Temp Sensor

I have a '97 GTX with the MAINT light on. Last year it overheated
slightly due to sand/shell build up in the cooling system. I took the
motor apart, flushed out all the cooling jackets and rebuilt the motor.
Run perfect, tell tale has plenty of water coming out of it and it's
not too hot. If I put the ski in advanced diag mode it displays a HI
TEMP warning.

I'm wondering if the HI TEMP warning is because it was overheated last
year? Once the HI TEMP code is triggered, does the computer have to be
cleared?

Or is the warning showing the current condition, ie the sensor is
faulty (warning show even when just started for 1st time)? Is there a
way to bypass the sensor to see if the warning goes away? If so, would
I just disconnect the sensor and leave the circuit open, or should I
use a piece of wire to jumper the end of the connector?

Thanks,
Bruce