loss of power/stuttering issue. Now no start.

[Lanval]

If you find that the sensor loosens due to heat cool cycles, you might try putting it into the unbungled hole on the other head (it will be next to the #2). It might have a different temp than near the #3 but shouldn't be enough to change too much.

Way to keep on it.

I hadn't thought about that, though I do have a question that arose during our day. I wondered if the van would run without the T II sensor. It didn't, or didn't seem to, so we couldn't go down that path, but it posed the question:

What do we put in the hole to block the vacuum leak? If N swaps the temp II sensor to the other side, should he just put a slightly larger, hardened bolt in the old hole to cut new threads and hold securely? Would loctite work OK there?

Mike

[vdubyah73]

i believe it is a blind hole.

[vwlover77]

That is correct. It is not open to the intake airflow.

[nathan@el]

That is correct. It is not open to the intake airflow.

This is good to know. I was worried about metal shavings getting into the engine due to the cross-threaded TS II, but it sounds like that is not a concern at all.

On a related note, does anybody know how the TS II actually functions? I mean, it just looks like a bolt with a wire coming out of it. What does it actually DO (and, how does it fail)?

[Gypsie]

I believe it is a 'bi-metal" type thermocouple. It measures resistance between two types of metal (that only allow a certain amount of electricity pass at certain temps). This is why you can test it's function with an ohm meter. (different ohms at different temps.

[RSorak 71Westy]

A bimetal generates a small voltage, this is just a temperature variable resistor, thus the ohm meter test.

[Gypsie]

aaaah...eggselent

[Amskeptic]

aaaah...eggselent

I think it might actually be a NTC thermistor. It is just a chunk of plastic/silicone that loses resistance as temperature increases. The ECU finds this fascinating, as it has sent a small charge down to the sensor to ground. The more juice it has to send, the less injector pulse it decides to issue.
Colin

[nathan@el]

I think it might actually be a NTC thermistor. It is just a chunk of plastic/silicone that loses resistance as temperature increases. The ECU finds this fascinating, as it has sent a small charge down to the sensor to ground. The more juice it has to send, the less injector pulse it decides to issue.

Well, however it works, it seems to have done the trick! The van has been operating flawlessly since we replaced the TS II. I like solutions that only cost $18.