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View Full Version : coolant temp sensor?? what else?


nicku
03-28-2008, 07:34 PM
Hi guys,
due to my car previous owner's smart ass, I had to change my wiring harness. It's a redtop sr. So basically, I bought a wiring harness from a local guy who is swapping his car to LS1 engine. So anyways...Today I finished swaping the harness. It started right up. I took it for a test drive, and it was fine. nothing wrong at all. The only thing that caught my eye was the temp gauge was not working. So I drove it back, and turned it off. I was cleaning all the wires and locating the ECU back to where it belongs to. Then I tried to start again, it did not start. It cranked, but not starting. When I turned the key to on position, I could hear the fuel pump kept priming non stop. And the car just kept cranking but didnt turn over.
What could be the reason? Is the coolant temp sensor problem since the temp gague doesnt read anything. It was fine before.

Ragnarok043
03-29-2008, 05:44 AM
from what i understand, even if the coolant temp sensor is not working right the engine should still be running in a closed loop and throwing a CEL. dont take my word for it though, im not 100% sure.

cotbu
03-29-2008, 07:46 AM
You need to pull the harness again. Seems like your shorting or forgot a connection.. also the thermistor, 1 wire sensor next to the coolant temp sensor is were you should look for the cause of the non working temp gauge. sensor, plug, wire, harness etc.

aNskY
03-29-2008, 08:06 AM
also, even if your oem temp sensor is "working" you shouldnt trust it, they are extremely inaccurate. i wouldnt even try to fix it and just get an aftermarket gauge

Silvia_S13
03-29-2008, 09:41 AM
check all ur grounds. there are lots. don't forget the two on the intake mani and the one on the back of the block that goes to the head near the stock catch can.

nicku
03-29-2008, 10:23 AM
guys, thanks a lot....today i could start the car when the car was cold, and after the car warmed up, i turned it off, and it couldnt start again. does it sound like coolant temp sensor related if the temp gauge is not working and the car cannot start when the engine is warm. oh also it pulled a code 13 yesterday. I didnt check again today when I started the car. Should I change the coolant temp sensor from my the other engine?

DJ_Sunrise
03-29-2008, 02:10 PM
Theres two sensors. One for the tach, and one for the motor. Nither one should affect the car starting.

-Bart

nicku
03-29-2008, 06:31 PM
i just swapped the old one i had before..but the car still acts the same...no reaction on the temp gauge and no starting when the car is warm.........
what should i check guys??

nicku
03-29-2008, 08:54 PM
updated....the temp gauge is working now........but the car still cannot start when its warm.....what could be the problem...HELPPPPPPPPPPP

ASIA
03-29-2008, 10:40 PM
You know there's two sensors for water temperature, right? There's a black one and the red one on the intake. The black one is for the temp gauge in your gauge cluster. The red one is for the ECU. It's probably malfunctioning, causing the ECU to think the engine is overheating, thus making it run so rich it won't even start. Test the resistance across the red sensor and make sure it's up to par with a FSM.

nicku
03-30-2008, 10:53 AM
i replaced both of the sensors. And the car is acting the same. But now the temp gauge is working , and the car still not able to start when warm

nicku
03-30-2008, 12:21 PM
okay...now there is a little improvement....the car starts at warm temperature. But the car is really rich at idle.....
what's goign on?????

Silvia_S13
03-30-2008, 02:49 PM
bad fpr? or stuck injectors? 15yr old engines do that sometimes

zhins50
04-02-2008, 06:15 AM
im having a very similar problem with my s14 sr,.... let me know if you figure anything out

idamaster
01-29-2010, 04:34 PM
I am also having a problem exactly like this with my Blacktop. Im bookmarking this.

Pure_JDM
01-29-2010, 04:41 PM
Im bookmarking this as well. My s13 redtop sr is doing THE SAME EXACT thing. Im excited to see another person with this problem, only hoping that it doubles the chance we find the answer to the problem... My car cranks when it is cold. WILL NOT when it is warm; although I can usually push it and pop the clutch and it will run. It spits and sputters at half throttle sometimes too sense this problem started occuring. Blows smoke and the plugs are SUPER black after I just replaced them. Smells flooded when I first crank her too, if that helps.

idamaster
01-29-2010, 04:50 PM
Same with mine, If the motor is cold it will start without at problem, after a short drive it will only start if I cut off all of the fuel pressure. The motor will run fine, I changed the FPR (waste of $$) checked all of the injector O rings, checked the injectors, Im about to change the coolant temp sensor to see if this does anything but I cannot get the new sensor to thread. The car used to start a long time ago even with the sensor disconnected but now even if its connected or not it wont start when warm. I have no other idea's after this. My only other guess is the MAF and my very last guess is the ECU. I will let you guys know if its the sensor once I get this bitch in.. it doesnt fit into the bank in the motor for the last one. :rant2:

Pure_JDM
01-29-2010, 04:57 PM
Yeah, by chance did either of you throw any codes? I was throwing an ignition code, so I pulled off all of my turbo time and car alarm thinking it would help. It cleared the code... now I only get a 55 when I check it, and according to FSM, thats either "No malfunction" or possibly an "Other Malfunction". Also, I spent the ENTIRE day today rewiring the engine bay to see if that was the issue (hacked up job from shop the previous owner brought it to). I respliced a BUNCH of wires, and shrinkwrapped everything. But still no luck. Did find 3 grounds that go to nothing, a brown wire going to nothing, a Coil 3 output wire going to nothing, and a fuel pressure wire going to nothing. After looking up the "essential wires", the only one Needed but's missing is the "Coil 3 output", however, my sr has a distributor and not individual coil packs...

idamaster
01-29-2010, 05:08 PM
I threw only one code for the coolant temp sensor but maybe that was because I disconnected it before I took it for a drive before I checked for codes. Im afraid to force the sensor into it because I dont think the threads are the same. Im going to go see if I can find different sized bolts to see if one fits in there to compare to the threading to the temp sensor. Ill let you guys know if anything changes.

Pure_JDM
01-29-2010, 08:30 PM
why dont you simply compare the threads of the new one to the one you just took out. flip them aroound and hold them parallel to each other and see if the threads line up with one another. also, where'd you get it and what vehicle did you order it for? supposedly the 91 sentra se-r's are the same?

idamaster
01-29-2010, 09:05 PM
The s13 KA, the SR20de (sentra SE-r) motors all have the same sensor. I got mine for a 92 240 KA at autozone. The old one fell into the engine bay somewhere when I took it out, I cant get it out so if I want to Ill have to remove the intake manifold because I cant really see where it is. If I did have it though I would compare the threads like you said, common sense haha.

Pure_JDM
01-30-2010, 08:36 AM
I just bought a coolant temp sensor as well. The 89 maxima, 91 240, 91 sentra se-r, and 300zxtt were all part number WT5000 at advance, so that's what I got. Update ya when I change this in an hour or so...

idamaster
01-30-2010, 09:33 AM
Ill see if I can change mine today also, I dont know why my new sensor isnt threading but im going to take of my intake manifold to see if I can find where the old one fell and compare the threads. Ill update you too.

Pure_JDM
01-30-2010, 09:46 AM
WORKED FOR ME!!! Changed the Coolant Temp Sensor (WT5000) is a BWD part number. I put some fresh V-power gas in her, sandpapered all my grounds and reconnected them, and boom. Spins like a top. Runs smoother than ever, and idles right back where it's suppose to. I'm tickled.

idamaster
01-30-2010, 06:56 PM
It was the sensor, my father found a way to get it to thread by violently wiggling it. I ruled out the sensor because I thought even though it was disconnected a long time ago it didnt make a difference. But it ended up being the problem.

JasianBlazin
02-08-2012, 06:53 PM
damn the coolant temp sensor is a sneaky little bastard, haha mine is coming in the mail in a couple days and hopefully i can get my car running its a ka tho.

fliprayzin240sx
02-08-2012, 09:30 PM
damn the coolant temp sensor is a sneaky little bastard, haha mine is coming in the mail in a couple days and hopefully i can get my car running its a ka tho.

So you bumped a 2 yr old thread to say that?:picardfp:

JasianBlazin
02-09-2012, 08:52 AM
So you bumped a 2 yr old thread to say that?:picardfp:

haha i thought it said 2012 not 2010. :o