Kingman Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Started acting up again, barely made it up a hill and died as I pulled into a parking lot to get it off the road. Then a few min later it started, and ran like crap and was blowing black, so I had a buddy follow me to school. I was barely able to nurse it there. Tow truck picked 'er up, and now I'm waiting to hear back from the shop. I took it to Ron's Automotive to see if they could find the problem when it wasn't acting up, they couldn't, but already have me on file and know all about it, so I'm priority. It was a cold mofo out this morning, I had ice on my windshield. Now to figure out how I'm going to get to school... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted October 22, 2008 Author Share Posted October 22, 2008 Just got the word. A Temp sensor inside the engine shorted out, giving the ECU 117 amps instead of 2.7-.3 amps. Basically, telling the computer it was -110 degrees in the Arctic. Therefore, flooding it out. Bad news: the sensor is INSIDE the engine, so they have to take basically the top end of the engine apart. $873.23 total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edicer2 Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 so is this different than a thermostat? because i had mine changed for 50 bucks and its inside the radator hose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 A Temp sensor inside the engine shorted out, giving the ECU 117 amps instead of 2.7-.3 amps. You really may want to get better clarification before you dump $850. Electronics are a weak point of mine, but I don't know of any sensor inside the engine other than what is just screwed into the block and I'm willing to bet that if you had 120 amps flowing to the ECU your butt would have been on fire... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edicer2 Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 thats kinda what i was thinking bring it somewhere else and get it checked again I bet they ment the thermostat which isnt that hard to change and is actually pretty cheap. Like precise 1 said thats alot of volts getting to it i dont think a 12v batter can even put out that much. Try and double check that before doing it I think they are yanking your leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathfinder93x Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Thermostat is right infront of the timing belt on the engine inside the rad hose... did it myself. Not sure who you paid 50$ too but wasnt the easiest of jobs. But then again i dropped my rad to clean it really well and changed all my fluids at the same time. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 (edited) I think they are referring to the main water temperature sensor. Not the one for the temp gage/idiot light, but the one for the ECU to know engine coolant temp. And I have a glimmer of memory that it is under the intake manifold. Still, that should be a 4 hour job Edited October 22, 2008 by mws Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Must be a TBI thing. Both my coolant sensors are right before the thermostat, neatly lined up and easily accessable. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted October 22, 2008 Author Share Posted October 22, 2008 I think they are referring to the main water temperature sensor. Not the one for the temp gage/idiot light, but the one for the ECU to know engine coolant temp. And I have a glimmer of memory that it is under the intake manifold. Still, that should be a 4 hour job That's exactly what it is. I replaced the thermosdat and coolant hoses almost a month ago, it was stuck and overheating like mad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 is there a cyl head temp senosr in addition to the coolant temp sensor in these vehicles? if there is that might be the burried culprit we are talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edicer2 Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Thermostat is right infront of the timing belt on the engine inside the rad hose... did it myself. Not sure who you paid 50$ too but wasnt the easiest of jobs. But then again i dropped my rad to clean it really well and changed all my fluids at the same time. Jason i have a mechanic thats really good. He only charged me 160 bucks to fix my manifold when it warped and also planed it flate too and upgraded the bolts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted October 24, 2008 Author Share Posted October 24, 2008 Woohoo, got it back today. The shop charges $100 to change the plugs, and since they have been fowled 4 times now, and were sitting in gas for a few days, they had to be changed. It just wouldn't start. I told the guy I wasn't going to pay that just to have the plugs replaced, so he allowed me to come in and change them myself. Costless was having a good deal on NGK plugs, $1.19 a piece for the V-powers, which is the price of the crappy AutoLites. Fired right up after, and the exhaust no longer smelled rich like it always was, even when it wasn't having...issues. I was beginning to doubt his claim of the 117 amps of power, or ohms, whichever, so I had him show me the print out. Yeah, as the engine started to heat up, the sensor went nuts. Actually peaked at 179. Crazy huh? She's back, and running a whole hell of a lot better, has more power, doesn't bog, and I would assume better mileage now that the exhaust doesn't smell of gas, which I would assume it's not dumping as much gas into it on a regular basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Ahh, good that he let you do the plugs. Ohms I would believe, amps not so much. Congrats on having your truck back and running well. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 Ahh, good that he let you do the plugs. Ohms I would believe, amps not so much.Congrats on having your truck back and running well. B dammit, dammit, dammit. Just started doing it again, WTF. but for only like 2 or 3 seconds and then it would stop and then do it again. Ugh. Now when I start it, it sputters and blows black again. Can't get it back in the shop until monday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 I let it sit for about 30 min, just went out to start it up and it started perfectly fine, no sputter, perfect rpm till it started to heat up again then it started doin its thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I let it sit for about 30 min, just went out to start it up and it started perfectly fine, no sputter, perfect rpm till it started to heat up again then it started doin its thing. Which sensor exactly was the one acting up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 (edited) Which sensor exactly was the one acting up? Coolant temp sensor, that's what the problem was diagnosed as when the sensor was throwing 117 ohms instead of 2.7 ohms. Edited October 25, 2008 by kingman92010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift220 Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Coolant level is good? Its weird the sensor would go erratic like that... especially if the new one is too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 Coolant level is good? Its weird the sensor would go erratic like that... especially if the new one is too Yeah, moves fine and everything. I think they missed something, or something. It drove perfectly until it heated up like I said...thats the weird thing. It almost has to be the same sensor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Did they replace the sensor? Make sure you get to SEE the old one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkorahil Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I think they are referring to the main water temperature sensor. Not the one for the temp gage/idiot light, but the one for the ECU to know engine coolant temp. And I have a glimmer of memory that it is under the intake manifold. Still, that should be a 4 hour job Yep yep its buried right in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkorahil Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I let it sit for about 30 min, just went out to start it up and it started perfectly fine, no sputter, perfect rpm till it started to heat up again then it started doin its thing. Hmmm... this is a most interesting problem. Did they maybe miss a vacuum hose when putting the intake collector back on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 (edited) Hmmm... this is a most interesting problem. Did they maybe miss a vacuum hose when putting the intake collector back on? When I got it back, I checked everything to make sure it was all as it should be, and it was. As far as knowing if they replaced the sensor or not, I don't know. All I saw was the spec sheet when they ran the test with the numbers. I think they did replace it though, because the day that it went in the shop the tech had told me that noon was the cut-off for ordering parts, because the part wasn't around locally. I gave him the OK, and the next day (Thursday) I got a call mid-day that they had gotten the part and began working on it. I sort of doubt he was making it up, because this is a very well known shop and have VERY high levels of service. I disconnected the battery for about 15 min, just a random thing I thought out of luck might clear the ECU just in case, dumb I know. I had to drive it to the store today, down the road aways, and it ran fine. Fully warmed up, didn't act up the slightest bit. Strange. Guess we'll see. Good thing is, I get to drive my dad's F150 to school while the Pathy goes back in the shop Edited October 26, 2008 by kingman92010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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