Water Temp Sensor, And Grazed Knuckles

[Guest dobbo]

Following some sage advice I gleaned from a fellow 205 owner, I picked up a temp sensor to see if it would fix my problems of running rich and getting 12mpg.

 

I've seen it variously described as "easy" to fit and "a 5 minute job".

 

So how come I've just spent 30 minutes trying to get the metal retaining clip off the connector and can't even do that?!!!

 

I'm a spaz when it comes to car engines but I thought I could manage this, apparently not - what am I doing wrong? I've taken off the pipe from the airbox to the AFM, but access is still difficult. I haven't even got a spanner in there yet, I fear there is no hope for me...

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Goliath 94]

It is a 5 minute job...... but only once you have done it several times and know how to get to it best etc.... It is a pain the first time you do it, like you say take the airbox and any other pipes off that are in the way. Use a screwdriver to lever the spade connector off if it wont come off easily. Then get a spanner/socket on it (17mm i think) and undo, covering your hands and gear rods in water in the mean time. replace the sensor, refit the spade connector, replace airbox and pipes, go to start the car and remember you havent filled it back up with water, fill it with water, run it and see if it makes any difference....

 

Easy really.......

[Guest dobbo]

Use a screwdriver to lever the spade connector off if it wont come off easily.

 

Easy really.......

See the trouble is, I can't get a screwdriver anywhere near it!

 

I saw this post explaining how it's done:

 

http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/index.php?s...st&p=848178

 

However my car is not like this.

 

With the AFM off and the pipes off, I can't see the temp sensor in that location:

 

 

There is a sensor but it's got a black connector not blue (circled) and to access it I'll have to remove a water pipe (arrowed) so I'm pretty sure that's not it.

 

 

However I can see a blue connector and what I think is the sensor round the back, down behind and below the distributor cap about 12 inches beneath it. It's obscured to the point I can't get a decent picture of it, but it's shown here (circled) it's right round the back of the engine, you can see the exhaust manifold (arrowed).

 

 

So I guess my question is, have I even found the right sensor? If it makes a difference, my car is a late 1993 1.9 with a cat and apparently the later engine management. Possibly this accounts for the difference?

 

thanks again...

[Goliath 94]

The one that you have circled (near your exhaust manifold) is the engine coolant temperature sensor, the thing that works the bottom right hand dial on the dashboard. Thats the one i was refering to earlier and the one i thought you were trying to replace, I cant remember what the other sensor is..... will have to look it up.

So can you get your hand onto the spade connector ok but just not get it off as its seems stuck? I managed to get a screwdriver on mine, which is in the same place. (getting access from pretty much where yuo took the photo from) Try wiggling it loads while pulling on it, that might free it up a bit.

[Rob Turbo 3]

It is that one near the exhaust manifold, there's 3 sensors there, 2 with spade terminals, one for coolant gauge, one for coolant warning light, the 3rd one, with a 2 pin plug is the one you're aiming for, which I guess you already know, with it being the one you circled!

 

It is a nightmare getting to the sensors round the back of there, but what you need to do is get a small flat head screwdriver and poke around for ages until by luck you catch the clip and it falls off!!

 

Edit: that other plug, on the side of the engine is the SAD.

Edited August 30, 2008 by Rob Turbo

[Guest dobbo]

Gentlemen, I thank you for your patience! At least I'm looking in the right place so it is simply a case of just sticking at it until I get there. I may have to draft in a more mechanically minded friend for assistance and to prevent me wrecking the whole thing.

 

I've given up for the day anyway so will revisit the whole affair at a later date, for the rest of today I'll stick to the one thing I'm good at, drinking beer.

[Tom Fenton 1,547]

Its a bit awkward, but not that bad. Usually those 2-pin plugs will pull off with a bit foa wiggle. Then using a deep socket undo the sensor and replace with another, and that should be job done!

[Phil H 16]

I know the one you mean around the back of the block on later engines. Usually the connetor will come off by rockng and pulling it at the same time, but the sensor is a pig as if I recall, a socket wont clear the connector, so you have to get an open ended spanner on it somehow. I wish you luck !

[Guest dobbo]

For anyone that might be interested or finds this thread via a search - Finally got the sensor changed over. This part is in fact fairly easy to change if you know what you need in advance.

 

I took off the AFM and intake pipes to aid access, then pull off the plug, and get an extended 19mm socket on it - it then comes off easily, and genuinely is a 5 or 10 minute job.