How Cooling Issue Affects Your Car Engines Performance
The coolant temperature switch or sensor is responsible for monitoring the temperature of the coolant in the car engine. Monitoring of the engine coolant is necessary since the engine’s fuel requirements are higher when it is cold and lower when the engine is warm. Upon measuring the coolant temperature, the sensor passes on a signal to the car’s computer which is then used by the computer to make adjustments to both the engine timing and fuel injection to allow for optimal engine performance.
If the computer detects that the engine is heating up too much, the performance settings will be adjusted accordingly to prevent or limit damage to the car engine from overheating.
Faulty Coolant Temperature Sensor
It’s important to know that if the coolant temperature sensor of your car is failing, it could potentially damage your car engine if the following signs are ignored.
Fuel Consumption Increases
One of the very first indications that you might have a potentially faulty coolant temperature sensor is when you notice a drop in fuel economy. The reason why this happens is as follows;
1.The faulty sensor might send a wrong signal to the computer leading to a miscalculation in the engine timing and fuel calculation.
2.If the computer keeps receiving a cold signal from the faulty sensor, it will interpret this as if the engine is cold even if that is not the case and continue to inject more fuel.
3.This action will not only lead to poor fuel economy but more importantly, it can impact engine performance.
Check Engine Light Flashes
If your check engine light starts flashing, this could also indicate a possible faulty coolant temperature sensor issue which could be due to a circuitry or signal problem. However, anytime this warning light comes on, our advice to car owners is to have it checked out immediately to avoid potential engine trouble.
If you are unable to figure out the trigger for the “check engine light” warning, visit a professional mechanic as soon as possible.
Engine Overheating
If the coolant temperature sensor malfunctions, it could cause your car engine to get overheated. While sometimes a faulty sensor sends a permanent cold signal to the engine, if the reverse happens, then the faulty sensor will send a hot signal to the computer. The computer will again miscalculate the signal and cause the engine to heat up instead of cooling it down. When this happens, the car might misfire or even lead to engine knocking. For dealing with engine overheating, you need cold air intake for your vehicle. For more information, you can check https://bighomechores.com/best-cold-air-intake-for-5-9-cummins/.
The coolant temperature sensor is a crucial component for ensuring the car engine performs at an optimal level. It is based on the signals from the sensor that the car computer calculates engine timing and fuel injection.