Saturn, 1997 saturn sc2, saturn sc2

I have a  1997 Saturn SC2 with 124,000 miles on it. My coolant temperature gauge was only staying at around one quarter all the time so I replaced the thermostat, but it didn't change anything. I noticed that if i let the car sit in idle for about 10 minutes the engine would start to overheat and coolant would start to bubble out of my coolant overflow. But the temp said only one quarter. Also the fan wouldn't turn on so I replaced the coolant temp sensor but nothing changed. Also the fan will turn on only if I have the a/c running. I heard that 1997 Saturn SC2's have two coolant temperature sensors, but I cant locate it.

Answer
Hi Zack,

I'm looking and can't seem to find any information about your car having two sensors, usually the coolant sensor is right inside the radiator under the cap.
It sounds to me like you've got an electrical problem rather than a sensor problem. Does your temperature guage ever go down to nothing or does it just sit at 1/4 whether the engine is cold or hot? Just by what you're describing, it sounds like the guage is out.
As far as the fan goes, that also sounds like an electrical problem, you need to test the plug to see if it's getting power. You will probably need a professional to fix that problem.

Good luck,
Christina
Car Repair Talk's forum.