Fan Speed Sensor (FSS)
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 31 other vehicles, including the 2008 Mercury Sable, 2008 Mercury Mountaineer, 2008 Mercury Milan, 2008 Mercury Mariner, and 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The FSS is a Hall-effect sensor that measures the cooling fan clutch speed by generating a waveform with a frequency proportional to the fan speed. If the cooling fan clutch is moving at a relatively low speed, the sensor produces a signal with a low frequency. As the cooling fan clutch speed increases, the sensor generates a signal with a higher frequency. The PCM uses the frequency signal generated by the FSS as a feedback for closed loop control of the cooling fan clutch. For additional information on the cooling fan clutch, refer to the Cooling Fan Clutch.