Temperature Gauge

[monte2000SS]

Don't know if anyone can help me on this but for some reason my temperature gauge won't move and when I turn off my car the fans in my car stay on for a bit. The reason I am so confused is because it quite cold outside and there is no need to have the fans going after the car is turned off.

If anyone knows what the heck is going on with my car I would really like to know!!

Thanks

[wrightz28]

So your gauge constantly reads cold?

[monte2000SS]

yeah for some reason it stays cold the entire time I drive.

It is not making much sense to me right now.

[wrightz28]

No check engine or gauge light on?

[monte2000SS]

No lights come on at all. I am thinking it is either the thermostat or my coolant is really low. I checked the engine and it is hotter than usual.

[wrightz28]

Originally Posted by monte2000SS

No lights come on at all. I am thinking it is either the thermostat or my coolant is really low. I checked the engine and it is hotter than usual.

Well, either one of those, the temp guage should read obove normal then

Now I'm sure someone will correct if I'm wrong, but on OBD II models (96 &up) most of the gauge info comes from the PCM, instead of having a sending unit for the guage, and a snesor for the ECM like in the old days. If it did have the elder setup, life is good because the sending unit was simply just not connected.

I do believe tho, your has just the ECT/CTS (engine coolant temp sensor) that supplies the PCM it's resistance value relative to the coolant temp, which in turn the PCM operates the gauge. And if the ECT/CTS was inoperative or had a broken wire, the PCM would turn on the check engine light, becase that seneor is detrimental in setting fuel trim.

Something really doesn't add up, or I'm just truely mistakened in my thinking.

[Bizo105]

I have had the same problem in my 2000 SS for about a year. Temp gauge gets stuck, AC won't blow cold, and the fan stays on after the car is turned off. What eventually happens with the fan is that it will drain your battery and you'll be stuck with a dead battery. My mechanic said it was a bad sensor. He bought one to put in for me, but it asked for a code that only GM has. To take it to a dealer would cost much more than what my mechanic would charge. To get around fixing it for now, disconnect the negative battery terminal and reconnect it (sometimes you have to do it twice for this to work). The sensor will reset and your temp gauge will work again.

This has worked for my SS. Every so often the gauge will get stuck, and this has been the fix to avoid having a dead battery.

[adoublearonn]

this thread is pretty old but for the sake of other people with this problem, a bad thermostat causes this. the car goes into "overcool" mode which is why the A/C doesnt work and the fans stay on.

[dulley]

which thermostat would that be ,for the fans or the cooling ,the one in the thermostat housing.
thanks