#Signs of bad coolant temp sensor how to#

If the air-fuel mixture is faulty, you might find your car difficult or impossible to start. The amount of fuel getting injected into the engine is critical at the moment you start your car.

#Signs of bad coolant temp sensor how to#

RELATED: Black Smoke From Exhaust (Causes & How to Fix it) 5. The excessive fuel will burn in the exhaust pipe and will produce thick black smoke. Black Smoke from the Exhaust Pipeĭue to an incorrect engine temperature signal, the ECU may enrich the fuel mixture to a point where the combustion process becomes difficult. RELATED: Radiator Fan Is Not Working? (7 Causes & How to Fix) 4. However, if your car has a single sensor, a bad engine coolant temperature sensor may result in your fans not starting. In most cars, you have two separate temperature sensors for the fans, a dashboard gauge, and engine management. Some cars use the engine coolant temperature sensor to control the electric cooling fans. This will cause the fuel economy to drop and decrease the engine’s performance. For example, a faulty sensor can send a signal indicating the engine is cold when it is not, and more fuel will heat the engine quickly. Poor MileageĪ faulty ECT sensor can send a false signal to the onboard computer, resulting in an incorrect air-fuel mixture. If you see a check engine light on your dashboard, it is time to check the trouble codes with an OBD2 scanner. If the computer detects any problem with the sensor’s circuit, it will illuminate the check engine light, indicating that the car needs an inspection. One of the first signs of all coolant temperature sensor symptoms you will probably notice is that the check engine light will show up on your dashboard. Here is a more detailed list of the signs of a bad or failing coolant temperature sensor to look for: 1. The most common symptoms of a bad coolant temperature sensor include poor mileage, cooling fans not coming on, engine performance issues, an overheating engine, and a check engine light on your dashboard. Symptoms Of A Bad Coolant Temperature Sensor Hence, it is advised to have your car inspected immediately to avoid serious problems.

Like every other component, the ECT sensor can also get damaged, resulting in several engine-related problems. With this information, the engine control module adjusts the air-fuel mixture depending on the temperature.

The engine coolant temperature sensor’s job is to measure the coolant temperature for the engine control module. Then all the sudded out of nowhere, the temp gauge shows normal temp, all steady and everything, and guess what, my LS1 is running smooth as pie, just like before.An engine coolant temperature sensor is essential for the optimal performance of your car. it would even take a while for the engine to crank back up! So at that point I decide to limp home. Mind you, no CEL is thrown! Then as I get into town, it gets worse, high idle, searching for idle, very rough running, and at one point shut down. Along with that, I would get this stumble, where the engine would literaly shut off! while driving on the highway and give these nasty jerks back and forth. then all the sudden as I get on the highway, I see the temp gauge fluctuate from side to side, sometimes in the low, then to high, then somewhere inbetween. Then I start driving and the temp gauge is taking a while to reach normal operating temp (NOT), ok so im thinking ill get a new one tomorrow, and I'll just drive around tonite with it being slow. Well, yesterday, I accidentaly broke my coolant temp sensor, luckily the 2 prongs were still sticking out, so I just put the thing back on there, thinking it will be fine for a while.