what exactly is the issue?
with the temperature rod, you can actually adjust the default level. that is , if your "cold" isnt cold enough , try having the rod a tag more close to the clip( this clip connects to the motor that moves the rod forward and backward)
as for the sensor, i presume it's the in-cabin sensor your referring to. if that's faulty, the climate control wont work. you can still manually adjust the rod if you know where it locates. (plug the rod out from the motor clip) just need something to hold it in place , as when u have the fan at high speed, the rod tends to move back as there is nothing to hold on the rod where it is suppose to be held by that motor.