Pontiac P0117 Engine Coolant Temperature Circuit Low

Description

OBD-II Trouble Code Description for P0117 Pontiac

Engine Coolant Temperature Circuit Low

What does this mean?

OBD2 Code P0117 Pontiac definition:
The ECT (Engine coolant temperature) sensor is a thermistor located in the engine block or other coolant passage. It changes resistance with changes in temperature of the coolant that it’s in contact with. It’s usually a two wire sensor. One wire is a 5 volt reference from PCM (Powertrain Control Module) and the other is a ground supplied from PCM. As the temperature of the coolant changes, the resistance of the sensor changes. When the engine is cold, the resistance is high. When the engine is warm, the resistance is low. If the PCM detects a signal voltage lower than the normal operating range of the sensor then P0117 Pontiac code will set.

Symptoms

Possible sumptoms of OBD code P0117 Pontiac
Potential symptoms include: MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) illumination Poor fuel economy Poor drivability Engine may run rough or blow black smoke out the tailpipe May not idle May start and then die

Causes

Possible causes of OBD code P0117 Pontiac
Potential causes of the P0117 Pontiac code include: Bad ECT sensor Short to ground on ECT signal circuit Faulty or damaged connectors Wiring harness damaged Loose terminals at ECT or PCM POSSI PontiacBLY an overheated engine Bad PCM

Possible Solutions

Since this code is for an abnormally low signal to the PCM from the ECT, the PCM saw a excessively “hot” condition in the engine coolant. This could be due to faulty ECT sensor or wiring, but it could, conceivably, be caused by an overheated engine.So if your engine was overheated diagnose that first. Having said that here are the possible solutions: Using a scan tool, with KOEO (Key on engine off) check the ECT reading on the display. On a cold engine the ECT reading should match the IAT (Intake Air Temperature) sensor reading. If it doesn’t, replace the ECT sensor.1. If the ECT reading is showing an excessively hot reading, for example more than 260 deg. F, then unplug the ECT sensor. This should cause the ECT reading to drop to the extreme cold reading (around -30 deg.F or so). If it does, replace the sensor, because it’s internally shorted. If it doesn’t change the reading, the check for a short to ground on the signal circuit of the ECT wiring. It could be that the two ECT wires are shorted to each other. Look for any chafing or melted wiring. Repair as necessary. a. If you can’t find any wiring problems and the ECT reading doesn’t drop to the extreme coldest when unplugged, then, check for voltage coming out of the PCM on the signal wire’s pin at the PCM connector. If there isn’t any voltage, or it is low, then the PCM may be bad. NOTE: On some models it is possible for the 5 Volt reference signal to be temperarily shorted. This can happen if an engine sensor internally shorts the 5 Volt reference. Since the 5 Volt reference is a “shared” circuit on many models, this will cause it to be abnormally low. Usually, though this will be accompanied by several other sensor codes. If you suspect that may be the case, unplug each sensor until the 5 Volt reference reappears. The last sensor unplugged is the offending sensor. Replace and recheck the signal wire from the PCM connector 2. If the scan tool ECT reading seems normal at this time then the problem may be intermittent. Use a “wiggle” test to manipulate the wiring harness and connectors while watching the ECT reading on the scan tool. Repair any wiring or connectors that are loose or corroded. You could check the Freeze frame data if your scan tool has that function. It will show the ECT reading when the failure occurred. If it shows the reading to be at the hottest extreme then replace the ECT sensor and see if the code reappears.

Related Codes

P0115 Pontiac P0116 Pontiac P0118 Pontiac P0119 Pontiac P0125 Pontiac P0128 Pontiac


The OBD2 Code Information Be Applicable For Pontiac:

2010 Pontiac G8,2009 Pontiac G8,2009 Pontiac G6 ,2009 Pontiac G3,2008 Pontiac G8,2007 Pontiac Solstice SD-290 Concept,2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP,2007 Pontiac G6 GXP Show Car,2006 Pontiac Torrent,2006 Pontiac Solstice,2006 Pontiac Montana SV6,2006 Pontiac GTO,2006 Pontiac G6 GTP Coupe,2006 Pontiac G6 GTP Convertible,2005 Pontiac Vibe GT,2005 Pontiac Montana SV6,2005 Pontiac Grand Prix,2005 Pontiac Grand Am GT Coupe,2005 Pontiac GTO,2005 Pontiac G6 GT,2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP,2004 Pontiac Grand Am GXP,2004 Pontiac GTO 5.7,2004 Pontiac GTO,2004 Pontiac Bonneville GXP,2004 Pontiac Aztek Rally,2003 Pontiac Vibe GT,2003 Pontiac Vibe,2003 Pontiac Sunfire Coupe,2003 Pontiac Montana Thunder,2003 Pontiac Grand Prix,2003 Pontiac Grand Am SE Sedan,2003 Pontiac G6 Concept,2003 Pontiac Aztek,2002 Pontiac Sunfire GXP,2002 Pontiac Sunfire American Tuner,2002 Pontiac Solstice Concept,2002 Pontiac REV Concept,2002 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP,2002 Pontiac Grand Prix G-Force Concept,2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Edition,2001 Pontiac Vibe GT,2001 Pontiac Vibe,2001 Pontiac Sunfire HO,2001 Pontiac Sunfire Accessorized,2001 Pontiac Montana,2001 Pontiac Grand Prix

 

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