Fan does not go on when it gets hot
Fan sensor, should be the problem, I've never had to change a fan in 25 years of proffesional car repair. 100% of my repairs led to fan sensor switch. It's not always going to be that, but it's worth the try if your looking to do it your self, there is a fan relay and I've know shops that have had to change them, but it is rare. The sensor gets heated and cooled so many times in it's cycle of life that it just fails after so many years. On you engine somewhere is a brass, threaded, sensor, it has wires that go to a clip, and the clip plugs on to the sensor. The plug only fits that sensor. So what to do is look under the hood and see if you can find some of these sensors there are only a few but they are all for different puposes. They may be dirty, but they're screwed into the engine usually in areas where the mechanic can get to them, they stick up almost an inch, and all have twin wires going to them, specialy that car. I've worked on so many cars in 25 years, and stopped in 1989, to go into construction, so I can't really lead you to the exact spot, plus it's 6 am and I haven't got any sleep yet. If you find one keep looking you'll need to find more then that to make it worth your trouble. If you find some, go to the parts store by the fan sensor for that exact car, look at the sticker on the drivers door where the door shuts, get the year of manufacture, get the exact engine from under the hood decals and give them the make and modle, make sure you can return the sensor if it has been UNUSED, (never screwed into the engine at all) now unplug the clip from the first sensor on the engine, wash your hands, carfully take the new sensor out of the box without wrecking the pakaging, look old sensor and how it clips if it looks exact try the clip with the wires on the new sensor, if it's different don't even try, just move to next one, keep going until you find the one that plugs in correctly. THAT will be your fan sensor, get a socket, take it mostly all the way out, get the new one ready right there beside you, make sure the wires are unplugged. Unscrew it qick with your fingers if you can and stick the new one in the hole quick like a bunny, so anti freeze won't come pooring out every where. Thread it in a couple of threads by hand if possible, and tighten it down good and tight. Put the wires on, everything else you had to take off to find it, back on, top off your anti freeze, and clean up or wash away any spilled antifreeze if you got pets completely completely dilute any spills, don't no dogs drink out of the puddles. Start that thing up and take it for a ride. If you can't find the sensor maybe somewhere online you can find a picture of it's location. I don't have anything handy. If not the nice clean sensor with your washed hands can be put back in the clean undamaged box UNUSED (never screwed into the engine) and returned up the street for your money. If you install it and it doesn't turn on the fans once warmed up, don't despare they need to be changed regularly any way they are a maintainence item, and you don't want that thing quitting on you in the summer. It will blow you motor up if you are not lucky. First thing you can try before the sensor, is take an old indoor brown or white extension cord or light cord cut the ends off and use it to power the fan from the car battery the plug on the fan can be stuburn but try not to break it from 87 to now that fan could be burnt out. Electric fans weren't out long enough to fail by 1989. An '87 is a lot older now, but I bet that fan still works, just put red to red, and black to black and watch you fingers (the colors don't really matter to just test it it will just spin backwards just don't let the wires touch each other). If fan works, no funny sounds and not all slow and slugish change the sensor. You need that, and there's no way to test it easily, if the sensor doesn't work you need one more thing do the same procedure for the relay it's on the firewall (the opposite face of the dashboard under the hood "the firewall") if you have the new part you should easily identify the old part. Some parts stores are real finiky about electrical parts, but most will allow returns if the part is unused (means completly never ever installed) they can tell by loooking. Just plugging the wire to see if it fits will not leave signs of installation, just clean the plug good before you try it, and the part after with a clean rag. Just ask first, tell 'em a friend is going to help and he said "have that part here if you don't need it you can take it back" and you just want to have it in hand, in case he needs it, but if you don't use it can it be returned. If they say no find another place.
