Coolant Temp guage Stopped working - won't start

[FAST_aD13]

Yesterday i did a track day at Teeside autodrome - had an immense time and embarrased some much more expensive machinery, amazing what a few driving pointers can do for your trackday!

Toward the end of the day the car struggled to start (like it was starved of fuel - maybe the fuel rail getting too hot?)

Anyway, on the drive back i noticed that the car was hesitating/juddering when i accelerated (in any gear).. then noticed that the Coolant Temp Sensor on the dash wasn't working - it would occasionally bounce back up (hesitation/juddering under accel would go away), but then it would drops back down to not registering a temp and the problems would start again..

Pulled over to check and the Cooling fan was still blowing after the engine had been off for 5 minutes.

Tried to start it again and it wouldnt :dapprove: - after several attempts it eventually coughed into life (foot flat to the floor) then idled high at 2k rpm.

Any ideas whats causing it? Sounds liek a lookse wire on the Coolant Temp Sensor (having searched the forum)

Is this the sensor (picture taken from where the battery usually sits)?

All looks ok if it is :S

Can Anyone shed some light?

 

[FAST_aD13]

Also.. the fans started running on for a couple of minutes every time i turn the engine off.. any ideas? (I'm guessing its the CTS but not sure)

Could an admin move this to the faults section pls - Is not really in the right section

 

[Da]

I have a new one forsale, you're local(ish) too.

£25 posted

 

[caister]

My car was struggling to start, idling high etc and I replaced the coolant sensor and now its fine.

 

[FAST_aD13]

Thanks for clarifying that guys - Ironically its not done it since yesterday when i checked/wiggled the connecting wires!.. I'll keep an eye on it and if it starts playing up again - Da, you'll have a pm

 

[FAST_aD13]

.. so my car failed its MOT on emmisions and as the sensor has started playing up again i rekon its gotta be to blame (exhausts fine etc blah blah).

I'll hopefully be getting a code reader to confirm this and a replacement one in the next few days - however i have a question..

Do i need to drop the coolant to fit the sensor? I'm guessing that if i remove the old one without doing so it'll piss coolant everywhere through the sensor hole? - is this right?

 

[FAST_aD13]

No-one fancy telling me?

Oh well.. this arrived today and should hopefully verify that my coolant sensor is jiggered - I'm 99.8% sure that its the same one as that on the K-tec website -
(The only difference between mine and theres is that the bottom button says scroll instead of clear & the text across the top reads memo-scanner instead of auto-scanner) - Same model number, so surely its the same reader??

Could someone point me in the direction of where the ECU plug is to plug it in?

 

[Gttnutter]

The plug is under the ash tray holder

Plug it in turn the ignition on but dont start the car

sounds like your temp sender, changed mine last week and all problems solved

 

[FAST_aD13]

Thanks for the heads up - i'd have never found it under there!! Had planned on looking around the ecu in the engine bay and behind footwell panels (a'la my old fiesta!).

Interestingly no faults came up when i plugged it in! (However the last day or so the sensor has been fine, climbing and reading as it should.. so maybe its a loose wire!?)

Think i'll pop it in for its re-test tomorrow and see if it passes the emissions, if not then definately be swapping the CTS - if it does pass... then i guess keep an eye on it and see if it does it more often!

 

[richy22]

I took my ashtray out and just leave my rstuner plugged into that.

What stuff can u do with that then?? Turn off a few lights and basic diagnosis I reckon???

 

[caister]

Will the ecu even show a fault for temperature sensor? I wouldn't think that it would as it will just think the waters getting hot and cold.

Also you will not loose much water swapping the sensor if your quick and get a finger or the new sensor straight in the hole.

 

[Gttnutter]

You can't do alot with it really, just brings up fault codes and your able to erase them that's about it, as above though, it didn't bring any faults up on mine.

It has the symptoms of the temp sender and before it gets worse I'd change it for the sake of 20 quid and breaking down somewhere

 

[FAST_aD13]

Will the ecu even show a fault for temperature sensor? I wouldn't think that it would as it will just think the waters getting hot and cold.

True, I'd thought it may flag it up as being faulty - but as you say.. unless the engine overheated then a code probably wouldnt get logged. Hence my result.

Gttnutter - Your's didnt show a code for it either.... hmm, well for what its worth - given that i know its playing up intermitently i'b be stupid not to change it.


Thanks for the advice!

 

[FAST_aD13]

received my new sensor today (thanks Da) and noticed that theres a green wire that looks like its been chopped off - you can see it in the picture protruding from the back of the sensor, is this correct or should there be a third (green) wire?

 

[DrewBear11]

Whereabouts within the engine bay is this sensor ?
I've recently started having the problem of the temp gauge dropping and bouncing about..

Cheers

 

[bmh.01]

received my new sensor today (thanks Da) and noticed that theres a green wire that looks like its been chopped off - you can see it in the picture protruding from the back of the sensor, is this correct or should there be a third (green) wire?

No thats fine the green bit is just a rubber plug sealing plug, its only a 2 wire sensor.

Whereabouts within the engine bay is this sensor ?
I've recently started having the problem of the temp gauge dropping and bouncing about..

Cheers

Righthand side of the engine as you're looking at it, on the thermostat housing.

 

[FAST_aD13]

^ I took the picture with the battery removed - however in practice you only need to remove the airbox to gain access

 

[DrewBear11]

hey guys, where can i order this sensor and how much should i be looking to pay ?

I went to a carparts place and got a bit for £15 temperature switch, wrong part, so thats going back.

I just rang renault gravellis and they said £2.99 for the coolant temperature sensor... seems too cheap to me.