Brand new dillema....temp gauge remains idle with no increase in temp. Both electric fans run right after starting the engine, and Service Engine Soon light remains lit. Has antifreeze, (not the cleanest, but its there!) and the car has 93,00+ miles on it. It's a 2001, red converetible andwas my little retirement gift to myself from almost 4 years ago. Love the car and plan on keeping it a long time. Anybody have any idea what I should look for first in fixing this.

 

That coolent is made to last 5-6 years. Have you changed it since then? If not, change it.

 

Go to some place like Autozone and have the hook a code reader to it to see why the service engine light is on. Maybe the temp sensor is bad and its in a limp mode which allows you to continue to drive. Does the temp gauge move at all when it gets hot?

 

Thanks Chevman..................putting less than 50 miles or so a week on my 01 convertible, the coolant change was on schedule for this coming Spring anyway. Thanks for the reply. I noticed I made a error on the mileage and hope everyone catches it.................it's 93,000 + miles. Not 9300 !

 

Hey MadMike............thanks for the reply. Auto Zone was my first thought also. I just can't figure out why the electric fans are running constantly. If antifreeze/coolant is up, whether the gauge is working or not, the coolant should keep the temperature at a point where the fans should'nt come on. But then again, I'm just a retired 60 year old who ain't a mechanic..............so I'm probably wrong ! Ha! Ha! Thanks again for the reply and the hint about the sensor, that never even crossed my mind.........DUH !

 

When a check engine lite comes on, depending on the trouble, the computer will automatically turn on the fans, wether they are needed or not, in order to protect to the engine. Get the car scanned, as Mike advised,and when the trouble is cleared the fans will start working normally.

 

Thanks Pete. Thats what I was trying to get across. When I say limp mode I am not always refering to Erectile Disfunction.[:-]

 

Got to watch that Mike, someone might just put Viagra pills in the gas tank and cause the tail pipes to stretch way out past the rear bumper.

 

Thanks for all the hits and responses from all of you. Some are very cute ! Does anyone out there know where to get engine diagrams at on line ? I'm looking for the location of the water temp sensor . I kow it sounds crazy, but none of the parts stores here have repair manuals in stock and the dealers don't want to waste time it seems ! I've been trying to find sites on the net, but no luck so far. Thanks to anyone who has more knowledge than I do. And to z28Pete, and MadMike.................my pipes already stick out past the bumper ! (3 inch Flomasters in stainless, from the cat back!)

 

3 inches...is that all you got!
If there is an autozone in your area they market Alldata. You can buy a years subscription to acces a online manual for your car. Sops can subscribe to the service and get discs for thier computers. Or an Autozone should be able to look up the parts locations for you. It helps them when selling parts.