Homeless Intake Air Temp Sensor

Neal

Neal

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 15, 2016
Messages
505
Location
Albuquerque, NM
I am embarrassed to admit that I have owned my LJ for nearly 10 years and I have only just now noticed that there is an intake sensor on my 4.0 that isn't plugged into the intake. While removing the throttle body for cleaning I was moving several wires out of the way when I found myself holding an obvious sensor of some sort that been tucked under the fuel injector wiring. It didn't take long to figure out that it was p/n 56028364AA, the Intake Air Temperature sensor. A little more digging revealed that there was no place on my intake manifold to plug the sensor into, even though my copy of the service manual clearly showed where it was supposed to go. The engine is at 130,000 miles and runs fine, no codes/CEL's, the only functional engine issues since I have owned the Jeep have been with the PCM connectors, which I replaced last year. For now I have simply tied the sensor up out of the way and left it connected to the wiring. The engine/PCM doesn't seem to care, so why should I?

The part in question. It was hiding under the fuel rail and caught me completely by surprise. It was dirty but apparently undamaged.
56028364AA Intake Air Temp Sensor 1.jpg


The connector for the IAT sensor, evidently part of the fuel injector wiring harness.
IAT Connector.jpg


The intake manifold. According to the manual the IAT sensor should be plugged into a fitting screwed into the manifold in the area circled in red. Or not...
04854036AC Intake Manifold.jpg
 
JKP said:
It goes in the plastic air intake tube above the valve cover.
Click to expand...

That would be a possible explanation, then. The PO installed a cold air intake that I haven't gotten around to replacing, and there's no provision for the IAT sensor in the aftermarket tube.
JKP said:
The 05 and 06 are "different."

You'll note there are no threads on the sensor in question.
Click to expand...

As I understand the manual, the fitting (that I can find no part number for) that goes into the manifold is threaded in place, and the sensor clicks into the fitting. It's one of those "push in and turn" kind of things.
 
Your 06 should look like this
image-jpeg.562

If you get an OEM intake tube from one older than 05, it won't have the fitting for the IAT as they were in the manifold.

Never seen one that snapped into a fitting in the manifold, but I guess it's possible. All the ones I've seen just screwed in.
 
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JKP said:
Your 06 should look like this
image-jpeg.562

If you get an OEM intake tube from one older than 05, it won't have the fitting for the IAT as they were in the manifold.

Never seen one that snapped into a fitting in the manifold, but I guess it's possible. All the ones I've seen just screwed in.
Click to expand...

I think I may try to source a grommet of suitable size, drill a hole into my aftermarket air tube and mount the sensor there. It can't do worse than where it is right now.
 
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