What is your question?
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What is your question?
I have an Altima with the 3.5L V6. My temperature gauge is not showing any heat. The heater seems to work but not that hot. Is the temperature sensor also the sending unit for the gauge. They are sometime separate.
How long has your 2003 Nissan Altima had this problem?
A few days
1 Reply
Hi, I'm one of the auto experts on RepairPal's Car Genius team! On your 2003 Nissan Altima with the 3.5L V6 there are indeed two separate coolant temperature related sensors. One is the engine coolant temperature sensor that feeds information to the ECM for fuel management purposes, and the other is the temperature sending unit that drives the gauge on your dashboard. It's entirely possible for one to fail while the other continues to work, which would explain why your heater has some warmth but the gauge isn't reading correctly. That said, a temperature gauge that reads low combined with a heater that isn't as hot as it should be could also point to a thermostat that is stuck open, which is actually a very common issue on this engine. A stuck open thermostat prevents the engine from reaching proper operating temperature, which would affect both the gauge reading and heater output simultaneously. We'd recommend having a qualified shop test both the thermostat and the temperature sending unit to pinpoint the exact cause. If you need any further advice or would like help finding a trusted RepairPal shop in your area or even getting an appointment booked, please feel free to call us at 877-913-1554 or check out https://repairpal.com/certified