D5 Coolant temp sensors change

[Stevem45]

Anyone know how hard or easy it is the change the coolant temp sensor on a 55 plate D5 S60 please
And do you have a pic of where it is

Thanks
Steve

[cheshired5]

It's the grey plug screwed into the thermostat housing above the thick black hose centre of the picture.
They're very reliable and almost never need changing though so what tests have you done to establish that it isn't working?
I'm guessing none if you're unsure of the location?

[Stevem45]

It has come up on a diagnostic test
My engine seems to cut out once or twice a week as I am driving its just Like a stall but just starts back up like a fuel problem
The guy in the garage only found the sensors fault and that was not there 2 weeks ago

[cheshired5]

Those pins can be resistance tested when stone cold and through the warm up cycle to check the operation and you can monitor the temperature with cheap diagnostics as an alternative so no need to rely on a garage. I prefer to avoid them completely.

If it does need replacing, you really may as well replace the thermostat, housing and temperature sensor as a complete unit then that area is done in one go and lasts for years.

[Stevem45]

Thanks for the info and the help
I am not convinced that it is the problem but it’s the
Only thing that has come up on diagnostics
The strange thing is it may only happen
A few times a week and I travel 26 miles each way to work
Some days I get no problem

[Thassos]

Hi stevei,

I recently had to change the t stat, well complete housing as the joint between the 2 halves of the housing was weeping, and guess what you cant buy the metal gasket on its own.. one thing you can easily check if you get a cheap obd 2 bluetooth elm327 is to use torque lite to actually see the coolant temp as the engine runs from cold to hot .. just pair it with an android phone or tablet and you should see if the sensor is giving dud info by the range of temps it shows, you can also see things like amb air temp and inlet air temp which should all start off in the same place when the car is stone cold, once warmed up it should be around 89c., reading the resistance of the sensor can be done with a dvm (engine off at cold and when fully warm) and you should get 2 readings, if you replace the sensor ild stick with gen volvo even if not new, as a part with a wider tolerance will give you readings that are innacurate or un repeatable.. you need a fairly large socket to undo the sensor, or perhaps an adj spanner, i recall it being a bit tight on space

[Stevem45]

I have had the coolant temp sensor changed but after about 30 miles of driving the rad fan comes on so i am wondering if the new sensor temp rating is wrong

It was a INTERMOTOR 55123

[Thassos]

Hi Steve,

try unplugging the sensor, and measuring the resistance when car is stone cold, make a note and then if poss when engine is warmed up you should then have 2 values, it could be the new sensor is not giving the same res and hence car thinks its at a different temp, i had a complete febi t-stat housing that came with a replacment coolant sensor, but when i checked its resistance it was different to the original volvo oem one, so i didnt bother using it, had a bright green moulding for the socket, another inexpensive way to see the actual temp the coolant is by using an elm327 obd2 and an android phone with bluetooth and torque app will give you a lot more data from the ecu.

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by Stevem45

I have had the coolant temp sensor changed but after about 30 miles of driving the rad fan comes on so i am wondering if the new sensor temp rating is wrong

It was a INTERMOTOR 55123

The tests that you would need to do on the new sensor are exactly the same tests you hopefully did on the old sensor before getting it replaced.

I was trying to save you money by establishing the sensor was definitely faulty before changing, you should always avoid no name makers of components especially engine management sensors.

How much were you charged in total?