Check Engine Light

External Since: Dec 28, 2003 Posts: 5

I have an 01 Sonata 4 cylinder. Recently the engine light has come on.
Checking with an OBDII tester showed an error of "engine coolant temp
circuit malfunction". I cleared the error and drove the vehicle the
following two days before it reappeared. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

External Since: Oct 09, 2004 Posts: 277

You'll be interested in the Freeze Frame data when the code stored. The
OBD-II tester you used may be able to give this to you. A very high
temperature suggests the vehicle was overheating for some reason. A very
low temperature (-40 degrees is common) suggests a coolant temp sensor
problem or an open circuit in the sensor wiring (almost always the
sensor). If the temperature is not at operating temp but not ridiculously
cold, then you may be looking at an issue with the thermostat stuck open.

Do you have the actual code? That may help narrow things a bit.