What the hell did my truck just do?

[Ricko1966]

You could actually bypass the sensor for now by replacing it with an average value resistor or a variable resistor. That way steam pockets are not part of the equation

 

[Bextreme04]

That's the plan, we're gonna get a cat or two when we get around to it. But they're gonna have to be maine coons or something big and tough because we have 3 dogs. As of now I have a slew of really cool mouse traps in the garage that seem to be helping, but nothing that'll do work outside. Luckily once in a while I see a cat from the neighborhood hanging out in the driveway hiding under the trucks, so maybe he's doing a little something

I don't know how it is out there, but in northern Arizona you could go to the local shelter and get free barn cats. They separate the cats they get in from animal control into "feral" and "pet" categories. Feral cats could be adopted out for use as pest control. They would bring it to your barn with a crate and slowly get it used to living in the barn in the crate over a few weeks time. Then after an adjustment period they let them out of the crate and "boom" now you have feral cat pest control.

They fix them first, but they would still be pretty good murder machines.

 

[Bextreme04]

You could actually bypass the sensor for now by replacing it with an average value resistor or a variable resistor. That way steam pockets are not part of the equation

Seams like if you are going to go that far, you might as well just test the resistance to rule it out. If the sensor is the problem it's only a 5 minute fix. If it's the harness, a resister wouldn't even band-aid that unless you did it at the ECM.

 

[Ricko1966]

Seams like if you are going to go that far, you might as well just test the resistance to rule it out. If the sensor is the problem it's only a 5 minute fix. If it's the harness, a resister wouldn't even band-aid that unless you did it at the ECM.

Except he has a blown head gasket probably keeping the sensor from reading correctly and isn't fixing the head gasket immediately.

 

[Bextreme04]

Except he has a blown head gasket probably keeping the sensor from reading correctly and isn't fixing the head gasket immediately.

But his code is for excessively cold... exhaust gas isn't going to make much of a difference on the coolant temp reading. A CTS is a pretty slow reacting sensor and is going to have way more thermal conductivity to the coolant than to any exhaust gas bubbles. He needs to start with testing the sensor to see if it is reading super high resistance or an open. If not, then the wiring is the issue and no amount of resisters is going to make a bit of difference in fixing an open in the circuit.

 

[bucket]

The CTS is not affected by exhaust gas pockets. At least, in no way shape or form enough to cause terribly false readings. Three factual reasons come to mind:

1: I also have a TBI Burb with a seriously blown head gasket. The CTS works and the engine runs.

2: The CTS will read temp and let the fueling function even when there's no coolant in the engine.

3: In the mid 80's, GM actually used a CTS as an Intake Air Temp sensor on the TPI engines in the F-body. I don't know why, but they did.

 

[Ricko1966]

What I was basing my thinking on was not that the sensor shouldn't be tested. What my thinking was I wouldn't bother replacing it until I fixed the head gasket.Have you ever noticed a car with a blown head gasket the heater goes cold and the temp gauge goes hot and then stone cold. It made sense to me that the cts was going to see the same conditions. I may be wrong. But it makes sense in my head, if the temp gauge will go cold, why wouldn't a cts go cold.

 

[bucket]

What I was basing my thinking on was not that the sensor shouldn't be tested. What my thinking was I wouldn't bother replacing it until I fixed the head gasket.Have you ever noticed a car with a blown head gasket the heater goes cold and the temp gauge goes hot and then stone cold. It made sense to me that the cts was going to see the same conditions. I may be wrong. But it makes sense in my head, if the temp gauge will go cold, why wouldn't a cts go cold.

That's because the pocket of exhaust gas that gets trapped will cause the coolant to basically stop flowing. The heater goes cold because there's a lack of flow and the temp gauge goes up because the engine is getting hotter.

Drilling an 1/8" hole in the thermostat will keep the pockets from forming and let the engine run at a more consistent temperature.

 

[Ricko1966]

Yep I've had to drill a hole in a Tstat more than once.But on customer cars with stock everything I've watched the coolant temp gauge go stone cold on a hot engine due to steam pockets.Never thought about it because it's been too many different makes and models over too many years. Maybe it depends on where the temperature gauge sender is located. Hmmm. Never thought about that.

 

[bucket]

Yep I've had to drill a hole in a Tstat more than once.But on customer cars with stock everything I've watched the coolant temp gauge go stone cold on a hot engine due to steam pockets.Never thought about it because it's been too many different makes and models over too many years. Maybe it depends on where the temperature gauge sender is located. Hmmm. Never thought about that.

The one that seals it for me is the fact that GM used a CTS as an IAT sensor. That had me confused the first time I saw that one. I was wondering why the heck someone did that, then went shopping for a new sensor. They were also a CTS. Then I dug into my other TPI Camaro... sure enough, there was a CTS being used as an IAT sensor.

 

[RecklessWOT]

I don't know how it is out there, but in northern Arizona you could go to the local shelter and get free barn cats. They separate the cats they get in from animal control into "feral" and "pet" categories. Feral cats could be adopted out for use as pest control. They would bring it to your barn with a crate and slowly get it used to living in the barn in the crate over a few weeks time. Then after an adjustment period they let them out of the crate and "boom" now you have feral cat pest control.

They fix them first, but they would still be pretty good murder machines.

Generally around here the shelters won't even give you a cat if you tell them you plan to let it outside, and if you mention getting them for pest control they'll tell you to hit the road. So basically you just gotta lie and say it's gonna snuggle in bed with you and be your best friend, but after that it's not an issue.

When I was younger I always got my cats from houses with "free kittens" signs, though I haven't seen such a thing in a long time and doubt that's still a thing, bitchy people would probably cry animal abuse or whatever.