Engine Fan Still Running after the car is turned off

toddmanley

Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Location
San Jose, CA
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE
I searched a few message boards and didn't find any answers yet to this situation.

This occurrence happened twice to me tonight. I drove about 8 miles out to a friend's house (80% freeway) and when I turned the car off the engine fan (not sure if it was the radiator or auxiliary fan) kept running for 30 seconds. The outside temperature was around 55* and I wasn't pushing the car hard.

Drove the same way home and when I pulled in my garage the fan(s) did the same thing, but this time for nearly 2 minutes. I popped open the hood and didn't see anything strange. Surprised that the fans were still running, I turned on the car, let it idle for 5 seconds then turned it off. This time the fans stopped.

I'm not sure what caused this behavior but I'm interested to know if anybody else has experienced this same thing.

-Thanks, Todd
 

bhutchins

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2011
Location
SW Portland OR
TDI
Jetta TDiCup, 02Q built Sept 2010
particulate filter regeneration causes this. if you turn off the engine in the middle of a regeneration, it will do it again when it heats up
 

Tcobar

New member
Joined
Jan 27, 2012
Location
SF-Bay-Area
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SEL Black/Black
I was wondering the same thing. It has happens to me about three times, with a slight smell of gasoline? New engine smells? The air was being blown in from the front and it felt like it was exiting from just behind the driver door. What do you mean by "it will do it again when it heats up"? Would you please explain a bit further?

This is our first Diesel car, so although it felt like strange behavior I just thought it was probably normal.
 

JSWTDI09

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
TDI
2009 JSW TDI (gone but not forgotten)
I'm not sure what caused this behavior but I'm interested to know if anybody else has experienced this same thing.

-Thanks, Todd
Everyone with a 2009+ TDI has experienced this same thing. It is perfectly normal. The regeneration cycle for the DPF is burning off accumulated soot. This generates a lot of heat and the fans running prevents all the plastic bits under the hood from melting. It's nothing to worry about.

Would you please explain a bit further?

This is our first Diesel car, so although it felt like strange behavior I just thought it was probably normal.
See above. The DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) catches soot. When it gets full the ECU starts a regeneration cycle which burns off that accumulated soot. It is completely normal behavior.

A search for "fans running" or "fans racing" on this site will discover dozens of threads just like this one.

Have Fun!

Don
 
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tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Odor is from the new paint/plastics, etc. getting heated for the first few times. The odor will subside over time. Engine temp rises (not seen on the temp gauge), and if the engine is idling, idle speed will bump up to c. 1k rpm.
The DPF (diesel particulate filter) generates HUGE heat, hence the fans (both) are running on high, pulling air through the radiator, around the engine, and exiting below the firewall...that's why you feel it under the body of the car.

Do an advanced search for "DPF" or "regeneration". Lots to read there.

FYI: An active "regen" will occur every 300-400 miles, unless you do a lot of highway (steady-state cruising around 2k RPM) driving, where passive regens occur as needed.
 

TomB

Veteran Member
Joined
May 1, 2003
Location
Cle Elum, Washington/Las Vegas, Nevada
TDI
2015 Audi TDI Prestige Sport
VW really needs to put a label under the hood saying that the fans running after engine is turned off is NORMAL.

We keep seeing the same question because it is NOT clearly spelled out or explained by the dealer during feature call out.
 

TDiSkater

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Location
Northern Suburbs Chicago
TDI
2011 JSW DSG Salsa Red
My sales guy did two things right for me. Set up my convenience features and told me about regens.

Said he was tired of panicked calls about cars burning up.

Still weird the first time it happens. You'd think VW would have a TDI basics brochure or some kinda quick study guide vs that stupid brochure on changing the radio stations and turning on the wipers.
 

Niner

duplicate account, banned
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
I searched a few message boards and didn't find any answers yet to this situation.

This occurrence happened twice to me tonight. I drove about 8 miles out to a friend's house (80% freeway) and when I turned the car off the engine fan (not sure if it was the radiator or auxiliary fan) kept running for 30 seconds. The outside temperature was around 55* and I wasn't pushing the car hard.

Drove the same way home and when I pulled in my garage the fan(s) did the same thing, but this time for nearly 2 minutes. I popped open the hood and didn't see anything strange. Surprised that the fans were still running, I turned on the car, let it idle for 5 seconds then turned it off. This time the fans stopped.

I'm not sure what caused this behavior but I'm interested to know if anybody else has experienced this same thing.

-Thanks, Todd
Page 320 and 321 of your Owner's Manual, that thing you are supposed to read cover to cover, to understand how your car works.
 

Tcobar

New member
Joined
Jan 27, 2012
Location
SF-Bay-Area
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SEL Black/Black
Thanks for the replies! And yes, my wife and I are both reading the manual. That's how we learned how to set the presets on the driver seat,... but haven't read this section yet. I've switched to reading on how the navigation system works.
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
I have said it before and I will say it again....these cars are not for everyone! Please check it out carefully before you buy! With gas prices rising as they are they are going to sell a bunch! And knowing what I do now I wouldn't buy one!
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I have said it before and I will say it again....these cars are not for everyone! Please check it out carefully before you buy! With gas prices rising as they are they are going to sell a bunch! And knowing what I do now I wouldn't buy one!
No, you'd buy one every couple years, as you have for the past couple decades, LOL. :D You change cars more than I change shoes!
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
Actually I have been looking for a 2005-06 CDI Benz! And my 2 96 Passats have been here for years . Need to sell at least 1 or both of them!
 

Joe_Meehan

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 3, 2005
Location
Ohio USA
TDI
NB TDI, 2002.5, Silver
I don't think it applies to the OP, but most modern cars may keep the fan running after you shut down for a while as it cools the engine. It happens with many, but not all cars.
 

orcsun

New member
Joined
Nov 6, 2015
Location
ca
TDI
vw
VW really needs to put a label under the hood saying that the fans running after engine is turned off is NORMAL.

We keep seeing the same question because it is NOT clearly spelled out or explained by the dealer during feature call out.
totally agree with you! I thought it's my car's problem. It occurred in last summer, I think it did make sense because of host weather, but now it's winter, I just stopped my car and the fan ran for ~5 minutes, and the engine is very hot, feeling by hands
 

tadawson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Passat TDI SEL
Or you could just read the owners manual . . . I have *zero* sympathy for folks who don't know things that refuse to read the documentation. The dealer should not have to spoon feed the buyer anything . . . just take the car home, and read the d**n book. And to the whiners, no, it's not hard to read . . . and does tell you what you need to know . . .

- Tim
 
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jrm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
owners manuals can be drastically wrong, the 2015 vw manual says the diesel takes 4.5 quarts of oil when it takes 5.8 and my Dodge ram manual says to use se rated 10w30 oil in the diesel that would instantly void the warranty of my Cummins engine, my Honda crf450x owners manual says the transmission takes 600ml of oil when it takes a full liter and people online complain about the rear wheel locking up when floored in 5th causing them to wreck- 600ml of oil doesn't reach 5th gear when at 70mph :eek:
 
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tadawson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Passat TDI SEL
Can't speak to the VW, but on the RAM, if you readthe diesel supplement manual and not the'base' (gasser) manual that comes with it, you will likely find that the manual is correct. And I doubt they could legally void a warranty if you did what they printed (assuming yiu use the right book . . .).

- Tim
 

jrm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
Disclaimer- I am a cover to cover manual reader ;) Here is the ram manual- your right the folks on the diesel truck resource borads say the cummins wouldn't be bothered by the 10w30 one bit- but ya never know what angle the manufacture would take. never less, its only seen delo 15w40 its entire life

 
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tadawson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Passat TDI SEL
if that's what they now specify, then that's what they support, and I have no idea why you think you know better . . . Oh, and I see that's an *OLD* one with the 5.9, so the special oils to not clog the DPF are not required . . . makes sense. I thought you were talkimg about a current 6.7 . . .
 
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jrm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
yeah its the rig in my signature- but we should put a sticky on this board about regeneration as the OP is correct, vw doesn't speak a word about it during the sales process.
 

Beetle Bill

Active member
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Location
Nashville, TN
TDI
05.5 Jetta, 2012 Passat Sel Premium
If you feel the question is stupid, just don't waste your time reading or responding. Just gives us another response to read through, not much help.
 

gcodori

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Location
northern california (bay area)
TDI
2001 NB TDI plus CPO 2013 Passat TDI SEL Prem.
Here's my particular situation in my 2013 Passat...

The fans do the running after shutdown, but they do it on a daily basis. My commute is 1 hour each way and it's not uncommon for my fan to be running after shutdown and I can tell it's not a regen. My commute ends with about 5 miles of under 40 driving, so I don't think it's over-heating related.

The RPMs increase and the fan runs really hard on a regen. In my situation they run at about 1/2 speed for about 3-6 minutes after I shut off the engine.

Funny thing is, if I get back into the car and turn in on, the fans go quiet. It's so weird compared to my ALH. The fans NEVER run unless the AC is on.

Normal?
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Here's my particular situation in my 2013 Passat...
The fans do the running after shutdown, but they do it on a daily basis. My commute is 1 hour each way and it's not uncommon for my fan to be running after shutdown and I can tell it's not a regen. My commute ends with about 5 miles of under 40 driving, so I don't think it's over-heating related.
The RPMs increase and the fan runs really hard on a regen. In my situation they run at about 1/2 speed for about 3-6 minutes after I shut off the engine.
Funny thing is, if I get back into the car and turn in on, the fans go quiet. It's so weird compared to my ALH. The fans NEVER run unless the AC is on.
Normal?
Fans will run if coolant temp is 212F or higher (it might actually be 211F). Some Passat owners have reported fans running after shutdown on a regular basis, and it's because their coolant temps are slightly elevated. This could be due to your routine, or due to your thermostat being slightly warmer than others. I'd consider it normal, but if it bothers you, let it idle for a minute before shutting it off, and the temps should drop below the threshold for fan after-run.
 

gcodori

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Location
northern california (bay area)
TDI
2001 NB TDI plus CPO 2013 Passat TDI SEL Prem.
Fans will run if coolant temp is 212F or higher (it might actually be 211F). Some Passat owners have reported fans running after shutdown on a regular basis, and it's because their coolant temps are slightly elevated. This could be due to your routine, or due to your thermostat being slightly warmer than others. I'd consider it normal, but if it bothers you, let it idle for a minute before shutting it off, and the temps should drop below the threshold for fan after-run.
It doesn't bother me a bit it's my second tdi with weird fan tendencies.

I just get weird stares from people assuming I left the motor running. LOL

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
 

Jmdesales

New member
Joined
Jul 12, 2021
Location
Usa
TDI
Jetta, passat
Yes it is normal for the fan to run after shutting off for a few mins until temp drop below 212, however a bad fan controller will cause the fan to stay on indefinitely. If you have a big and small fan configuration it is in the big fan housing. Replace the big fan, Chinese knock offs are cheap but they are hit and miss as far as longevity. The dealer price is well you know.
 
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