Hard Starting/Surging/Coolant Temperature Sensor

Original Owner of 95 Roadmaster LTI with 147,000 miles.

Have had the service engine soon light on for about the last 2 years or so without any further problems. Then the vehicle began hard to start at times, appearing to be flooded. When started it would more often than not surge while still in park. Shade tree mechanic got the error codes which (forget the code number)identified the culprit as Coolant temperature sensor. Have replaced it with temporary relief for short intervals. Sometimes when the car will not start if you disconnect the sensor the car will start fine and run normally. Tried leaving it disconnected but in a few days the problem will resurface and will have to reconnect to start the car. There are no problems with surging when vehicle reaches operating temperature. Just at times from cold start will i have problems, disconnect the sensor and the car starts and runs fine. Have read all the posts on surging and CTS sensor here and the Caprice forums and if anything a bit more confused. So think i will try and solve my problem from scratch.

Aside from the cooling fans, what does the coolant temperature sensor(water pump) affect or control.

Thanks in advance.

the ECT tells the computer the operating environment..this then controls fuel ,timing, transmission , ect...

with the code this is best to get to the cause....driving 2years with this defect you could have damaged other componets...

the ECT tells the computer the operating environment..this then controls fuel ,timing, transmission , ect...

with the code this is best to get to the cause....driving 2years with this defect you could have damaged other componets...

Thanks for the reply and your time. Should have mentioned during that two or three year period have changed the ECT (Coolant Temp Sensor) four or five times. The error code is always the same and the problem will go away for awhile and returns. The problem has evolved from surging during the same point(about 1/2 way to normal temp) as the vehicle approaches the operating temp and then clears up at normal temp. Now it is the hard starting dilemma after four or five days of problem free operation. During the two or three year period the "check engine" warning light would be intermittent. This final replacement is a genuine GM part(if you can consider "hecho en Mexico" genuine)while others were of various origins. Been two days...no problems....but i'm not that optimistic.

if you still experience a problem, I've read that the connector for the ect actually goes bad on lt1's. You may want to research that.