P1641 Fault Code + Fans not working (to cool or for AirCon)

[DannyBoyGolf]

Ello again.

To summarise; I've got yellow engine light on for: Glow plugs x 3 and also - EGR insufficient. Glow plugs going in this week & will take another look at EGR soon.
Also got red steering light on - yet to figure that out yet but can live with it. Guessing its angle sensor, cant find a fault yet.

More concerned with my cooling fans & Air Con not working at the minute. As mentioned in the title i've got P1641 showing when I've been plugged in.

Few months back, I did notice my fans coming on and my revs going up when idle. Then, my guess is the resistor on one of the fans failed. Now, the second fan resistor may also have failed as its been working harder? Make sense? Neither fan works at present.

Now excuse me while I stab in the dark, but before I go spending the money I don't really have;-
Could this have been caused by the age/lack of air con gas?
Would the fans have been working harder to compensate for lack of gas?
Would the revs have been up in order to supply enough power for battery & fans?

Tempted to call in to an AirCon recharge centre & try and replace Cooling Fans = £100 all in.

Hope what I've written makes some sense coming from a non-mechanic, at the very least it seems logical to me.

Any advice appreciated - thanks

[niall campbell]

glow plugs don't last forever, when you switch on ignition ALWAYS wait for the glow plug light to go out & THEN wait 2 seconds as the glow plugs are still working ................ this helps starting in cold weather & prolongs their life

Yes engine will increase if you switch on Air Con / lights etc for the extra electrical load

As you have a diesel, keep the Air Con all the time to stop bacteria growing in the Air Con, you wont notice any difference in fuel consumption, unlike petrol cars

We are in colder weather, so fans might not be working as it takes longer to warm the engine up. Cant tell if you mean fans at radiator or for the windscreen ?

As for the EGR valve, put the car in 2nd gear driving along the road, blast the car for a few hundred yards until the revs are just under the red and hold it there. This blasts all the crap out of your car & you will need to do this once a month or so . This restores power and fuel economy. No need for DPF rubbish

[niall campbell]

For red steering wheel, its start car & turn the steering wheel all the way to left & then to the right a few times.

If this doesn't put light out, then get your tracking done

[DannyBoyGolf]

Like I said glow plugs are going in this week.
Thanks though.
Radiator fans are not operating at all... Whether that's to stop me overheating or when operating the E-con/air-conditioning.
Have you experienced fan failure and this code???

[niall campbell]

not personally, though there are youtube videos of it.

It basically means getting a live feed to fans and seeing if fans turn. If the fan turns then the power to the fans is the problem .......................... which may be a faulty coolant temp sender unit for example. If fans don't spin then the fan motor is goosed

I would be testing fan first, especially before the temp rises in spring

[DannyBoyGolf]

Vcds says :
18049 please check DTC memory of A/C controller
P1641 - 000 -
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 0/min
Torque 0
Speed 0
Load 0
Voltage 12.39v
Bin. Bits 00001100
Temperature 62.1c
(no units) 144.0