When Your Coolant Temperature Sensor Should be Replaced
No matter what type of car you drive, caring for and maintaining your vehicle is critical for many reasons. First, it retains the value of your car, allowing you to get top dollar for it if you ever choose to sell. Secondly, it maintains your car’s reliability. Third, it extends the life of your car. And lastly, it saves you money on costly repair bills. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of ongoing automotive care is fluid maintenance.
Your car’s coolant system is critical for maintaining the temperature of your engine. When any portion of your car’s coolant system system begins to fail or becomes compromised, it can severely affect your car’s performance and reliability. One such component that requires regular inspection is your coolant temperature sensor. If you aren’t sure what a coolant temperature sensor is or how to know whether it’s failing or not, this article should be able to answer a few questions for you.
What is a coolant temperature sensor?
Your car’s coolant temperature sensor, also commonly referred to as a coolant temperature switch keeps track of the temperature of your engine’s coolant fluid. Using an electrical current, the sensor detects the temperature of the liquid and then sends that information back to the car’s ECU (engine control unit). Using this information, the ECU makes necessary adjustments to other functions of your car to compensate for the temperature of the coolant. The coolant temperature sensor functions in order to help your car run smoothly and perform optimally. If the coolant temperature sensor begins to malfunction, it can cause all kinds of engine quirks and odd behaviors that could be significantly damaging to other parts of your engine, or it could render your car totally unreliable.
Symptoms of a failing coolant temperature sensor
Noticing the symptoms of a failing coolant temperature sensor is critical—it could mean the difference between making it to your destination safely or not. Furthermore, the effects of a faulty sensor are highly inconvenient and troubling. In fact, it could cost you a lot of money in repairs. Here are some of the most notable symptoms of a failing coolant sensor and how you can prevent them.
Decrease in gas mileage
When your car’s gas mileage begins to dwindle significantly, it’s always a sign that something’s not quite right with your car. Unfortunately, this can be a sign or symptom of many other issues in your vehicle. Therefore, having a differential diagnosis performed is essential to rule-out other possible causes of decreased gas mileage.
Engine overheating
This is one of the more troubling signs of coolant temperature sensor failure. When this happens, it’s likely that your sensor is consistently sending the wrong signal to your car’s ECU, causing the engine to overcompensate and work harder, as it “thinks” the engine is too cold to run. On the flipside, if the engine is reading too warm, then it can cause your engine to overheat or misfire. Again, as these symptoms are indicative of other common engine issues, your automotive technician must be thorough in their inspection and diagnostic procedure.
Illuminated check engine light
With more recent advances in technology, newer cars tend to be able to pick up on engine flaws and issues more rapidly, giving the driver an opportunity to fix the issue before more severe symptoms begin to show up. If your check engine light comes on, it could be any number of issues causing it. It’s important to have the diagnostic codes read by a professional auto mechanic to isolate the issue of a faulty coolant temperature sensor.
When is it time to replace the coolant sensor?
Generally when a coolant sensor begins to fail, it can be traced back to electrical issues. Since it might not be exactly clear where the issue stems from, it’s usually recommended to replace the sensor all together. It’s normal for engine components to wear over time, so it’s important to stay on top of your car’s designated schedule of maintenance.
How we can help
Here at Munich West, we have seen a number of issues with coolant temperature sensors over the years. Our clients near the areas of Decatur and Atlanta, GA, keep coming back to our shop for preventive care because we approach our business with honesty, integrity, and fairness. If you think your European import is suffering from a failing coolant temperature switch, please contact us to schedule an affordable inspection right away. We want to make sure you’re always safe on the road.
