Originally Posted by andrewwynn

My source was Siri. She didn't say her source unfortunately. I selected probe on my phone and picked lockup.

Oddly once you tap on a definition the phone doesn't show the source but when I re-did the look up I noticed it does show "new American Oxford" on the main results page before i pick a result.

That said, when I searched online the first three dictionary results I looked at incl Webster, the free dictionary and Cambridge all include the well known meaning of the word.

Probe means sensor sensor means probe. The subtle difference semantically is that a probe implies it's poking into somewhere to sense something inisde vs. more generic sensor (arguably less accurate) makes no implication and could easily be meausuring the outside of something.

Clearly the sensors in question (engine coolant, radiator outlet, inisde air) are all probe versions of sensors (small electrode that pokes into somewhere to measure something inside).

I find it a perfectly acceptable use of the word being more precise than the product name "sensor" and is not confusing at all.