p...ar=2000&type=%

They do carry a Mitsubishi Sport official shop manual for $149.95 here:

http://www.books4cars.com/listings.p...ar=2000&type=%

Pricey, I realize, but if you're serious about keeping your ride running for a long time, it's a wise investment, I think. Of course, you can also find downloads of the shop manual for free and download the chapters as you need them as some folks do here on the forum.

Wonder what jrudolph's coolant smell will turn out to be?