Would a car radiator fan work better if it didnt blow the hot air back on the engine?

[Avocet]

Hi, thanks for your help, I can feel the top hose gradually getting warmer.

Once it starts getting warm, it should become too hot to hold within a few minutes.

 

[Avocet]

My car is over heating at the moment that's why I ask, I thought it might save me a few bob rather than taking it to the garage.
Maybe I'll just take the bonnet off.

Taking the bonnet off might make things worse at speed. The top of the bonnet is usually a high pressure area, and the engine bay, a fairly low pressure area. If you take the bonnet off, you'll increase the air pressure in the engine bay, and possibly reduce the flow of air through the radiator, making the problem worse.

The thing is, your car hasn't done this from new, and it's always had a bonnet. Assuming it hasn't overheated from new, There's something wrong with it, which needs fixing, rather than any change to the basic design.

 

[Gary111]

Hi, after a while the top hose is too hot to touch. Also I have re connected the fan and it does come on.
I can't see oil in the coolant.

I had a look online and it looks like I could test to see if the water pump is working but I would need a special funnel to see if there's bubbles in the radiator?

 

[Old Salt]

Probably wont overheat now the fans working.

 

[Avocet]

Hi, after a while the top hose is too hot to touch. Also I have re connected the fan and it does come on.

I had a quick look online and it looks like I could test to see if the water pump is working but I would need a special funnel to see if there's bubbles in the radiator?

If the hot water is circulating round the cooling system, the water pump is probably working - at least to some degree. Feel the top hose (you said it was too hot to hold, which is good), then feel the bottom hose (usually diagonally opposite the top hose) for comparison. It should be less hot. If so, That's the radiator doing its job. The hot water enters the radiator via the top hose, and loses heat as it travels through the radiator and ultimately passes out of the bottom hose, and back into the engine.

If you can, try to feel the surface of the radiator. (Does the car have aircon? If it does, the condenser will probably be in the way of the radiator). If you can feel the surface, check for any cold spots. They would signify a blockage of the radiator.