Coolant Temp. Sensor (CTS)/ Thermistor Water (THw)/ Engine Coolant Temp. (E.C.T)

A coolant temperature sensor is also known as a water thermistor.

Thermistor is a combination of two words, "thermal" & "resistor".

The engine coolant temperature sensor (ECT) monitors the heat of the coolant, and the ECU uses this data to keep the engine running at optimum performance whether the engine is running cold or hot.

Suspend the ECT sensor in a container of water and record the results.

This is a NTC type thermistor.

The experiment starts with the ECT's resistance at approx. 3kΩ at room temperature 15 degrees celcius, and gradually decreases to approx. 662Ω when the temperature increases to 60 degrees Celsius.

The semi-conductive materials used in these thermistors (such as nickel, cobalt, oxidised copper etc.) are resistive to the flow of electricity passing through the electrodes. As the temperature increases, these certain elements characteristically "shrink" or allow electricity to pass more freely within the thermistor.

This ECT appears to work as it should.