WHAT S I NSI DE: WHAT S I NSI DE: Mastering Coolant SensorsPage 1 / FINE TUNINGPage 2 / Testing DIS Ignition CoilsPage

2 / QUALITY POINTS: QS-9000 Means Extra

ProtectionPage 3 / HOT OFF THE WIRE: We Want Your QuestionsPage 4 / Publishers InformationPage 4
You Can Mast er
Cool ant Sensor s
Counter
Counter
Poi nt
T H E E L E C T R O N I C , D I A G N O S T I C A N D D R I V E A B I L I T Y R E S O U R C E .
Volume2 Issue2, June1998 Volume2 Issue2, June1998
T
he coolant sensor is often called the
master sensor because the powertrain
control module (PCM) uses
the sensors input along
with that from the oxygen
sensor to go into the closed loop
mode of controlling the fuel mixture.
Dont Get Hot Under The Collar:
Transmission torque converter clutch lockup
when the engine iscold.
Operation of the electric cooling fan (if a
separate fan thermostat isnt used) when a
certain temperature isreached.
DIFFEREN T TYPES OF SEN SORS
Located on the cylinder head or intake manifold
where it screwsinto the water jacket, the coolant
sensor may be one of two basic types. Most are
variable resistor type sensorscalled thermistors
because their electrical resistance changeswith
temperature. Most are the negative temperature
coefficient type which meansthe sensorsresistance
decreasesasthe temperature goesup.
The other type of coolant sensor isan on/off switch
that workslike a conventional temperature sending
unit or thermostat by closing or opening at a
pre-set temperature.
The variable resistor type of coolant sensorsare
smarter than the on/off switchesbecause they
provide the PCM with a more accurate indication
of actual engine temperature. The PCM feedsthe
sensor a fixed reference voltage (VRef ) of usually 5
voltswhen the engine ison. The resistance in the
sensor ishigh when cold and dropsasthe sensor
warmsup to alter the return voltage signal back to
the PCM. The PCM usesthischanging voltage to
determine engine temperature.
The switch-type sensor may be designed to remain
closed within a certain temperature range (say
between 55 and 235 degreesF, for example) or to
open only when the engine iswarm (above 125
degreesF). Switch-type coolant sensorsare found
on older GM T car minimum function systems,
Ford MCU and Chrysler Lean Burn systems.
DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOMS
Because of the coolant sensorscentral role in
triggering so many engine functions, a faulty
coolant sensor (or sensor circuit) can cause a
variety of cold performance problemsaswell as
emission failures.
The most common symptom that indicatesa bad
coolant sensor isan engine control system that fails
to go into closed loop once the engine iswarm.
Other symptomsthat might be caused by a bad
coolant sensor include:
Poor cold idle (due to a rich fuel mixture, no
Early Fuel Evaporation -EFE- or lack of heated air).
Stalling (rich mixture, retarded timing, slow idlespeed).
Cold hesitation or stumble (no EFE or EGR
occurring too soon).
Poor fuel mileage (rich mixture, open loop,
spark retarded).
Keep in mind that coolant sensor problemsmay
also be due to wiring faultsor loose or corroded
connectionsrather that a failure of the sensor itself.
Correct operation of the sensor can also be upset by
installing the wrong temperature range thermostat
(too cold for the application), or by incomplete
filling of the cooling system or coolant loss. To give
an accurate reading, the sensor element must be in
direct contact with liquid coolant.
It also usesinput from the coolant sensor to
regulate the operation of many other important
functions, including:
Start-up fuel enrichment on fuel-injected
engines. Injector pulse width isincreased to
create a richer fuel mixture when the coolant
sensor indicatesa cold engine.
Spark advance and retard. Spark advance isoften
limited for emission purposesuntil the engine
reachesnormal operating temperature.
EGR flow isblocked while the engine iscold to
improve cold driveability.
Canister purge doesnot occur until the engine is
warm to improve cold driveability.
Energizing the electric heater grid under the
carburetor on older enginesto improve early fuel
evaporation when the engine iscold.
Operation of the throttle kicker or idle speed
when the engine iscold.
continued on page3 continued on page3
2 2
Q. We hav e been w or k i ng on a 9 2 Ni s s an
Pat hf i nder 3 . 0 L SOHC MFI w i t h a
c ons t ant Chec k Engi ne Li ght and Code 4 5
( i nj ec t or l eak ) . Af t er l eak t es t i ng and
c l ear i ng t he c ode, t he l i ght c omes bac k
on w i t h t he s ame c ode agai n! Any hel p
w oul d be appr ec i at ed.
John Truman, City Auto Parts, Syracuse, NY
Any sensor input that resultsin arich mixturecan cause
an injector leak code. Thebest way to resolveacode45
on thesevehiclesin addition to theinjector leak down
test isto carefully check theMassAir Flow Sensor,
coolant and O2 sensorsalong with afuel pressure
regulator test.
Q: I hav e a 9 5 Dodge Neon w i t h a c ol d
hes i t at i on and r ough i dl e c ondi t i on.
Ther es al s o a l ot of bl ac k s mok e i n t he
ex haus t . I v e r epl ac ed t he ox y gen
s ens or and s par k pl ugs but i t made no
di f f er enc e. Ther e ar e no f aul t c odes and
c ompr es s i on and t i mi ng ar e ok ay. Hel p!
Skip Dorman, Akron, OH
Haveyou checked theintakeair temperaturesensor?
Thepowertrain control moduleusesinput from this
sensor and thethrottleposition sensor to vary fuel
delivery. If theintakeair temperaturesensor isfaulty, it
can upset theair/fuel mixturecausing it to run rich.
To test thesensor, removeit from themanifold and
connect an ohmmeter acrosstheterminals. Alter the
sensorstemperatureby immersing thetip of thesensor
in either warm or cold water.
Ti ps For Test i ng
DIS Igni t i on Coi l s
The coils used in distributorless ignition systems (DIS)
function the same as coils in conventional ignition
systems. The coil steps up the primary voltage to
produce a high- voltage spark for the spark plugs. But
instead of passing through a distributor, voltage goes
directly to the spark plug(s).
To reduce cost and complexity, many DIS systems
have one coil for every two spark plugs. Others may
have a separate coil for each plug. Those that share
coils connect each coil to two plugs which are
opposite one another in the engines firing order. Both
plugs fire at the same time, but because one cylinder
is on its exhaust stroke, the waste spark that occurs
in that cylinder does nothing.
An important thing to remember here is that if the
coils output is weak, misfire may occur in both of
the engines cylinders associated with that coil.
Symptoms may include hard starting, rough idle,
misfire on acceleration, hesitation, stalling, poor fuel
economy and elevated hydrocarbon (HC) emissions.
A no- start condition would more likely be caused by a
bad DIS module or crankshaft position sensor failure
rather than an individual coil failure.
DIS coils are tested in essentially the same way as
epoxy- filled (square- type) ignition coils. First, isolate
the coil pack by disconnecting all the leads. Set the
ohmmeter in the low range, and recalibrate if
necessary. Connect the ohmmeter leads across the
coils primary terminals, and compare the primary
resistance reading to specifications (typically less
than 2 ohms). Then connect the ohmmeter, set in the
high range, across the coils secondary terminals and
compare the secondary resistance reading to
specifications (typically 6,000 to 30,000 ohms).
In most cases, you ll find a coil where the secondary
resistance is reading too high. Some coils may also
test okay when cold, but be out of specifications
when the coil heats up.
HINT: If measuring the secondary resistance of a DIS
coil is difficult because of the coils location, try this:
remove the wires from the spark plugs and measure
secondary resistance though the plug wires rather
than at the secondary terminals on the coils. Just
remember to add in a maximum of 8,000 ohms of
resistance per foot for the plug wires.
FineTuni ng questionsareansweredby
JimBates, Technical ServicesDirector.
Pleasesendyour questionsto: JimBates
coWELLSManufacturingCorp., P.O. Box70,
Fonddu Lac, WI 54936-0070 or e-mail himat
[email protected]. Well sendyou a
WELLS shirt if your question ispublished. So
pleaseincludeyour shirt sizewithyour question.
Fine
Fine
Tuni ng
Asthetemperaturechanges, you should seeachangein
theohmmeter reading. No changewould tell you the
sensor hasfailed and needsto bereplaced.
Q: We hav e an Ol ds mobi l e Cut l as s Cal ai s
w i t h a 2 . 3 L Quad Four engi ne. The
engi ne c r ank s but w on t s t ar t .
Compr es s i on and f uel pr es s ur e
ar e nor mal , but t her es no s par k .
We r epl ac ed t he c oi l as s embl y and
modul e, but s t i l l no s par k . What ar e
w e ov er l ook i ng?
Confused, Amarillo, TX
You didnt mention thecrankshaft position sensor.
Themagnetic sensor used on thisengineismounted
on thesideif theengineblock, and must havean air
gap of lessthan .050 inchesfrom thecrankshaft to
generateagood signal.
To check thesensor, unplug itselectrical connector
and measureresistancebetween theappropriate
terminals. On the2.3L Quad 4, you should read
between 500 and 900 ohms.
Q: I m t r y i ng t o f i gur e out w hy a 1 9 8 4
Bui c k 3 8 0 0 i s behav i ng s t r angel y. It
s t ar t s f i ne w hen c ol d, but s t al l s w hen
y ou put i t i nt o gear and t r y t o dr i v e
aw ay. Af t er t he engi ne w ar ms up, i t
r uns f i ne. I v e c hec k ed and adj us t ed
t he c hok e w i t h no ef f ec t . I al s o r epl ac ed
t he s par k pl ugs and pl ug w i r es .
Bill Johnson, Bloomington, IL
Try replacing therotor. When theengineiscold, the
load on theignition system ishigher than normal.
If therotor isleaking voltage, it will short to ground
causing theengineto stall. When theenginewarms
up, thevoltagedemandsarelessand therotor will
passthevoltageto theplugsrather than ground.
Also, carefully inspect thedistributor cap,
particularly thecarbon button between thecoil
and rotor, for wear, damageor burn through.
Also check coil primary and secondary resistance.
PRIMARY CHECK SECONDARY CHECK
3 3
Quality Quality
Poi nt s
For Techni ci ans, QS-9000
Means Ext r a Pr ot ect i on
Youveprobably heard alot about QS-9000 Certification
lately, and rightly so. QS-9000 isaquality standard
developed jointly by Ford, Chrysler, General Motors
and theheavy-duty truck industry for OEM component
partssuppliers. TheAutomotiveQuality System
Requirements (QS-9000) isbased on similar quality
standardsthat weredeveloped asaworldwide
benchmark for primary manufacturersof many different
typesof products(ISO9000). QS-9000 supersedes
FordsQ1, ChryslersQAM (Quality AssuranceManual)
systems, charging systemsand sensorsto achieve
compliancewith theprestigiousQS-9000 standard.
WELLSdid thisin August, 1996, and isstill the
only full-lineignition manufacturer to achieve
QS-9000 certification.
WELLShasbeen supplying quality ignition productsto
theautomotiveindustry since1903, said Gavin Spence,
WELLS Vice-President of Sales. Quality isavital part of
thiscompanysheritage.
So what doesQS-9000 mean to you?For partsmadeby
manufacturerswho meet theQS-9000 quality
certification, it meansaconsistently high level of quality
in thepartsthey produce. That, in turn, meansbetter
valuefor your money, longer-lived repairs, fewer
prematurefailuresand comebacks, and most importantly,
ahigher lever of satisfaction among your customers.
Look for theQS-9000 quality certification. Itsyour best
guaranteeof consistent quality in thereplacement parts
you buy.
continued frompage1
Dont Get Hot Under TheCollar:
You Can Mast er Cool ant Sensor s
SEN SOR CHECKS
Onesimpleway of testing a coolant temperature
sensor isby performing a sweep test with an
ohmmeter (Fig. A):
Start with acold engine. With theignition
off, disconnect thewiring connector from
thecoolant sensor.
Attach an ohmmeter acrossthesensorsterminals.
Measurethesensorsresistanceand record
thereading.
Reconnect thesensorswiring connector.
Start and run theenginefor two minutesand
then shut theengineoff.
Disconnect thesensorswiring harnessagain,
and takean ohmmeter reading acrossthe
sensorsterminals.
Comparethetwo readings. Thereshould bea
differenceof at least 200 ohms. If not, the
sensor isdefectiveor suffersfrom abuildup of
cooling system sludgewhich makesit less
sensitiveto changesin enginetemperature.
Removeand inspect thesensor, clean if
necessary and retest.
You can also measurethesensorsresistanceat various
temperatures, and comparethereadingsagainst the
resistancevaluesspecified by thevehiclemanufacturer.
Another way to check thesensorsoperation isto
measurethesensorsreferencevoltageand return
voltagesignal astheenginewarmsup with a
voltmeter. If you haveaccessto a digital storage
oscilloscope(DSO), you can also observethesensors
waveform.
Thereferencevoltage(VRef ) to thesensor from the
PCM should beabout 5 voltson most applications.
Thereturn voltagesignal should bearound 3 to 4
voltswhen theengineiscold, and gradually drop to 2
voltsor lessastheenginereachesnormal operating
temperature. (Fig. B)
No changein thereturn signal would indicatea
faulty sensor. No return voltagereading would
indicatean open sensor.
No VRef reading would indicatea wiring fault.
NOTE: Some1985 and newer Chrysler coolant
sensorsswitch a 1000 ohm resistor into thecircuit
when thecoolant temperaturereachesabout 125
degreesF, causing a sudden riseor step up in the
return voltagesignal beforeit continuesto drop.
If a vehicleprovideslivesensor data through its
diagnostic connector, you can also read thecoolant
sensorsoutput directly with a scan tool (usually in
degreesCentigradeor Fahrenheit).
Troublecodesthat indicatea problem in coolant
sensor circuit:
General Motors: Code14 (shorted) and 15 (open)
Ford: Codes21, 51 & 61
Chrysler: Code17 & 22
OBD II applications: P0117, P0118, P0125,
P1114, P1115 & P1620
100% INSPECTION ISCONDUCTED ON EVERY COMPONENTIN WELLS
STATE-OF-THE-ARTELECTRONICSMANUFACTURING FACILITIES.
IGNITION COMPONENTSARETESTED FOR FUNCTIONALSTABILITY UNDER
EXTREMEVARIATIONSIN WELLS TESTLABS.
and GMsTFE (TargetsFor Excellence) programsand
all Tier 1 OEM suppliersmust meet theQS-9000 standard.
QS-9000 wascreated to combinethevarious
quality requirementsof thedomestic vehicle
manufacturersinto asingle, uniform standard that
ison par with theworld-wideISO9000 standard. But
itsbasic purposeisto raisethequality benchmark for
all automotiveparts, bethey new partsor replacement parts.
Compliancewith theQS-9000 standard requiresthe
implementation of aclosely audited and ongoing
monitoring system for checking partsasthey are
manufactured. Each and every part must passarigid
inspection beforeit goesout thedoor. Theoverall goal
of such intensescrutiny iszero defects.
Though QS-9000 quality certification isnow required
for OEM suppliers, many aftermarket manufacturers
do not yet meet thisnew standard. But WELLS
Manufacturing Corp. does. WELLSwasthefirst
manufacturer of electronic enginemanagement
WELLS MANUFACTURING CORP.
P.O. Box 70
Fond du Lac, WI 54936-0070
Hot off the
Hot off the
Wi r e
Publishers I nformation
WELLS President............William Allen
Vice President Sales........Gavin Spence
Technical Services Director.....Jim Bates
Newsletter Editor...............Ron Raposa
Counter Point is a quarterly publication of WELLS
Manufacturing Corp., P.O. Box 70, Fond du Lac, WI
54936-0070. Letters and comments should be
directed to: Ron Raposa, Counter Point Editor, 3602
Inland Empire Blvd, Suite C200, Ontario, CA 91764.
COPYRIGHT 1998 WELLS MANUFACTURING CORP.
All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or part is
permitted without the written consent of WELLS Manufacturing
Corp. Requests should be faxed to Ron Raposa at (909) 941-0877.
Techni ci ans: We Want Your Quest i ons!
INSIDE:
HOW
TO
M
ASTER
COOLANT SENSORS
INSIDE:
HOW
TO
M
ASTER
COOLANT SENSORS
Isa driveability problem related to electronic
ignition componentscausing you frustration?
WELLSwantsto help.
Just send usthe problem in the form of a question.
Well answer asmany asspace allows, usually about
five, in each issue of Counter Point. Just send your
questionsto:
Jim Bates, Technical ServiceDirector
WELLS ManufacturingCorp.
P.O. Box 70
Fond du Lac, WI 54936-0070
or e-mail Jim at [email protected].
If your question ischosen for publication,
well send you a FREEWELLSshirt.
So, be sure to include your shirt size along
with your question.