Hey guys. I got a trouble code of 0103. It is the engine coolant temp sensor. I am wondering where it is on the car and how hard it is to replace. It there a haynes or chiltons manual online?

 

i have the same problem....anyone have the answer?

 

"it's located in the water outlet tube close to the engine end of the upper radiator hose. There are two sensors in that area. The one nearest the hose is for the dashboard temperature gauge. The ECTS, is right next to the gauge sending unit. There is a good picture of these sensors in the HAynes manaul on page 3-7."

there is more info at engine light sticky thread.

 

0103
OBD-2 Diagnostic Trouble Codes are always four digits. Your DTC "13" is actually "0103", and it points to the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor. The factory service manual says this DTC is set when the ECTS signal has an excessively high or low voltage. It suggests testing the ECTS and also the associated electric connector and wiring harness.

On the 4th Generation Maxima engine the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor is located in the water outlet tube close to the engine end of the upper radiator hose. There are two sensors in that area. The one nearest the hose is for the dashboard temperature gauge. The ECTS, the one you're interested in, is right next to the the gauge sending unit. There is a good picture of these sensors in the Haynes manual on page 3-7.

With the engine cold, disconnect the ECTS and measure its resistance. Reconnect the ECTS, start the engine, run it until fully warmed up. Stop the engine, and repeat the resistance measurement. The "warm" reading should be a much lower value than the "cold" reading.

The specs for the ECTS are:
Engine coolant temperature 68F, ECTS resistance 2.1 - 2.9 Kohms
Engine coolant temperature 194F, ECTS resistance 0.24 - 0.26 Kohms
(Roughly a factor of ten difference.)

 

Should I replace the part? It is only 20$. That is no big deal. If it comes up on the trouble codes, is it the sensor, or did something cause it to fail?

 

where did you find it for $20?

 

I found it at a local dealership here. Is it too cheap? I hope I asked them about the right part. The guy said that they have two Engine Coolant Temperature Sensors. Maybe he told me about the wrong one.

 

i got it for $26 and replaced it they get corroded and its best to change them took like 10minutes really easy to do

 

Not really good with engines. Is it in the front, back, left, or right part of the engine bay.