Quote:
Originally Posted by Vwbeamer
I think you need to unplug your mechanic.
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+1 to that. The diagnostic code is telling him exactly what's wrong, and the fluctuating readings via the SG seem to confirm it: there's a problem with the coolant temperature sensor, sensor circuit or related wiring. He either doesn't know how, is too lazy or too incompetent to troubleshoot the problem.
1. Look up the location of the coolant temperature sensor on your engine. It will probably be screwed into one of the cylinder heads and have a round 2-wire connector.
2. Make sure there is no obvious physical damage to the sensor and the electrical connector is fully plugged into the sensor. If damaged, replace the sensor. If unplugged or partially unplugged (release tab isn't latched), plug it in properly and go for a test drive.
3. Unplug the sensor and inspect the wiring for damage at and around the connector. This may not be a problem on C-series engines, but the coolant temp sensor wiring takes a beating on D-series engines thanks to being located under the distributor where a bad seal can drip oil down on the wiring, hardening and cracking the insulation which exposes the wire to corrosion from the elements (holy run-on sentence batman). Re-plug the connector if everything looks okay.
4. Check the battery and ground cables as I suggested above if you haven't already. You're looking for corrosion and/or bulges in the insulation near connection points along the cables.
If the above all looks okay, you'll need a multimeter to do some testing. Let me know and I'll walk you through that.