Pinpoint Test DX: Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor: Introduction

WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 31 other vehicles, including the 2009 Mercury Mountaineer, 2009 Mercury Milan, 2009 Mercury Mariner, 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis, and 2009 Lincoln Town Car. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

NOTE: Engine coolant temperature must be greater than 10°C (50°F) to pass the KOEO self-test and greater than 82°C (180°F) to pass the KOER self-test. to accomplish this, the engine must be at normal operating temperature.

This pinpoint test is intended to diagnose the following:

engine coolant temperature (ECT) sensor (12A648)
harness circuits: ECT and SIGRTN
powertrain control module (PCM) (12A650)

Voltage values calculated for VREF = 5 volts. These values can vary by 15% due to sensor and VREF variations.

Fig 1: Temperature Sensor Voltage And Resistance Characteristic Graph

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

TEMPERATURE SENSOR VOLTAGE AND RESISTANCE SPECIFICATIONS

Temperature		Temperature Sensor Values
°C	°F	Voltage	Resistance (K ohms)
120	248	0.28	1.18
110	230	0.36	1.55
100	212	0.47	2.07
90	194	0.61	2.80
80	176	0.80	3.84
70	158	1.05	5.37
60	140	1.37	7.70
50	122	1.77	10.97
40	104	2.23	16.15
30	86	2.74	24.27
20	68	3.26	37.30
10	50	3.73	58.75
0	32	4.14	95.85
-10	14	4.45	160.31

Fig 2: Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Connector

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

For PCM connector views or reference values, refer to REFERENCE VALUES .

POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) CONNECTOR

Vehicle	Connector	Pin	Circuit
Fusion, Milan	140 Pin	E57 E58 E18	VREF SIGRTN ECT
All other vehicles	170 Pin	E57 E58 E18	VREF SIGRTN ECT