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Coolant Temp Sensor...woops

deesiexj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Portland, OR
So, as I was replacing my valve cover gasket (1993 xj w/4.0, AW4, NP231 combo) today, I inadvertently pulled the wires from my Coolant Temp Sensor
IMG_20110730_142331.jpg



I'm having trouble finding a replacement or quick solution.
The Jeep runs, but its a bit rough and the check engine light came on. Any advice?
 
Without the coolant temp sensor you're gonna run like ish, I think in open loop all the time. Your e-fan will certainly stay on all the time. Take out the connector, remove the silicone backing. Get a tiny screwdriver and see if you can get the two pins out of it. Then using a tiny screwdriver or itty bitty pliers un-crimp the factory crimp. Strip some new clean wire off the ones that pulled out. Re-crimp, maybe solder if you can, and plug it back in. That's a high priority sensor so I'd get on it asap.
 
If you decide to go the pigtail route I would recommend you solder the connections and apply shrink tubing to make the connections water tight.

Sorry to go off on a side note, but I've always had terrible results trying to solder thin wire. Bigger stuff is much easier. I'm much more comfortable working with a torch than a soldering iron. Would you please tell us exactly how you do that? Maybe in a new thread, so that this one doesn't get highjacked?

Thanks.
 
Soldering isn't necessarily the right solution, you do tend to get a brittle section in the wire that may fail over time. What is important is to get a good connection that's weather tight. A good crimped connection may serve as well, as long as it's crimped well.
 
Thanks guys, went to the Pullapart today and got the new harness and spliced it. Check engine light gone and its running well so far. I'll post up if anything else goes wrong.
 
Soldering isn't necessarily the right solution, you do tend to get a brittle section in the wire that may fail over time. What is important is to get a good connection that's weather tight. A good crimped connection may serve as well, as long as it's crimped well.

Well if you sit there and move the solder joint back and forth of course its gonna fail, Duh! :D I prefer to solder almost everything, that would be one of those things I would solder then shrink tube.
 
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