I've given up on trying to search topics here at the forum. Who has time to sift through 154 pages of stuff??? Does anyone know how to change out the coolant temperature sensor on an 89 LE??? My gauge reads cold all the time and has for awhile now. The car doesn't overheat and I have heat in the winter. I'm thinking its not a thermostat issue, but rather this sensor. The autozone site has instructions, but no Pics like they usually do. Can anyone help me out step by step?? Of course finding it seems to be the real problem.
Thanks fellas....

It is on the Intake. It is under the TB. There are two little things that connect there. One that has only one wire, and one with two or three. It is the one with two or three [also the larger one]. Pull that out, replace, clean all connections. You may want to try cleaning all the connections first. What temp are you reading anyways? And just because the needle is only 1/4 passed 100* doesn't mean the car is too cold. And what about the gauge? Do you know if it works? Does it move at all? You try cleaning the connection for the cluster? Just some other stuff it could be.


-justin

Been a number of posts but basically the 1/4 mark is 190F. With a 180F thermostat, the guage will never get there. The guage is decidedly non-linear with 100F the low mark, 190 the 1/4 mark, 220 half way and 260 full over.

The factory considers "normal" from 195 (thermostat setting) to 220, I retune (180F thermostat and revised fans) mine to run beetween 180 and 190.

I am running a very cold temp all the time. It has to be the sensor/sending unit since I changed the Thermostat today and the temp is still cold. The gauge does work, as it moves right to left during ignition start. I still can't locate where this coolant temperature sensor is. Justin, is there anyway to be more specific without using abbreviations. If anyone else has any insight or pictures of where this is, please post.
Thanks.

I don't currently have my intake mounted on the car, so I don't know how pics could be of any help. Just pull the Throttle Body. Look around a little closer to the EGR Valve. Just look for a little green wire [all by itself], and you've found the OTHER thing.. you want what has the connector on it [more than one wire].

I'm not sure if you can remove it with a socket wrench.. but if not, just grab a cresent wrench [looks like 15mm to me] and have at it.


-justin