To keep your Volkswagen in great shape, you need to make sure that all its parts are in perfect working condition. One of those parts is the Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS). The CTS helps to monitor and regulate the coolant temperature to ensure that it is at optimal levels.
With constant use, the CTS can get faulty and may need replacement to prevent damage to your engine. You need to quickly identify when your Volkswagen needs a replacement for its coolant temperature sensor. This guide shows you how to identify the signs.
How the Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS) Works
One of the processes that keeps your Volkswagen running is combustion, which means that fuel is burned to create energy. However, a result of this is heat, which can be bad for your car’s engine. Your Volkswagen’s coolant is a liquid cooling system that helps to keep this high temperature under control and prevent damage to your car’s engine.
The CTS is usually found in the engine and it measures the temperature of the coolant to determine if it is too hot or too cold. It then sends this information to the Engine Control Unit (ECU), which then makes adjustments to return the engine to its optimal state.
If the coolant is too hot, there is a risk of your car’s engine overheating and if it is too cold, fuel efficiency can be affected. Hence, the Engine control unit can make adjustments such as turning on the radiator fan or sending a signal to your dashboard to notify you.
Signs Your Volkswagen Coolant Temperature Sensor Needs a Replacement
Frequent Engine Overheating
If your Volkswagen’s engine has been overheating all too frequently, it is a sign that your car’s coolant temperature sensor needs to be checked, and probably replaced. The CTS regulates the temperature of the coolant and consequently the engine’s temperature.
However, when the CTS is faulty, it can send the wrong signal to the Engine’s control unit. As a result, the correction mechanism that may be required to adjust extreme temperature cases might not be provided, leading to cases such as overheating.
Black smoke/Exhaust
Another sign that may be showing a faulty coolant temperature sensor is when your Volkswagen starts to release thick, sooty, or black exhaust. This is usually a sign of improper combustion which can be caused when the CTS does not provide adequate information to the control unit.
As a result, the air-fuel mixture that is responsible for proper combustion is affected, leading to unburned fuel in the exhaust in the form of black smoke.
Check Engine Light
The check engine light on your dashboard can be an obvious sign that something is wrong with your engine. While this sign could be pointing at many things, one of such is a faulty coolant temperature sensor. If the Engine control unit recognizes a problem, it sends a signal in the form of the check engine light so you can easily identify the fault.
Fluctuating Temperature Gauge Readings
You may notice that your Volkswagen shows temperature readings that are constantly changing from time to time. It could be changing from hot to cold in a single minute. If this shows on your dashboard, it can be a sign that your coolant temperature sensor needs to be fixed.
The temperature gauge receives information from the temperature sensor, so if the gauge is fluctuating, we can assume it is due to a bad sensor. Hence, you need to look into the issue before it gets even worse.
Poor Fuel Efficiency
A bad Coolant Temperature Sensor can also affect your Volkswagen’s fuel efficiency. The sensor, through the engine control unit, controls how fuel is mixed based on the temperature. Hence, when the sensor gives wrong data, fuel mixture is affected, leading to poor fuel efficiency.
Seek Professional Help to Replace Your Volkswagen’s Coolant Temperature Sensor
Taking care of your Volkswagen also 
includes providing the best repair services when things get faulty. You need the best hands if you want to replace your car’s coolant temperature sensor. Not only will you have this professionally done, but you will also have added benefits such as having professionals check other related problems and fixing them.
Hence, if you are in Green Bay, Manitowoc, or Sturgeon Bay, the best professional shop for your Volkswagen is Dell’s Service Center where we offer quality and effective services for all European vehicles.