What are the symptoms of a faulty car temperature sensor?
2 Answers
Characteristics of a faulty car temperature sensor: It can cause symptoms such as unstable engine idling, easy stalling, high fuel consumption, and difficulty starting the engine. At this time, a yellow warning light will appear on the dashboard to remind the driver to check the engine. If the water temperature is too high or the oil pressure warning light comes on, or if you clearly feel that the vehicle has a malfunction, you should pull over immediately. A temperature sensor is a sensor that can sense temperature and convert it into an available output signal. The temperature sensor is the core part of the temperature measuring instrument, with a wide variety of types. According to the measurement method, it can be divided into two categories: contact and non-contact. According to the characteristics of the sensor material and electronic components, it can be divided into two categories: thermal resistance and thermocouple.
During my last car repair session, I encountered quite a few cases of temperature sensor failures. The most typical symptoms were either the dashboard temperature needle staying completely still at the lowest value or suddenly shooting up to the red warning zone. Cold starts became particularly difficult, just like my neighbor's decade-old car that needed four or five ignition attempts in winter before it would start. The idle speed was even more erratic, with the tachometer dancing between 800 and 2000 RPM like a disco. Oh, and fuel consumption definitely skyrocketed – last week, a customer reported burning three extra liters per 100 km, which immediately normalized after sensor replacement. If you notice the cooling fan spinning wildly for no reason or not spinning at all, there's an 80% chance it's this component acting up.
