Is the relay directly behind the grill, but in front of/before the A/C condenser?
Or is it in the actual engine compartment, mounted above the radiator shroud, like under the lip of the upper radiator crossover support that slightly hides the shroud when looking down at fan area?
@Svet. As far as I can tell, the damage wasn't severe enough to cause issues elsewhere. The horn (works) and it's wiring, and the bumper-mounted air temp sensor wiring appear OK. It past e-check quickly and runs/shifts correct w/o codes atm. Wiring immediately on the other side of the crossover support (like the major harness loom the fans feed into, the lights (both assemblies pulled out [LOVE the 2 clips and out deal]), etc. all appear unmolested. The fender inners, factory hood underside, radiator support, frame rails, etc. all have/had the correct factory beige-like base finish with normal grime everywhere. Tracking the date of the accident + it's listed mileage and the mileage when I got it, points to everything being correct to the car. If the entire front was pulled back out with chains and slopped together, I would have run away from it, fast
The fan was initially quiet, and once at a drive-thru while idling a bit, I heard the knock/rattle, which I thought was the tensioner, so it got replaced with a new belt during alternator replacement. Sound stayed away for some time, then returned. What made troubleshooting semi-difficult was it'd only last a few moments then go awhile w/o acting up. Eventually though, the sound became semi-persistent, making it easy to locate. Fairly certain a brush either broke, or possibly a magnet cracked and a small piece was getting kicked around by the rotor against the stator. Going by the used assembly I have on hand, a very small piece of rust is enough to either outright impede the motor operation (locking it dead) or produce significant drag on the assembly, that the motor can actually overcome when it's powered up, though once power is off, it takes incredible effort to hand-spin.
TBH, if the car still booked at $14k+, I doubt it would have been written off as the damage was minimal, and even the interior is still a solid 8.5 out of 10. Regardless, I think I got a decent car for the price. Was originally going to use as a winter vehicle, but it's nice enough that I'll just daily drive it (no winters), and hopefully keep it on the road as it still looks good enough to deserve being there
