does anyone know if a bad coolant temp sensor can interrupt idle?

 

You'd better believe it can. It can raise havoc with cold starts, warm engine idle, etc. First thing I experienced with my '96 302 was warm engine idle cutting off. Then problems with cold starts. Finally got so bad that I destroyed the starter trying to restart the beast. Had it towed to the shop where they found the coolant temperature sensor had failed and was sending the computer a constant temperature reading of 18 degrees. They replaced it and now the truck idles like a dream, about 600 RPM, and so quiet I have to look at the tach to be sure it's still running.

 

well, i know what ill be ing when i go get my fuel pumps. i broke one off in the process of a tear down to replace my 5 bent pushrods. i dont know if the sensor has had any effect on the truck running, because i have 2 dead fuel pumps. on the front tank it'll idle, but rough. and as soon as i give her gas she dies.

 

On cold starts the engine on my 95 f150 5.0 will rev up for about 5 seconds then imidiately drop down and almost stall . When the idle drops the check engine light will come on for about twenty seconds .I thought it might be the iac valve so I changed it but im getting the same effect that's why I asked if the temp sensor could cause that cause I'm stumped

 

Pull the fault codes. A faulty coolant temp. sensor will show up in the codes.

 

the codes are whats throwin me off. mine is completely broken off and still no code.

 

Is your truck doin the same as mine billy ?

 

yep. but i know for a fact ive got bad fuel pumps, so im not sure if the temp sensor is doing anything or not. but im gonna go ahead and get a new one when i pick up some fuel pumps. but im thinkin it is cause it was actin funny before the front pump started goin nuts. but i drove it anyway, cause its all i got, and didnt think much of it. everything is literally brand new on my truck with the exception of the fuel pumps and the temp sensors. so thats the only 2 problems i could be having.

 

Mine has the 5.0 with 150,000 miles it runs and drives great except that stupid idle problem that's driving me nuts

 

im waiting on my ncome tax to come in. supposed to be in this week. as soon as i get it im gonna go to work on my truck again. ill let you know how it goes.