What happens if coolant temperature sensor is bad?

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asked Mar 5, 2019 in Repairs/Maintenance by SrmthfgRockLee (320 points)
What happens if coolant temperature sensor is bad?

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answered Mar 5, 2019 by AlanDominguez (400 points)
The coolant temperature sensor on a vehicles engine detects the temperature of the engine coolant and tells the computer what temperature the engine is running at.

When a coolant temperature sensor is bad it may cause a lean idle or rough idle and may cause the engine to stall until fully warmed up.

What I experienced with my truck a few years ago when the coolant temperature sensor went bad is I'd have to let the truck run for 15 minutes at idle before I was able to get the engine up to speed and go down the highway.

If I didn't let the engine run for at least 15 minutes the engine would almost always stall or spit and sputter so it was not getting enough fuel.

After I replaced the coolant temperature sensor the engine runs just fine like it should and I can take off within a few minutes of warming the engine up.

I always let the engine warm up for at least a few minutes during cold weather to allow the engine oil to flow through the engine which prolongs the life of the engine.

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