I have an 01 Turbo and had just finished a 60 mile highway drive. I turned the car off for a couple minutes then turned it back on to drive the last few mile, when I turned the car back on I got the following errors:
1. 'Failure Indicator' with the water temp symbol on the computer.
2. Blinking red light on coolent temp. (coolant level not low and no leaks/puddles on the ground)
3. When engine has been running the coolant temp guage is stuck on lowest temp.
4. the coolant guage needle twitches when the car turns on for 2-5 seconds then stops twitching but does not move to the temp it just sits on the far left side.

The temp on the drive stayed right around 180-185 right in the middle and has never moved above these temps. First thought was low coolant but the level is fine and there are no leaks. Next guess is a sensor or guage has gone bad. Does anyone have any experience with this? Also is there any risk to driving the car with this error?

Thanks for the help.

 

Item # 24 is the temperature sensor part#996 606 410 00 (about $21.00). Take a good look at the wires connection. It is a difficult part to reach because of the location behind the alternator.