Just wanting to get a ball park figure for replacing the electric fan behind the radiator on a Toyota Vios (2007).

It clearly has packed up and the aircon is not working above 1st setting and car overheats in heavy traffic.

The mechanic who has been recommended only uses Toyota genuine parts and has quoted me 5000 Baht. This includes doing the gas on the aircon.

Seems like a fair price to me....

Fair enough but why would you need gas for the aircon? Replace the fan and go. Any place that has used car parts along the roads will have or can get one. If you want a new one, get a new one. The gas should not be required.

Yes, those are symptoms of the fan not running. It is the fan motor though ... you have tried putting 12Volts directly onto the fan to see if it works or not. Count your fingers afterwards!!

You should be able to pick up a 2nd hand fan for less than 1000Baht. Just make sure that it rotates the correct way after fitting!

if a new fan is well over 4000 Baht it's not an outrageous price if it needs gas, but why should it.

Yep, all of the above. I was thinking the same as JAS, have the fuses/relay been checked first? Those fans are pretty hardy, not that it couldn't be the fan that just wouldn't be my starting point may end up being disappointed with more money involved. Simple thing to disconnect the plug from the fan, warm the car and put a tester to it to see if it has voltage? Do that after checking the fuse first, that's the easiest way to check the relay as some are a right PITA to get at, no fan voltage and either the relay is NG or the temp sensor is, then just check back from there but all of those are more likely to fail then is the fan motor on a car that age.

On second thought, it is possible it needs gas as if the a/c has been on and there is no cooling air over the condenser it is possible the pressure relief let the gas out but then you need more parts.

I would gas it first in case the other electric stuff is controlled by the low pressure thingy. Fans are usually bullet proof. If still a prob, as stated above, try a direct feed to the fan to see if it works. If it does, next the power relay, this thing uses a low current to switch a higher amperage to operate the fan, if you can find it....

At least one fan should be independent of the A/C dedicated just to cooling with the second being a booster, if there is not dual fans then it should operate regardless of the A/C operation.