engine coolant temperature sensor

My coolant temperature sensor broke, (located in the back of the lower throtle body to the right of the alternator.) Does anybody know what this device does, and how it differs from the thermostat?

Does anybody think that it is usefull or necessary to install a "cold climate" thermostat. I live in a city that sees temperatures in winter go down to the -30's and up to 95 F in the summer. Any recommendations from others who live in cold areas climates?

Jai

Greetings,

This is one of the most important sensors on the car when it comes to calculating fuel delivery. The ECT on the throttle body is the sensor the ECM 'listens' to so it can find out engine temperature and so the car can enter closed loop operation. Without this sensor you will experience horrible gas mileage, poor power and acceleration, the possiblity of the car not starting... there is just a host of rotten things becuase your ECM is now going to have to guess at what the engine temperature is.

The Temperature sensor at the thermostat is the sensor your temperature gauge on your instrument panel uses. If this one broke then nothing would happen other than you temp guage wouldn't work.

Replace you ECT immediately.

As far as thermostats go - I would stick with the factory recommended 198 degree stat.

"My coolant temperature sensor broke, (located......."

First - how would you know it is broken - other than being physically damaged?

Second - If it were not working, how would you know? (Redundant question)
Does the ECM report a code for a non-functional ECT?

Third - How could I quiry the ECT to see if it is actually working or not?

This may be one of my problems - besides being crazy.....but I'm all better NOW!

And I'll bet an ECT costs one Gawd Awful price new from Schucks or NAPA...!

DoctorBill

If the ECM doesn't give a CEL on such an important component, then the
designers should be kicked in the grapes for such an oversight!

The MIB's should be KIB using our abbreviations for everything!

you will get a code out of the ECU is the sensor resistance doesn't change within a set amount of time, usually code 14 or 15. you could take it off and heat it up and cool it down and make sure the resistance changes

ECT sensors are about 20 bucks at AutoZone.

My sensor is physically broken. I have big monkey hands, and it's a good thing I don't fix cars for a living. As far as how to tell it's broken, this is what happened to my temperature gauge. Before breaking the sensor, the needle never moved from about the half way mark. After it boke, it always read cold. I tried sticking the wire into the hole left by the contact that used to stick out of the sensor, (it used to slide over this contact) Now the needle is always at hot. I have no idea what this is telling the ECM, and I haven't checked codes yet. If there is a problem, will the check engine light always come on, or could there be codes without the check engine light coming on?

I'm glad you're all better Bill, I had been wondering where you were lately!

Jai