my coolant temperaure gauge doesnt work...i replaced the sensor but it didnt fix the gauge...any suggestions?

i heard it may be related to the thermostat?

 

Has the gauge ever been removed or modified? You may have to take the gauge panel out and remove the gauge itself and look behind it. Check wiring and see if it might be rusted or just jiggle it around while turning the key on and off without starting the car. It may just be loose and have a bad connection.

 

no its completely stock, how hard id it to pull the gauge cluster out enough to wiggle the wires? can i get sum simple instructions?

 

1st, the thermostat would only affect the temp gage if the engine is staying dead cold. Not likely.

Before you go tearing things apart, try a simple test. With the engine off, remove the wire from the sending unit (the one on the driver's side head) and ground it. Turn the ignition on (don't need to start the engine), and the gage should go to full hot. If it does, then there isn't anything wrong with the wiring, and probably isn't anything wrong with the gage. You might have gotten the wrong sending unit though (one for a temp light, not a temp gage).

If it doesn't do anything during this test, you've either got a wiring or gage problem.

FWIW, the gage should go to full hot every time you put the ignition to the start position.

 

well i know for sure i got one for the gauge (they ask if it was for gauge or light)..the sensor is connected to two wires..do i just ground either wire?

 

The "Coolant Temperature Sensor" has two wires and goes in the thermostat housing on the intake manifold. It tells the computer how warm the engine is.

The gage temperature sending unit is in the driver's side head between the two front spark plugs. It only has one wire going to it.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=245645

Picture #3 (exhaust and spark plugs removed in that pic).

 

whats a good ground? just the engine block itself? ill go give it a shot

 

Anything that will provide a ground - i.e., not painted or too corroded.

 

Sorry to hijack your thread but I have a question that has to do with the CTS.

I decided to check my SES light today and it gave me a code 14 - Coolant sensor high temperature fault. I remember when I was changing the coolant in my car about a month ago, I broke the prongs that kept the CTS attached to the thermostat housing and used electrical tape to keep it attached to the housing.

I'm wondering if this is a serious problem? I've been driving with the SES light on for a while and never seemed to notice any problems with drivability. Just decided to check it out of curiosity today.

Do I need to replace the entire sensor?

 

I assume you are talking about the sensor that is in the thermostat housing? If so, make sure there is no pressure in the coolant system and then you just unscrew it and screw in another one. It is important if you have an automatic. It determines when the lockup torque converter engages.

phil

 

No, I am talking about the actual harness that connects the sensor to the ECM through the wire.

But thanks for letting me know about why it is important. I need to go to a dealership to grab one... AutoZone says they don't carry it.

 

Whoops... forgot to show you what I am talking about. I need part #2 on this diagram:

 

About half of the locking tabs are broken off the sensor connectors on my underhood harness. They get pretty brittle with age, just a little too much pry when disconnecting and they snap.

Most of them I just leave as they are as long as they stay connected. All it needs to do is keep the seal engaged, as long as that's happening, you're okay.

 

That would be ok if it weren't three things:

1) The harness itself tends to fall out of the sensor... it won't just "lay" inside of the connector on the sensor. It pops out. I temporarily fixed it using a massive amount of electrical tape.

2) I am very dubious of the fact that the harness is actually doing its job. If I remember, I think the pins were bent when I tried to reconnect the harness to the connector and I had to keep bending them to make it fit into the sensor. I have a feeling my rough handling may have affected the stability of the harness itself (although the sensor is brand new).

3) The SES light is coming on. Obviously there is something wrong with the sensor somewhere.

I wish I had asked more questions before doing a complete coolant change... I went into that procedure totally blind of this stuff.

 

Ok... last thing and then I should be done.

I went to my local dealership and bought the harness (expensive too, I might add--$21.03). Now to replace the old one, what should I do? Should I completely remove the factory wiring and put the new wiring in it's place, or should I splice the factory wiring and just connect it with the new harness? If I had to do that, would I have to solder the wires?

Thanks again.

 

If you were just going to splice it, you would have been better off going to the junkyard and getting the connector...