Engine temp sensor snapped off

[bongojoe]

Hi folks — while rooting around in the engine bay on the driver’s side trying to find the source of a coolant leak I managed to snap the engine temp sensor. (I barely touched the thing and the whole front half fell off, so perhaps it was already on the way out.)

I have a replacement on the way but wondered if there was any danger in driving short distances in the meantime? (Probably only a couple of miles to the garage to have them replace the leaking hose and fit the new sensor!)

[g8dhe]

If it was the one at the front of the engine then that merely drives the display, single wire. If its the sensor on the side of the engine 2-wire that feeds the ECU then the ECU won't know the engine temperature so you may got some oddities.

[bongojoe]

Thanks Geoff. It’s the two wire one on the side of the engine block, directly above the hose that goes down to the rear heater (which also has the leak). The fans start running as soon as I turn the ignition on now which is certainly one oddity, but sounds like I can drive it to the garage safely enough.

The other sensor is presumably what drives the temp gauge?

[g8dhe]

Yes the single wire sensor is the temp. gauge display on the dashboard.
The ECU sensor via software controls anything that works on temperature like Glowplug on time, some of the vacuum valves which only operate during start-up until your up to temperature and things like that.