Fans Running After Shutdown

So we had the 40K service done about 2 weeks ago, and since then the fans run after just about every shutdown. Took it in to the dealer (PITA as they are 80 mile away), and they are telling me the coolant temp senor is bad. I have some questions, they tell me it spit a code for the coolant temp, but the gauge was fine, rock solid at 190, and I have never gotten a MIL. I'm guessing the sensor must have 2 thermocouples inside as I understand that it feeds the ECU and the gauge, it was feeding a signal indicating 210 degrees to the ECU, which is what was causing the fan to run. Makes me wonder if the 210 is correct, indicating a bad thermostat, so wondering if I should have that swapped at the same time? I have a lifetime engine and power train warranty from the dealer as long as I bring it to them for service, kills me as I normally don't trust dealerships to work on my vehicles. I appreciate any TDi specific info I can get.

Dave

On my Golf I had a missing fuse that caused the fans to run with the engine off. I had swapped one of the A/C fuses so I could lock the car because I did not have a spare for the # 14 slot. Check your fuses.

Just to clarify, when you say your fans stay running... for how long? They can run for up to 16 minutes after shut down. Underhood temps get very high during a regen, and they'll after run for a while to keep moving the heat out of the engine room.

The gauge isn't an indicator of the actual coolant temps. In some cases, the fan control module (which is integral with the left fan motor on your car) goes rogue and just runs the fans until the battery dies.

The CTS doesn't have the authority to after run the fans like that, that isn't your problem, and I doubt it is bad. I'd be curious to see the DTC the dealer said your car has.

There is also a possibility that the refrigerant pressure switch G65 has stuck, and that has caused the fans to remain on. When this happens, however, a DTC is usually stored in the Climate module.

Usually run 5 or so minutes after shutdown, if it happened once in a while, I could buy the regen, but every time she drives it? I will not leave without the codes tomorrow when I take it back in to have engine coolant temp sensor replaced. What drives the gauge?

Dave

There are several temp sensors, but the one that sends the signal to the gauge is the one down in the water neck below the vacuum pump, in the end of the head. There is another identical one, near the thermostat housing, in a hose tee. Older cars combined these two 2 pin sensors into one 4 pin sensor. No idea why they split them up.

Summer in New Mexico on a CR TDI? Yeah, I'd totally expect to see the fans running after shut down.

I think the dealer is just throwing parts at your car for no reason, or for some warranty work time. But get the DTC, and ask from which module it originated, and what specific sensor they are talking about.

Sounds normal to me

The temp sensor fixed the problem, back to normal now. Technician said it was reading 293* C.