– Low engine coolant level
– Insufficient warm up time
– Faulty engine coolant temperature sensor
– Engine coolant temperature sensor harness is open or shorted
– Engine coolant temperature sensor circuit poor electrical connection
An Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor monitors the temperature of the coolant. This input is used by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) for engine control and as an enabling criteria for some diagnosis.
The air flow coming into the engine is accumulated and used to determine if the vehicle has been driven within the conditions that would allow the engine coolant to heat up normally to the thermostat regulating temperature. If the coolant temperature does not increase normally or does not reach the regulating temperature of the thermostat, the diagnostic that use ECT as enabling criteria may not run when expected.