What is an ECTS?

 

ECTS - engine coolant temp sensor

DcMaN did you see this:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=452279

You might want to test your TPS (easy with a multi-meter) before replacing it.

 

I don't know what can be wrong. I need to get rid of my 02 10 CEL.

 

This just happened to my car last night. I was waiting in front of my church last night and talking on the phone. Car at normal idle everything fine and then the car just shuts off out of nowhere, lights were ABS, brake, airbag, oil light, battery, everything. Turned it back on right after and now I have the check engine light. Going to Autozone after work to get the code(s) pulled. My car only has 69k on it too. Thought it was weird, glad Im not the only one.

 

yea this is really weird and annoying because im not really sure what it could be. It just decided to happen out of the blue showed no signs of anything being wrong.

 

I have a similiar problem too..my car stalls out when i get off highway exit going at 30mph turn and the rmp drops the whole car shuts off lights come on and i coast until a hard brake stop comes...and couple times when i slam my brakes really hard to avoid an accident, my car shuts off.. is that a bad sensor? I have no codes
rmp just drops to zero. been driving like this for the last 2yrs, dont know what it is

 

Well i hope its nothing to serious. But im pulling the intake manifold soon to clean it out. It has 170k on it and has never been cleaned.

 

it may actually be the alternator. I cant think of anything else. IMO i think its electrical because the car is losing ignition with no signs of anything mechanical being involved. The alternator on my car is original with 170k.

 

Mine turned out to be the ECTS. Engine Coolant temp sensor.

 

Good to hear from you again Justin. I dont know if you remember me from about a good 5 years ago, but I think you and I attended a Stone Mountain meet back then. I believe it was the first one. Good to see you again.

 

Engine coolant temp sensor (ECTS) is one of those parts that a good number of us seemed to have replaced in the last year. The funny thing is that the first time it happens (the engine just cutting out) it doesn't seem to throw a code. I would guess that it's probably because the part is just starting to malfunction, as opposed to being completely useless. Like everyone says, it's a cheap part and fast to replace, and judging from the number of people who've run into this problem, is probably worth replacing even without running a diagnostic, if it's the original sensor that came with your max.

 

My car is doing EXACTLY the same thing. It only dies in gear - if it is in park it never dies. It also only dies in drive thru's and when stuck in traffic or at a red light, never when I'm going over 10 mph. We are replacing the engine temp sensor tonight - I'll let you know if that fixes it. We've tried many other things (replacing the plugs, air filter, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator - cleaning battery terminals).