the fan always spins. there is enough drag with the oil to make them spin, tho not at full speed as the air resistance counteracts it.
as the hot air off the radiator heats the thermo valve which then allows more oil to be pumped around which puts more power into the fan so it can pull more air through.
the only time they spin freely is when they are stuffed. quite common in older toyotas.
remember they are not a clutch, they are a very crude torque converter. they don't engage, they are hydraulically coupled, it simply allows more fluid to flow to drive the other half.
however the silicone oil is really thick especially when cold. hence why they tend to roar a bit when first started.
if nissan has thick oil in it (because they are worried about overheating) then its going to get more fan speed than normal.
the only other thing i can think of is if the fan is on back to front.