NEED HELP! Engine cold, but Coolant Temperature gauge Pegged with Error Codes

[leety]

I started up my truck today, it's in a dead-cold been-parked state.

 

I got a check engine light, the check gauges warning text light came on and immediately my temperature gauge pegged.  The engine is cold!

 

I check codes with the key turn method I get:  P1693 followed by P0118.  I pull more codes with my ODB2 reader and get P0118  & P0116

 

I tested the temperature sensor for ohms.  

 

Room temp, about 70 degrees, I get 8.6k ohms

Cold water from the fridge I get 19.3k 

Boiling water I get 700 ohms

 

It's doing something but not sure if it's doing that something right or not.

 

I tested the connector with the key on and I get a nice 5v reading

I checked the blue ground wire at the connector for ground at the block and get zero ohms.

 

The pins are good in the sensor and the connectors are clean at the harness connector.

 

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

 

[Marcus2000monster]

9 minutes ago, leety said:

I started up my truck today, it's in a dead-cold been-parked state.

 

I got a check engine light, the check gauges warning text light came on and immediately my temperature gauge pegged.  The engine is cold!

 

I check codes with the key turn method I get:  P1693 followed by P0118.  I pull more codes with my ODB2 reader and get P0118  & P0116

 

I tested the temperature sensor for ohms.  

 

Room temp, about 70 degrees, I get 8.6k ohms

Cold water from the fridge I get 19.3k 

Boiling water I get 700 ohms

 

It's doing something but not sure if it's doing that something right or not.

 

I tested the connector with the key on and I get a nice 5v reading

I checked the blue ground wire at the connector for ground at the block and get zero ohms.

 

The pins are good in the sensor and the connectors are clean at the harness connector.

 

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

 

Make sure your battery cables are tight. I had mine come loose and made the gauges go crazy and the check gauges light came on. Also it might be a thermostat going out but I don’t know that. 

[Mopar1973Man]

Typically it because the coolant sensor lead is unplugged. Double check the coolant sensor right near the thermostat housing for good connection. Use a live data tool and see what the value the ECM is seeing. 

 

Remember sensor ground is not body ground.

 

Basically, the ECM creates 5V signal and sense the voltage on the same connection. So the ground side of the sensor is the negative side of that 5V circuit. This why I say that sensor ground is not body ground. This is also why sensor are 2 or 3 wire and provide the separate ground because it's not part of the 12V system at all.

 

 

If you look back in time to the older vehicles the older dodge vehicles had 1 wire temperature sensors because the ground of the sensor was part of the 12V system. Even though the older vehicles still used a modified low voltage signal. 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2018 by Mopar1973Man

[leety]

32 minutes ago, Marcus2000monster said:

Make sure your battery cables are tight. I had mine come loose and made the gauges go crazy and the check gauges light came on. Also it might be a thermostat going out but I don’t know that. 

Thermostat is new.  Battery terminals are also new and solid as can be.

 

 

4 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Typically it because the coolant sensor lead is unplugged. Double check the coolant sensor right near the thermostat housing for good connection. Use a live data tool and see what the value the ECM is seeing. 

 

Remember sensor ground is not body ground.

  

Basically, the ECM creates 5V signal and sense the voltage on the same connection. So the ground side of the sensor is the negative side of that 5V circuit. This why I say that sensor ground is not body ground. This is also why sensor are 2 or 3 wire and provide the separate ground because it's not part of the 12V system at all.

 

If you look back in time to the older vehicles the older dodge vehicles had 1 wire temperature sensors because the ground of the sensor was part of the 12V system. Even though the older vehicles still used a modified low voltage signal. 

Good to know thank you.

It appears to have a good connection but I'll push a pin in the connections tomorrow and see if I can learn something.

[dripley]

Anything odd about how the truck runs?

[IBMobile]

See if this helps.

You don't have a DRBIII(R) , your multimeter (VMO) will work.

 

8 hours ago, leety said:

I'll push a pin in the connections tomorrow and see if I can learn something.

Be careful not to distort the connector terminals when putting pins into them that's why they say to back probe them.   

 

[leety]

3 hours ago, IBMobile said:

See if this helps.

You don't have a DRBIII(R) , your multimeter (VMO) will work.

 

Be careful not to distort the connector terminals when putting pins into them that's why they say to back probe them.   

 

Can you recommend a DRBIII

6 hours ago, dripley said:

Anything odd about how the truck runs?

It starts as normal, but that's a great question.  Haven't driven it yet.

[dripley]

28 minutes ago, leety said:

It starts as normal, but that's a great question.  Haven't driven it yet.

 

The only time I had that issue was when my ECM took a dive. But I would expect to see many more codes and the truck behaving badly, maybe undrivable. It does not sound like that's your problem, you would notice some of that at idle.

Edited April 24, 2018 by dripley

[dripley]

6 hours ago, leety said:

Can you recommend a DRBIII

12 hours ago, dripley said:

The DRBIII is the tool the dealer would use to diagnose problems with. They are quite expensive unless you can find a good deal on used one. But even then they are pricey from what I have seen like in the 2k to 3k range. A good DRBII code reader will suffice for most of the problems we encounter.

[IBMobile]

Yes @dripley right about the DBRIII being a dealer item but a good OBDII code reader with live data capability will work along with your volt ohm multimeter .  

[Mopar1973Man]

On 4/24/2018 at 9:53 PM, IBMobile said:

Yes @dripley right about the DBRIII being a dealer item but a good OBDII code reader with live data capability will work along with your volt ohm multimeter .  

 

That's where my OBDLink LX shines the best. I can leave the ignition key on engine off grab my cell phone lay it on the valve cover and monitor signals while I test for sensor issues. Corded OBDII tools suck because now you can't watch the display with you wiggle wires or test anything. I very very rarely ever use my corded tools any longer because of the cord limitation which isn't long enough to even make it outside the cab. 

Edited April 27, 2018 by Mopar1973Man

[leety]

6 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

That's where my OBDLink LX shines the best. I can leave the ignition key on engine off grab my cell phone lay it on the valve cover and monitor signals while I test for sensor issues. Corded OBDII tools suck because now you can't watch the display with you wiggle wires or test anything. I very very rarely ever use my corded tools any longer because of the cord limitation which isn't long enough to even make it outside the cab. 

Which one do you use?  I have a blue driver but I need to learn more about how to use it.

[Mopar1973Man]

5 minutes ago, leety said:

Which one do you use?

 

OBDLink LX is the dongle I've got. 

http://www.obdlink.com/lxbt/

 

I've used both the OBDLink App and Dash Command (Palmer Performance). I prefer the Palmer Performance being it does auto connect properly where the OBDLink app doesn't you manual have to remember to reconnect each time. 

[leety]

6 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

OBDLink LX is the dongle I've got. 

http://www.obdlink.com/lxbt/

 

I've used both the OBDLink App and Dash Command (Palmer Performance). I prefer the Palmer Performance being it does auto connect properly where the OBDLink app doesn't you manual have to remember to reconnect each time. 

Good to know.  I don't use Andriod or have a windows machine at this point.  I'll have to see how far I can get with the Blue Driver I guess.  To check codes the engine has to be running is that true of the tools you use as well? 

[Red Rambler]

7 minutes ago, leety said:

Which one do you use?  I have a blue driver but I need to learn more about how to use it.

I have the blue driver as well. It works just fine, should suffice for anything you need to look at. It pulls codes just as any other scanner would do, the live option is what is impressive. You can watch up to 5 different gauges at once, and it logs/saves the data which you can throw in excel or what ever you want to. As long as your Bluetooth is on, it connects automatically. I personally would become more familiar with your current blue driver versus buying another scanner. However that is the limit of this tool, you can read/pull codes and data, but you cant actually change any vehicle parameters as you would with much more expensive scan tools.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

17 minutes ago, leety said:

I don't use Andriod or have a windows machine at this point.

 

I don't have a Windows PC either... Strictly Linux and Android.

 

18 minutes ago, leety said:

To check codes the engine has to be running

 

No. Just key on. The Live Data yes needs the vehicle driven or running. 

[sprpilot]

On 4/27/2018 at 12:00 PM, Mopar1973Man said:

 

OBDLink LX is the dongle I've got. 

http://www.obdlink.com/lxbt/

 

I've used both the OBDLink App and Dash Command (Palmer Performance). I prefer the Palmer Performance being it does auto connect properly where the OBDLink app doesn't you manual have to remember to reconnect each time. 

Any idea why Palmer Performance App needs permissions to access my phones identity, location, my photos,Media,& files, Device ID & call information? WTF kind of big brother app needs all that personal info to read OBDII info?

[Mopar1973Man]

Needs to able to store files (logs), location for track mapping, device ID and call information part of location for track mapping. 

[Dieselfuture]

5 hours ago, sprpilot said:

Any idea why Palmer Performance App needs permissions to access my phones identity, location, my photos,Media,& files, Device ID & call information? WTF kind of big brother app needs all that personal info to read OBDII info?

Lol, those in need already know everything about you and everyone else, it's just there this world is heading 

[Mopar1973Man]

16 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

Lol, those in need already know everything about you and everyone else, it's just there this world is heading 

 

I gave up on being paranoid... Few reasons first off there is enough manpower to track everyone. Then if the tracking is so good then why can't they track down criminals? I've got all my address and phone numbers out on the internet. Still to this day everyone still asks me for my mailing address or my phone number when it's on every single page here.  Go ahead and track me...

 

Funny part by the time I get home the cellphone is nothing more than electronic brick. No cell phone signal, canyon walls screw with the GPS and not accurate even my GPS in the truck is goofy here. WiFi location reports me way off the mark. Even attempting to track my IP shows weird locations. Heck MoparMom and I both use the Life360 app to track each other. She can send me a message saying hey your need X store can you pick up Y.

 

Edited August 3, 2018 by Mopar1973Man