Is my temp sensor broken?

[Backinajiffy12]

Ok so i replaced my tstat today and my car is no longer overheating . but not the gauge goes just a little above 1/4 the way up, but it does it like 10 or 15 min after driving. and the manual says to unplug the wire at the coolant temp sending unit. if the gauge reading drops the replace the sending unit. which mine does. so is it broken? or does it just drop?

 

[viprez586]

Check your wiring, there could be broken strands on the wire, high resistance(corrosion= green/white fuzzy sh_t), or it could be pinched between something and making very little contact.
Best bet is to look how the temp sensor is setup..which is most likely a NTC thermistor. As temperature rises resistance of the sensor decreases. Hence why higher resistance would read lower temperature.
G'luck.

 

[nlzn]

I'm saying this because it happened to me.

Did you check the t-stat in hot water before using it? I had 3 t-stats in a row stick open on me and it's for that very reason I only get OEM ones (dealer) from now on.

Just a thought for you and it takes 5minutes to check

 

[Backinajiffy12]

I get heat so i dont think the failsafe is stuck open but ill check just incase. and ill look at my wiring

 

[Boostjunki84]

If you do have to get another t-stat, save your money and just get a Stant 180 from Advance. I use them in both my DSMs and you can almost get 3 for the price you would pay for 1 at the dealership.

 

[Recon_Sgt_76]

Tried to replace mine, but the sending unit broke off in the t-stat housing. No gauge. Would this have an effect on whether or not the radiator fan turn on. Now this in not the coolant temp sensor, but the sending unit for the dash gauge. From what I am under the impression, that all this sensor does is measure the heat from the motor and has nothing to do with anything else, right?