Alright, well...today i was on my way to work(never made it) when i looked down and my temp gauge was pinned at 260.....so i pulled over really quick and checked everything....the engine did not seem like it was over heating. seemed about normal temp. I have coolant and just had the water pump replaced about 2,000 miled ago, so i didnt think it was anything with that. when i got back in the car and started it the temp gauge was bouncing all over the place. so im guessing a bad sensor, i got the balls to atleast drive it home and while the driving the gauge kept bouncing all over. finally it dropped down to cold and my CEL came on. when i got home i let it idle for a little while to see what happened. idle is normal. even though the temp gauge was at "cold" the fans kept cutting on and off.....only things i can think of is temp sensor, fan relay, or air bubble.....if it is the temp sensor, is it the coolant sensor?? Any and all comments would be appreciated!! Thanks in advance!




Cavalier z24......A poor man's Camaro....close enough, right?

Could be the ECT sensor...or the sensor to PCM wiring/connections faulty or loose...or the PCM is screwed. I would check all the connections (clean them if necessary) and if no luck, try a new sensor. It is just a variable resistor, shouldn't be too expensive.

forgot to mention its a 97 z24 with about 97k miles on it....also, do you think it is safe to drive? i dont really have much of a choice...only car....have to work heh




Cavalier z24......A poor man's Camaro....close enough, right?

i had the same problem w/ my car. i replaced the ect (engine coolant temp) sensor and that wasnt the problem. like you said though i had a problem w/ my needle dropping down and going all over the place. then sometimes it would drop to cold and the check engine light would come on. took it to the dealer after being tired of trying to figure it out. here the harness that connects to the sensor, one of the wires was broken so it wasnt getting a full signal. fixed the wire and havent had a problem since.

cool, thanks for the imput...i work at a dealership, so i will have the pull the code on it tomorrow(if my car takes me that far!) i will keep in mind what you all have said....thanks again.....any more people have a clue?


Cavalier z24......A poor man's Camaro....close enough, right?

update on today....alright, so my car sat for a little while and then i had to go pick my fiance up....i was scared to drive it but i did.. the temp gauge worked fine...and then after about 10miles or so the CEL went out....any idea?? air bubble in the lines maybe??




Cavalier z24......A poor man's Camaro....close enough, right?

No itss seem like a bad connection/broke wire. The CEL is because the ecm see "cold" coolant because the sensor doesn't work right or just doesn't see it at all.




Gilles
2.3 Ho

Mfk-223 wrote:No itss seem like a bad connection/broke wire. The CEL is because the ecm see "cold" coolant because the sensor doesn't work right or just doesn't see it at all.

right. when i had my problem it was only happening when it was hot out. in the winter time it never did it

thanks for all the imput guys...its acting completely fine now....i think my car has a serious case of PMS....cars are too much like women. haha




Cavalier z24......A poor man's Camaro....close enough, right?