Is there ANY way to make our stock water temp gauge work?
08-20-2005, 02:20 PM
#21
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Originally Posted by Racehead
I don't know who started the rumor that they don't work, but they DO.
I've had a '98, a '99, and an '00. The only one that 'worked' (meaing the gage reading close to what a-tap showed) is the '98. Both my '99 and '00 would climb to 210 shortly after warm-up and stay there no matter what the temp read on my scanner.
When I had the stock fan settings on my '00, the coolant temp would often reach 230 (via scanner) in the summer idling in traffic. Guess what the gage showed? 210. Once I changed the fan settings, the car was running at 196 most of the time (via scanner). Guess what the gage showed? 210. With a 160 stat and different fan settings, the temp would drop to low-170s on the scanner. Guess what the gage showed? 210. I saw this exact same condition on every '99-'02 car in our club, no matter what we did with t-stat changes or fan settings, the gage never moved after full warm up. A scanner was the only way we could get anything close to a real reading.
On my '98, even a 10* change in temp is visable on the gage. It is very accurate, for a stock gage.
08-20-2005, 03:53 PM
#22
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The stock coolant gauge setup on the 99-02 model year is designed to read 210 degrees for the temperature range of 180-225. The gauge won't read above 210 untill the coolant temperature reaches 226 degrees.
If your car is doing something different-then something either isn't working correctly or it has been modified somehow (if it has been modified to work correctly-we need to dissect it so we can all copy it <grin>).
You can't remove or replace the stock sending unit with an aftermarket one because then the PCM won't be receiving the correct information (the temperture variation of the coolant causes a temperture resistor to change its ohm reading and sends this deviation to the PCM which adjusts all the engine variables to match) and as a result the engine won't opperate correctly.
Just install an aftemarket gauge and put the sending unit into the tapped cavity above the #8 spark plug. If I recall correctly it takes a 10 mm allen wrench to remove the plug.
You will need to buy an adapter to convert the aftermarket autometer 1/8 -27 pipe tap thread (on the sending unit/probe) to the 12 MM X ( forgot the pitch).
Buy the steel adapter from fittingsandadapters.com
Its much better than the brass item from auto barn and it won't break off like the brass one either.
If your car is doing something different-then something either isn't working correctly or it has been modified somehow (if it has been modified to work correctly-we need to dissect it so we can all copy it <grin>).
You can't remove or replace the stock sending unit with an aftermarket one because then the PCM won't be receiving the correct information (the temperture variation of the coolant causes a temperture resistor to change its ohm reading and sends this deviation to the PCM which adjusts all the engine variables to match) and as a result the engine won't opperate correctly.
Just install an aftemarket gauge and put the sending unit into the tapped cavity above the #8 spark plug. If I recall correctly it takes a 10 mm allen wrench to remove the plug.
You will need to buy an adapter to convert the aftermarket autometer 1/8 -27 pipe tap thread (on the sending unit/probe) to the 12 MM X ( forgot the pitch).
Buy the steel adapter from fittingsandadapters.com
Its much better than the brass item from auto barn and it won't break off like the brass one either.
Last edited by Weezzer; 08-20-2005 at 08:24 PM.
08-20-2005, 05:30 PM
#23
Originally Posted by JasonWW
Does anyone know if the stock sending unit can be unpluged without any problems or trouble lights on the 99 and newer cars? I want to put a new sender in the stock location and then mount a small 3/4" x 1" digital readout over the top of the factory gauge.
09-03-2005, 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted by BriancWS6
Well when I put the 160* thermostat in my pewter car, 01 model, and changed the fan settings the needle did the same thing, didn't read ANY lower than before, but the TECHII said it was running 182* in town on the highway, whereever. So I am with the guys that say it works as it warms up, but goes to a preset spot, which seems to be a bit before 210, and unless it starts to get hott it doesn't change. I was expecting my gauge to read lower with the new thermosat but it didn't. At least it ran cooler.
same damn thing mine does so the guage cant be accurate
