fan/grille controller

[miket]

I plan on building a louvered grille block with 2 actuated zones and installing an electric fan in my tundra.

I wonder if i should use the extra pins on the obduino i'm building to control it. Also i wonder if i should use a temp probe through the radiator or the obd coolant temperature reading.

My plan is for 4 increasing temperatures to, open the upper grille area, open the lower grille area, turn the fan on low, turn the fan on high.
I bought a used variable speed fan controller that has a temp probe and turns the fan on 60% at the set temp and ramps smoothly up to 100% over +10deg. Now I'm wondering if I should ditch that and use relays and control the fan with the grille controller. The used fan i bought has 3 pins for a high speed and a low speed so variable speed is nice but not necessary.

[Daox]

I like the idea, but I think its overly complex. Why not just have one grill opening? Open it up a bit before the fan turns on, close it when it approaches the thermostat temperature.

I'm also not sure there is much advantage of going with a variable speed fan. I know fans are more efficient at lower speeds, but if your actuated block works properly, fan use will be very limited.

[miket]

The used fan which i already bought is 2 speed (3 wire). I bought a variable speed fan controller which PWM any fan slower. I bought it used I could have just as easily bought a 2 speed controller if that was available instead. I've never heard verified numbers for this fan but I believe its 35A high and 25A low.

Theres going to be three sets of louvers, top and bottom upper grille and lower grille slot. I could connect the sets mechanically but i could also actuate two of sections separately from the other.


edit: I didnt yet think about using the grille block controller or the obdguino and relays back when i bought the fan controller.

[miket]

I would leave the chrome plastic and cut out the black plastic. A set of short vertical louver s in the top and bottom upper grille and either one big or maybe a split in the middle horizontal louvers in the bottom. The upper grille curves more than it looks in that photo so horizontal louvers wouldnt work good on the top slots.