Engine fan running after engine shutdown

[Gnat]

Parked the vRS in the office (undercover) car park, shut down the engine, heard a constant noise, thought it must be someone elses car running.
Got out a minute later and realised the noise was coming from the cooling fan under my bonnet.
It kept running while I waited (~3 minutes) for it to stop, was slightly worried (welded contacts on a relay?). But couldnt wait any longer so went and disposed of my bag (thinking: gunna get a flat battery!).
Came back 5-10 minutes later, it had stopped.

Had my toy now for 6 months and its the first time I've ever noticed the fan. Bloody sure I would have heard it before because the noise is loudish.
I wasn't running the car any harder than normal on the way to the office and it was a cooler morning anyway.

Abnormal ??!!
If its by design, WTF would you run a fan instead of letting it cool naturally?

[dazag]

Mmm unsure why a TSI would be doing this, but it can be common with the TDI, as it usually means it was trying to do a DPF regen which causes the engine to run warmer then normal. Normally I will restart the car and let it run for a minute or so, enough for the engine to coolback to nromal temps.
Where you giving it hard time through traffic and didn't give it time to cool?? Remember once you turn it off the coolant no longer circulates so the cooler radiator fluid has to heat sync back to where the temp sensor is which is normally on the engine

[Scanners]

Had the exactly same thing happen to me a few months ago. I had been driving around for 15mins trying to find a carpark. When I finally found one, I locked the car and started walking away when I heard the noise coming from under the bonnet. I didn't know what was going on so I waited a few minutes and it went off.

As soon I got home I went to my number one site for Skoda information (this fourm) and I found a post from 2 years ago about it. Basically it is what Dazag said and the electric fan kicks in to cool the engine (maybe turbo) down.

After having a WRX a few years ago, it had a little sticker telling you to let the engine idle for a minute after hard or long driving. If I have been driving the Skoda for a while, I sit in it for a minute or so with the engine running to cool the turbo down.

Probably as I was running late on the night I described above and thinking I hadn't been driving it hard, I didn't wait when I turned the engine off, hence the fan running.

[K1W1]

If its by design, WTF would you run a fan instead of letting it cool naturally?

Because if you don't you would have cooked the turbo and the you'd be here complaining about a dead motor and a huge bill.
It's quite normal for turbo charged cars to have fans that will come on after the engine is turned off to force cooling because when the engine is turned off it actually continues to heat up for a period and there is no forced cooling through air flow or the cooling system. Turbo charged cars have had this feature since the early 1980's and the only new thing about it is that it's the first time it's happened to you.

[Transporter]

It also prevents the hot spots in the engine's cooling system. That feature is also on Honda and some other makes from at least 90' and they don't have to have the turbocharger.

[woofy]

I'm surprised you have never seen it especially in summer, on hot days mine does it every single day.

[barrenjoey owl]

Parked the vRS in the office (undercover) car park, shut down the engine, heard a constant noise, thought it must be someone elses car running.
Got out a minute later and realised the noise was coming from the cooling fan under my bonnet.
It kept running while I waited (~3 minutes) for it to stop, was slightly worried (welded contacts on a relay?). But couldnt wait any longer so went and disposed of my bag (thinking: gunna get a flat battery!).
Came back 5-10 minutes later, it had stopped.

Had my toy now for 6 months and its the first time I've ever noticed the fan. Bloody sure I would have heard it before because the noise is loudish.
I wasn't running the car any harder than normal on the way to the office and it was a cooler morning anyway.

Abnormal ??!!
If its by design, WTF would you run a fan instead of letting it cool naturally?

Even when you turn the motor off it continues to increase the tempreture of the motor. This is known as "Latent Heat" is is quite normal.

VW like most other European manufacturers has for more that 40 years have used intelligent fan driven cooling systems to manage and dispurse "Latent Heat". Its covered someware in your User Guide. More information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latent_heat

[ausspace87]

My RS did this for the first time the other day as well, it's definitely normal.

I didn't worry about it as most of my previous cars have also done this from time to time, although the fan does seem to stay on a lot longer in the Skoda compared to my Mazda.

[shakespeare]

Recently our Jetta TFSI did this and when I enquired at the following service about it, they ran some checks and found that the main thermatic fan had failed and that the secondary fan was running constantly trying to cool the engine. Had the main fan replaced and all is good now! The most my R or the Jetta runs the fan is approx 1-2 minutes after shutdown even on very hard runs, though I do let the motor cool by driving easy on the last km or so on the way home.

It'd be worth checking and if the fan is faulty get it replaced under warranty as it cost me about $600 out of warranty!

[brad]

When you turn off, there are several components that keep running depending on engine temp.
1) turbo cooling - almost always. It's either an electric oil pump or an electric water pump that circulates the fluid through the turbo to counteract the post shutdown temperature rise (due to no airflow through the engine bay).

2) radiator fans. These will run for up to 10 mins to mininimise engine bay temperatures - brilliant idea IMO as it makes plastics last longer. You won't flatten the battery unless the battery is on the way out anyway. This is why VWs run a huge mofo of a battery compared to (for instance) a Subaru Liberty. Even my '98 Golf Cabrio had the post-shutdown fan thing happening.

In light of Shakespeare's problem, wouldn't hurt to have it looked at or at a minimum, if you hear the fans running, check to see if both are working.

[dArK5HaD0w]

If its by design, WTF would you run a fan instead of letting it cool naturally?

cause u don't want to have to be dealing with a cracked turbo housing!!

if doesn't turn off at all, or as stated, after a couple of mins, then yes, go and get it checked.

[BlackSuperb]

cause u don't want to have to be dealing with a cracked turbo housing!!

if doesn't turn off at all, or as stated, after a couple of mins, then yes, go and get it checked.

More to do with lube oil in the turbo coking up and leaving carbon deposits thus wrecking your turbo's bearings and subsequent failure, then an impeller rub and then a cracked housing.

[Peter Jones]

It's normal.

My 1979 Golf does exactly the same thing.

My 2002 Bora does the same and even has an auxiliary electric water pump that runs on as well.

[jbviajero]

Mine does it some times. Some times I've lifted the bonnet after stopping to hear pumps whirring but no fans.
No one seems to have pointed out that you don't need to work the engine hard for this to happen. Being stuck in a traffic jam is just as likely to cause an engine to over heat. If you are thrashing your car - sure you are going to warm up the motor. But you are probably going fast too so get plenty of airflow and cooling through water and oil radiators / intercooler.
So the person driving around for 15 minutes looking for a car spot would fall into the warm engine from limited airflow category.
I had a CBR900RR for two years; the radiator only came on once (that I heard) in that time - in a nightmare traffic jam on a 42 degree day.

[Gnat]

Thanks guys, sounds semi normal.
But I still maintain I had not run the car hard that morning, or got stuck in abnormal traffic. I've run it FAR harder on many more occasions in the middle of a summer heat wave!
It hasnt happened since, but I'll have it checked at the next (first) service.

As for you guys and "fry ya Turbo", I think thats only valid if below is actually happening on the vRS. No point running a standard cooling fan if oil isn't actually flowing through the turbo!
.... or the turbo is only water cooled? hmmmm .... doesnt seem likely.

When you turn off, there are several components that keep running depending on engine temp.
1) turbo cooling - almost always. It's either an electric oil pump or an electric water pump .....

I might pop my bonnet a bit more often to see whats happenin ..........