Driving with no coolant temp sensor

[fourgsixthree33]

I found out this weekend that I have been driving around with a 1G engine coolant temp sensor. It was plugged in, but plugged in with the BCS plug and not the ECTS plug.....

I have swapped heads/engines in and out of this car several times. Every time I did so, I would swap in/out my 2G ECTS (or so I thought).

My new 2G sensor will be here today, but I was wondering what/how this would have affected the car. The reason I ask is because I have been trying to diagnose a "fuel cut" issue for several months.

I also noticed a WHILE ago that my 10K Pot Mod, the Pot didn't need to be on. I have no misfires with or without it on. I guess that would be because without the ECTS plugged in, it would not check for misfires?

My car will not start on cold starts without starting fluid. Also, my fans come on as soon as the car is started. Which is why I started investigating in the ECTS.

 

[r-rracing]

did you ever figure this out? kinda interested never heard of that before

 

[PaqueDSM]

The coolant temp sensor is very important, when this sensor fails, the engine no runs well... this sensor handles the information of the state of engine, and the ECU goes to increase and decrease the quantity of fuel depending of the measure of the coolant temperature sensor...

 

[r-rracing]

i guess that answers my question. i never knew that the coolent temp sensor helped with fuel? i know with other cars like gms you dont need a coolent temp sensor for the car to run right. i really dont understand how a coolent temp sensor richs and leans fuel? can anyone explain this

 

[eDeclpse92]

The coolant temp sensor measures resistance and sends that back to the ecu. Different temps = different resistances. At different resistances, the ecu will tell the injectors to run at a higher duty cycle or a lower duty cycle (basically letting more or less fuel into the combustion chamber). This is done because at a colder temperature, the car needs to run more rich in order to fire up and idle and drive. As the car warms up, the resistance in the sensor will change thus changing the ecu's output to the injectors (telling them to run less rich or more close to the stoichiometric mixture).

I hope this helps! If anything I said is wrong please correct me.

The fans might be related to this issue but I had the same problem with my fans as well. It ended up being a short to ground that kept them running all the time.

 

[needbooost]

I beleive it has to do with (hot start) (cold start) mode.

 

[r-rracing]

ok.. i understand now thanks

 

[Ghost Talon]

I'm curious on this. If you are referring to the sensor that plugs into the bottom of the radiator (1g) that tells the fans when to come on don't think it is a necessity. I've been running for 2yrs without mine connected and runs just fine never overheats always starts right up. And as far as fuel I thought (temp wise) was controlled under the engine temp sensor?..

 

[eDeclpse92]

The sensor that I thought he was referring to was the one that is plugged into the thermostat housing. This is the one that I explained on how it worked with the fuel question posted earlier. This sensor should be located after (under) the thermostat.

You are correct though, that sensor is to tell the fan to turn on and off.