[SOLVED] Weird temp sensor

See last reply for how I fixed it.

So the previous owner rerouted the temperature sensor to the coolant exit hose and I wanna fix it. Anyone know where I can start? I've never done anything like this before but can't imagine it'd be too hard to do. Any advice is appreciated thanks.

 

Alright if I understand correctly the temperature sensor by the radiator hose is for the gauge on the cluster. So why would the previous owner reroute the gauge to the coolant hose? It makes no sense. It's not like it'd be hard to replace the sensor. Only thing I can think of is the previous owner thought the sensor on the back of the engine was for the cluster gauge. Is there something I'm missing here? Did I buy a lemon and everyone's just waiting for me to figure it out on my own or was the previous owner a hack? Someone please help me understand what's going on because I don't know what to make of this.

 

OK ill take a stab at it, that set up is generally used to run electric fans, and its a thermal switch vs a thermal sensor. The coincidence here is your missing the evap hose (blue painters tape) that runs from air cleaner to a hard pipe which is bolted to the fan shroud, the fan shroud would be removed if electric fans were installed. That fan shroud looks pretty clean, did the fans get removed and the shroud get reinstalled? opps where is that hard pipe? Just spitballing here, but you need to follow that blue wire and see where it terminates, also look near the battery area for a little black aftermarket relay as well.
It takes effort or serious neglect to turn a first gen into a lemon.
R/
Andy

 

If you disconnect the blue wire does the temp gauge in the cluster stop working? If you connect the blue wire to the real temp sensor does the gauge work again?

 

Yeah it connects to the EVAP canister but I got that taken care of. I was trying to figure out the temperature sensor and why it's rerouted to the coolant hose.

 

I disconnected the blue wire and the temperature gauge in the cluster did stop working yes. Does the blue wire connect to the sensor on the front of the engine or the one on the back?

 

If it’s a 4 cylinder then the sensor on the front of the engine is for the gauge, and back of engine is for the ecm. If it’s a v6 someone else will have to chime in.

 

Alright I got the sensor and I'm gonna replace it when my engine cools down. Looks like both sensors are connected so I'm gonna have to find where the wire is disconnected from the gauge at. There's a ground wire on the makeshift sensor. Does that ground wire need to be attached to the original sensor somewhere?

 

From what I recall there’s only one wire on the original sensor. I can check to be sure in a bit if you’d like. The original sensor probably grounds through the engine since it’s right there. That new sensor floating in a rubber hose has no way to ground without the wire.

 

Well looks like it's somewhat solved. I disconnected the wire on the hose and installed a new temp sensor and it's reading just fine. I've drove it for about 30 minutes now and I'll drive it another 15 back home just to get a good idea of where everything is. At idle it reads just a little above operating temperature. I'm not sure if that's normal or not. This is with the AC on full blast and it's also been around 90 degrees in my city today if it matters. Any ideas? Am I in the clear? Pics are of when driving and when it's in idle.

 

SOLVED. Changed the old temp sensor that sends the reading to the cluster gauge and disconnected the makeshift sensor from the coolant hose. Works fine.