The coolant temperature sensor itself is often quite cheap and you can often find them around $40 for a quality one. A coolant temperature sensor costs $30 to $100, and the labor costs $20 to $150. The average coolant temperature sensor replacement cost is between $50 and $250, depending on the car model and labor costs. Coolant Temperature Sensor Replacement Cost With two sensors, we usually consider sending signals to the control unit as the coolant temperature sensor. Some vehicles may have more than one temperature sensor, as sometimes different sensors are used to signal to the dashboard, cooling fan control, and the control unit of your engine system. It is often installed on a plastic hose on the coolant’s inlet.ĭifferent brands and car manufacturers have different ways of placing the coolant temperature sensor depending on the car design. The engine coolant temperature sensor is usually located on the engine block or cylinder head. RELATED: 7 Causes Why Car Temperature Gauge Stays on Cold Coolant Temperature Sensor Location The readings produced from the coolant temperature sensor are transmitted to the engine control unit, where they are utilized as data for regulating and maintaining the proper ignition time and the optimal fuel injection through the computerized approach. These measurements produce essential data for the engine system of your vehicle. The principle working of this sensor involves the use of an electrical resistance that measures the temperature of the coolant. What is a Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor?Ĭoolant temperature sensors are also known as engine coolant temperature sensors or ECT sensors. If you feel that the engine performance is not what it has been before, it may be due to a faulty engine coolant temperature sensor. A bad air-fuel mixture can also cause the engine performance to drop drastically. The engine coolant temperature sensor can have a hard impact on the air-fuel mixture. The engine is very sensitive to wrong air-fuel mixtures at idle and this is a condition when you might notice that something is wrong with your engine coolant temperature sensor.
This will cause the engine to vibrate or shake when the car is at low speed and lead to other power losses and strange behaviours.
Poor Idlingĭue to a faulty ECT sensor, the fuel mixture will adjust. Some vehicles have a separate coolant temperature sensor for the fan, but many cars use the same sensor. If the fan receives a false signal, the fan might not turn on, causing the engine to overheat. This fan is electrically controlled and relies on the signal from the onboard computer. The cooling fan, which is behind the radiator grille, removes heat from the engine’s coolant. If the air-fuel mixture is faulty, you might find your car difficult or impossible to start. The starting moment of a car is very critical with the amount of fuel getting injected into the engine.
RELATED: Black Smoke From Exhaust (Causes & How to Fix it) Hard Start Condition The excessive fuel will burn in the exhaust pipe and will produce thick black smoke. RELATED: Radiator Fan Is Not Working? (7 Causes & How to Fix) 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. 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, 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 common symptoms of a bad coolant temperature sensor. The main symptoms of a bad or failing coolant temperature sensor include: The most common symptom of a bad engine coolant temperature sensor is a check engine light on your car’s dashboard together with various engine performance issues. Is there a fuse for the coolant temperature sensor? 8 Bad Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor symptoms