Fuel injected vehicles use a temperature sensor and a temperature sender. Many get the two confused. The sensor senses the temperature of the water in the engine, and sends this information to the computer, so that the computer can make adjustments to the air-to-fuel ratio and turn the fan on, if the fans are electric. The sender sends the temperature of the engine to the gauge or dummy light in the dash.
Coat the threads of the new sensor with anti-seize compound. This helps to keep the threads from rusting.
Screw the sensor into the block by hand as far as you can. Firmly tighten the sensor with a wrench, but do not over tighten it, because you could damage the sensor. Depending on the year, make and model, it could be located near the thermostat or in the side of the block.
Plug in the coolant temperature sensor's wiring harness. Plug a code scanner into the data port, usually located under the dash and just to the left of the steering column. Press the "Erase" button to erase the temperature sensor code.
