Is your temperature gauge now pointing straight up at 210? That's usually the sign of a faulty thermostat in these is that full operating temp never reaches close to 210, and of course then the whole fail safe deal happens where gauge falls to zero and all that stuff.
2016 temp gauge not working and fans running high speed
- Thread starter Jasper2307
- Start date
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Every place i checked for a GM thermostat was the same...backordered for a while....
the 18th letter
Full Access Member
My temp gauge has never reached dead center and the closest it’s come was during a summer traffic jam. Besides burning more fuel what’s the downside to running to cool?
I wouldn't say there's any harm in it as long as it doesn't trip the fail safe mode. Generally speaking, if yours doesn't reach dead center, it will likely trip that fail safe mode at some point. Good thing is though, as long as you have a pocket scanner, you can literally reset the code while driving and gauge will return to where it was and fail safe will disengage until the next drive cycle.
Have you checked any online outlets? If you can get a GM part number, sourcing these shouldn't be too hard as long as you aren't afraid to order from Amazon or any other online GM parts outlets.
the 18th letter
Full Access Member
It tripped fail safe mode once when I got a zero reading but so far, knock wood, no issues while it’s reading low. I reset the battery the 1 time it happened.
I ordered the temp sensor thru Amazon and got a genuine GM part. I'll try the thermostat...
Even RockAuto doesnt show it...
I am having same issue with my 2016 Tahoe LTZ. I changed the sensor, and the connector. If I drive around town I am fine, but after long distances the gauge dies again causing the fan to kick on. I had a mechanic run the computer and it could see if there any codes and there were none. They were able see the temp even though the gauge was dead. Gauge does reset if I disconnect the battery. I am going to change the thermostat first but they are saying possible issue with the dashboard module, has anyone heard about the module being an issue? Thanks in advance.
Don't let mechanics or others over complicate this repair at the expense of your finances. Change the coolant thermostat with a GM thermostat, and disconnect battery to be sure any pending codes clear out.
TChas999
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Turns out I had to replace the thermostat as well, about a month after I replaced my temperature sensor.
In your case, and most others, the original sensor likely never needed replaced. The way the thermostats fail in these always makes people want to target the temperature sensor. Trust me, I was one of them.
Mine happened about a year ago, and I only figured out the thermostat was the issue just by dumb luck and shooting the ole parts cannon at my Suburban. Thankfully I was successful early on. Middle of last year, there was essentially no info on the forums about this issue.
Start with a cold engine. Unplug the negative battery terminal for about 10 minutes to reset everything. Start your vehicle and let it warm up. Drive the vehicle and pay attention to the temperature gauge. The temperature should increase to and hold at 210 degrees. If it doesn't make it to and hold at 210 degrees you need a new engine thermostat. The thermostat is sticking open sometimes and triggering the fault that makes the cooling fans come on and stay on, also leads you to believe you need a new coolant temperature sensor. Replace the thermostat!!! If your vehicle's temperature never comes up( above the 0 line) after you've reset the computer then you need a coolant temperature sensor! Unfortunately, after you reset the system by unplugging the battery it might be a couple of days or even a week/month before the event happens again, but keep watching that temp gauge and if ever a time it doesn't make it to 210 degrees and those fans come on and stay on, you've found your problem(Thermostat) The quick solution is to replace the water coolant temperature sensor and the engine thermostat at the same time and don't forget to unplug the negative battery terminal to reset the system before starting the vehicle after you replace the parts. If you forget to reset the system the fans will keep running because the fault will still be stored in the vehicle's computer. Problem solved 100% and you won't have to come back here.
It's best, at least initially, to NOT rely on the cluster gauge for the ECT. Monitor live data with a scanner since the dash gauges are not all that accurate. After that you might be able to correlate the ECT sensor's reported reading with the dash gauge.
Smart guy !! use the catch can always Folks You don't want that crap going back into your spark plugs and everything else Oh no
