stlgrym3

iTrader: (4)

during stop and go heavy traffic, radiator fan turns on every 5 min, runs for about 30 secs then shuts off. i've been taking the same route since i bought this car 5 years ago, and did not notice this turns on as often as it does now. i brought this up to my service advisor during last service visit, they checked and said everything's normal.

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

How many miles? Did you check the coolant level?

Mrfix

The dealer probably checked the coolant level and tested it, if they even did that. That's why it's important to learn how to take care of your own car so you stop getting ripped off at Lexus.

Here are some things you can check yourself.

Your fan is running because the coolant in the radiator is taking longer to cool. Point 2 is what I think is wrong.

1. Check your Radiator fins and look at the airflow from the front of the vehicle. Your Radiator fins might be very dirty (bugs, dust, road grime, etc) and needs to be cleaned. I can't remember if the AC Condenser (a little Radiator for the AC) is in front of the Radiator or behind it. If it is in front of the Radiator it too can be clogged and not allowing air flow through to your radiator fins. So check the outside of the Radiator Fins etc to make sure they are clean and there is nothing obstructing airflow. You could always go to a spray wash and use the degrease setting from the outside facing side and then the inward facing side. Then rinse it gently. Be careful and don't use the full force because you will bend your Radiator fins flat and require a new Radiator.

2. Your Coolant might test fine (this is all the dealership probably did), but your radiator itself is plugged or starting to plug with junk. You might want to get it flushed. It isn't very hard to flush the Radiator and if you have the desire you can look up on Youtube how to do it. Over time the radiator will start to plug and get junk in the little tubes between all the fins and this will obstruct the coolant from running through efficiently so your fan will have to come on more to help cool the radiator fluid.

3. If you want to keep the car a long time still just get a new Radiator and install it. It is an easy job and the radiator shouldn't cost more than $100 for a OEM Denso from Rockauto.

EDIT: I forgot to mention the first thing you need to do is make sure both fans are spinning. You have a double electric fan. If one of the fans is not spinning than there is the reason your fan is coming on more. Sometimes a fan can fail or the connection may have come loose to one of them. Start the car let it warm up and wait for the fans to come on to see if both spin up.

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Ever had your water pump replaced?

Tyler1004

Did you get it fixed?

HankMoody

Possibly thermostat sticking as well.

MikeyK02

iTrader: (7)

possibly your seat cooler/heater fans too

stlgrym3

iTrader: (4)

yep, it was replaced during this recent visit. i was hoping it would solve the fan issue, but it's still coming on during stop and go traffic.

stlgrym3

iTrader: (4)

i noticed my 2004 Accord V6 had the same issue when the car was brand new, and according to Honda dealer tech that's perfectly normal. but this was the first time i noticed it in my Lexus

Mrfix

So you still haven't done any trouble shooting?

Here's a fix for you. Turn the volume up on the radio a little more until you don't hear the fan coming on.

If there is a problem, you'll find out eventually.

Solara350

My 2012 IS350 AWD does the same thing, 100% normal. Don't argue me it was like that sinced 2012 i bought the car new.

Viktimize

If you just had work done on the system, then the most likely culprit is a little air still stuck in the system.

Thermostat is like 15$. Personally I would change it just for good measure if I thought the system was underperforming compared to prior.

A 2011 car with calcified radiator seems pretty unlikely, but anything is possible.

CharonRega

I would have guessed water pump too but since you had that replaced... All of the other fixes people have suggested here seem like they could work and are super cheap (free in some of the DIY suggestions) so you might as well throw it all at the wall and see what sticks.

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Since the WP was already replaced, check to see if the radiator cap is still good. I've heard some members posting about theirs falling apart while on the car.

Viktimize

only thing is a bad rad cap wouldn't give you poor cooling system performance. It would just cause your coolant to boil over.