P0117

[cbxer55]

98 3.0 V-6, 206,000 miles.

Got some odd issues going on. Have a P0117 code, coolant temperature sensor. Truck has two, one on the intake manifold with two wires and one on the thermostat housing with one red wire. Gauge on the dash still works. Which one is bad?

Issue. Driving down the road, and around the time the thermostat opens, boom, truck loses power and won't respond to throttle. Lasts about 10 seconds and comes roaring back. Sometimes, I have to pull over, shut the truck off and restart it to make it go away. Since it happens around the time the stat opens, I am assuming it is the sensor on the front of the thermostat housing that has gone bad.

For the record, EVAP and EGR have been gone a long time. Never caused any issues. The P0117 is a recent occurrence. So I am hoping that is it.

 

[Curious Hound]

The 2-wire device is the problem. The 1-wire device serves the gauge in the cluster.

 

[cbxer55]

Thanks for that. I'll be swapping it this weekend. Did so once before, like way back in 2009. All the sudden it's running weird and I got that code. In any event, it seems to be an intermittent problem. Repositioned the wires coming out of it, cleared the codes and it hasn't come back as of yet. Drove it to work and back yesterday with zero issues.

Had the same problem with the red battery symbol on the dash. It was lighting up all the time, yet the volt gauge needle was centered. Straightened the wires coming out of it, no more red battery symbol. Guess being 28 years old, the wires don't like being hard bent over exiting the item they are connected to.