Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Dark_Rider2k3 · Post by **Dark_Rider2k3** » October 21st, 2009, 11:14 am

Okay subject wouldn't let me post it all haha sooo here is the details:

Before I got my car painted.. about a month before.. I replaced my water thermosensor. Cleared codes.. all is fine.

Well as I said in my other post idle was bad.. so first I checked codes.. I am getting 2 codes:

1. Water thermosensor
2. Solenoid Lockup

I know the solenoid lockup is in the tranny (stupid ATX), and I know it's a problem as i haven't messed with it (why do that when bp swapping?), but why did the water thermosensor show back up? In the manual it shows 2 wires for the sensor whereas I only have 1 on the harness so that does me no good when troubleshooting. Plus the wire that I have is a different color.

Could the harness be f'ed up? I mean I doubt it because the previous owner was a travel agency who only used it for local trips.. and did all the required servicing.. so i'm just needing some extra input. I hate having to flip it into neutral just to keep my car from not stalling (though I'm going to raise the idle up slightly to prevent stalling while I try and solve the problem..)

So yeah.. any helpful advice is appreciated. I didn't see a vac. leak and can only assume the it has to deal with the code being pulled back up.

Thanks a lot everyone!!

Inodoro Pereyra · Post by **Inodoro Pereyra** » October 21st, 2009, 11:46 am

Ok, first, this may sound stupid, but...did you replace the right sensor?
I'm assuming you got a code 9, which means your problem is in the coolant temperature sensor. Now, there are 2 sensors known as coolant temperature sensors on the engine: one, located on the thermostat housing, is the radiator fan switch (that's the wrong one), and the other one, on the block, to the right of the exhaust header (the one you should've changed), is the coolant temperature sensor.
Now, the coolant temperature sensor uses 2 wires, while the radiator fan switch uses only 1. If you replaced the right one, and it has only one wire connected to it, check which one is it. One should be ground, and the other one should go straight to your ECU.

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » October 21st, 2009, 11:58 am

What year is your car and what engine is in it? What number is the code you got? Are there 2 sensors on the engine filler neck? I believe there are. Are you certain you changed the right one? If the harness only has one wire and you got code 9 and you changed the correct sensor something is wrong. There has to be 2 wires going to that sensor.

This sensor becomes less resistant to electrical conduction as it heats up. You can easily test it with a pot of water, a thermometer and an Ohmmeter. If the resistances are as the manual says they should be then you have a wiring problem.

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » October 21st, 2009, 12:18 pm

There is no ground wire. The sensor is grounded in the engine filler neck. There should be 2 wires and both go back to the ECU. Pins 2E and 3D. You should have continuity between the harness connector and one of those 2 pins on each of those wires.

Inodoro Pereyra · Post by **Inodoro Pereyra** » October 21st, 2009, 1:25 pm

You're looking at the K8 diagram. DR has a B6.
One wire (blue/white) goes to the ECU (pin 2G) and the other one (black/brown) goes to ground.

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » October 21st, 2009, 2:14 pm

I did assume. My bad.

Inodoro Pereyra · Post by **Inodoro Pereyra** » October 21st, 2009, 10:31 pm

No harm, no foul.

On the other hand, you did make me look for it...

Dark_Rider2k3 · Post by **Dark_Rider2k3** » October 22nd, 2009, 8:46 am

Actually inodoro hit it on the head

the sensor I replaced was not the thermosensor.. I replaced the fan (1 wire... located next to the thermostat).. so stupid me.

I'll look for the thermosensor in a sec.. haha I can't believe i did that!

and thinking about it now.. no harm done anyways.. the fan sensor was pretty bad too lol.

but yeah.. B6, Pulled a code 09

should I replace it? I mean.. can the B6 thermosensor be used with the BP?

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » October 22nd, 2009, 9:48 am

Unless you've already bought it, just get a BP sensor. Even if you have already bought it I'm sure if you take it back and say oops I bought the wrong sensor I'm sure they'd exchange it for you. I'm sure it's probably the same thought.

Dark_Rider2k3 · Post by **Dark_Rider2k3** » October 22nd, 2009, 9:53 am

wytbishop wrote:Unless you've already bought it, just get a BP sensor. Even if you have already bought it I'm sure if you take it back and say oops I bought the wrong sensor I'm sure they'd exchange it for you. I'm sure it's probably the same thought.

I didn't buy any sensors yet. The fan sensor I bought and put on was a few months ago. Right before the paint day. And really I don't want to return it seeing as the one I took off looked like complete crap.. it was definitely needing replaced.

So yeah.. I'll go snag a BP sensor and see if that works. Either way, I'm not too worried.. I bumped the idle up slightly and it doesn't stall.. though the engine light flashes on every so often..

Dark_Rider2k3 · Post by **Dark_Rider2k3** » October 22nd, 2009, 12:55 pm

Okay so I can't seem to find it =/.

I don't know if the fact that I have a SOHC makes a difference but yeah.. I don't know where it's at. I looked around the heat shield on the block but didn't see anything. Is it on the back of the engine? Do I have jack the car up to see it?

Inodoro Pereyra · Post by **Inodoro Pereyra** » October 22nd, 2009, 8:05 pm

Dark_Rider2k3 wrote:Okay so I can't seem to find it =/.

I don't know if the fact that I have a SOHC makes a difference but yeah.. I don't know where it's at. I looked around the heat shield on the block but didn't see anything. Is it on the back of the engine? Do I have jack the car up to see it?

My bad. I gave you the wrong directions...

Front of the engine, on the CYLINDER HEAD, right between the header and the bypass hose, which is right to the left of the thermostat housing.

Dark_Rider2k3 · Post by **Dark_Rider2k3** » October 22nd, 2009, 9:54 pm

Here is what I see in that area:

1. I see a single wire (black/orange) that is connected to what looks like a sensor going through the block.
2. Beside that, a little above, is a 2-wire harness that is connected to some sort of metal that connects to a screw mounted on the block. That is next to the coolant hose and such.

Other then that, the only wire in the front of the engine is the wire that leads to the O2 sensor on the header

Inodoro Pereyra · Post by **Inodoro Pereyra** » October 22nd, 2009, 10:24 pm

OMG. I feel like such an idiot now...

All this time, I've been directing you to the wrong sensor. I'm so sorry...

The REAL coolant temperature sensor is right behind the distributor.
This is a pic scanned from the protege manual (B8 engine), which I have always used to work on my B6 SOHC.

Again, my apologies...

Dark_Rider2k3 · Post by **Dark_Rider2k3** » October 22nd, 2009, 10:40 pm

haha this is like a wild goose chase!

I don't see it there either. I see nothing of relevance behind the distributor. I see no sensors behind it =(

is it different for the SOHC then the DOHC?

MX-3.com

Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.

Re: Water Thermosensor replaced, codes cleared, but still prob.