HELP! Code P0118

[LilMolly]

Okay so I searched and I can't find anything... can anyone with some techie knowhow tell me what the HECK is going on with Turbie?? I've flipped through my service manual and I can't figure it out. Here's the prob:

When I first bought him a year ago, a week after we drove off the lot, his check engine light went on. Throwing code P0118 - Engine Coolant Temperature Circuit High. We cleared it at Autozone, it went off. Over the last year, the light has gone on and off on it's own accord several times. Sometimes it would come on or go off if I hit a big bump in the road, which makes me think maybe something is loose.

Long story short, I took him in for his emissions test yesterday and they failed him because of the light, still throwing P0118. When I drove away from the place (and all over hell and back yesterday 'cause I got lost) the light was still on. When I fired him up this morning, no light. No light all the way in to work. Do I take him back this afternoon and get him retested or do I take him to the mechanics who all lie to me because I'm a girl?

Can I fix this myself? Is there anything to fix if the light went away? Help!

Lil'Molly & Turbie

[jackfrost]

sounds like your temp sensor is fried or you could just be low on coolant. is it blue or red? see if your coolant level is low, if it is add some distilled water, not tap but distilled. the other would be to look at the top of the temp sensor and see if it is green or black.

[LilMolly]

There's nothing wrong with the coolant light. It comes on red, turns to blue, then goes black like normal. If it was actually a coolant temp problem, wouldn't this indicator go off as well? How do I go about diagnosing the temp sensor? Is there a procedure?

Thanks!
LilMolly

ETA: For clarification, the light I talked about above is the check engine light.

[hannaco]

The first thing to do is locate the temp sensor. It is in the upper radiator hose.
Look at the top of the sensor. What color is it? If the color is black, you need a new one. About $6 from the dealer.

[LilMolly]

D'oh... it's all clear now. I was confused before with the red and blue and black. I'm better now. Thanks.

[LilMolly]

Does anyone have a picture of what this is supposed to look like, because the whole piece looks black to me (if I'm even looking at the right thing)

I'm sorry for being a dumb girl, but I'm trying to learn about all this, my man who was teaching me is gone for a long time and I don't have the money to pay for a mechanic to look at the darn thing.

[newbee_tul]

Here's the pic... I know it's an old thread but my CEL just came on now, I'll try to plan it better next time.

If interested, I'll post up the results when I change it. (light goes of etc.)

[LilMolly]

Yeah, I fixed it shortly after I posted. I bought the necessary piece and poked around a bit after staring at diagrams and double-checking with my brother and being ensured I couldn't do anything too damaging without tools.

It was easier than I thought it would be...

Thanks for all who posted, maybe that pic will help someone else down the line.

Lil'Molly

ETA: as soon as I replaced the temperature sensor and cleared the codes, the check engine light went off, it's been off ever since, and we passed emissions just fine.

[raceinsider]

Was the black one the old one ? Cruddy ?

[LilMolly]

Yeah. The black one is the old one. It was kinda cruddy, no gasket, and the tip was oxidized like the picture newbee_tul posted. I had to pull a retaining clip out and then pull the sensor out.

[LilMolly]

Ugh. How long after you put it in did it go bad?

[SilverSportNOLA]

My 01 Sport had the black one and so did LilMolly's ... they were not replaced till 03 or 04 I believe. I had to change mine within the first year after buying my car .... so that was about 2 years ago. Nice to see another Silver Sport here.

[halfinchstars]

this is the sensor i have......why doesnt it have the tip like the ones pictured above.....the flat part doesnt feel rough like it broke off..so i dont know....

[El Diablo]

Mine had the short one, too. My car is a 99. The new sensor for me cost close to thirty bucks, not the 6 dollar one that most have. But short or not, there should be a metal sensor on the end of that thang.

[halfinchstars]

yea i drove to the dealer and the price and part they gave me was the 4 pin one, and it was the wrong one when i got there.....is there a way to test it out like ohm out the pins and its suppose to be a certain reading....just to make sure it is bad....if anyone has a manual with the part on there and diagnostics id appreciate it....

[LotusGuy]

Anyone have the part number / official part name for these sensors? My car has thrown the CEL twice now, each with the P0118 code so I'm assuming this is the problem. It's late now but I'm going to check the sensor in the morning to see which style it is.

Just for reference my NB is a 2001 1.8T w/ 35,000~ miles.

edit:
Just checked the sensor and it looks like it's green AND black. It's a two wire terminal that is black but just above where the retaining clip grips it, it goes to green. Anyone see this one before? I'd like to have a part number before I go to the dealer so I don't have to pull it & take it with me.

[SilverSportNOLA]

My old one and new one looked like the picture above with both of them in it. Don't have the part # ... but a number of places have them .... including the dealer.

BlackForestIndustries, http://store.blackforestindustries.com/cosegto.html, has the best price I have seen at $15 for them, they also have great prices on a lot of other items, have never bought from them just found the site tonight, but I added a lot of items to my list of Beetle upgrades I want to do that will keep me from working on the Mach1 for a while longer ... the dealer sells the oring and clip for less than $2 for both.

[LotusGuy]

Well, I'm confused

Per the directions above I found the sensor in my upper radiator hose (about 6" or so from the radiator, in clear site) and removed it but it doesn't looks like the 4-pin ones above...





I ran by the dealer earlier and determined that this is a "thermal switch". Is this the same as the black & green ones above or am I working with the wrong sensor? The replacement thermal switch is only like $17 but I'd rather not replace the wrong thing.

[SilverSportNOLA]

That is not the same part .... which engine do you have the APH or AWV? I know I have something similar to that a bit closer to the firewall, I wonder if yours got swapped around for some reason.

[LotusGuy]

Originally Posted by SilverSportNOLA

That is not the same part .... which engine do you have the APH or AWV? I know I have something similar to that a bit closer to the firewall, I wonder if yours got swapped around for some reason.

I hate to admit it because I'm a long time VW owner, but I don't know which motor I have, how would I tell? Where else could that 4-pin connector be if it's not in the upper radiator hose?