Temp guage doesn't work
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 30
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From: Dallas, TX
Temp guage doesn't work As I was driving home, my temperature guage all of a sudden dropped to nothing and won't budge. I just had my plugs changed and I heard there is a coolant sensor of some kind between the 1 and 3 plugs. My motor is too hot right now to reach around and feel for things and I won't be able to think about anything else if I wait for it to cool. 
Anyone know about this sensor?
Anyone know about this sensor? Yea, you are right, that is the one for that guage. Make sure the wire(s) didn't burn up on the Header/Manifold. If not, then you will probably have to change that Sensor. What year is your Car, I ask cause mine has a very interesting Connection on the back of that Sensor, and you have to check it at the store.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: St. Augustine, FL
yes, it is on the driverside head right between the first two exhaust ports. You cant miss it. Its really no big deal, your gauge will simply not operate but there should be no worries because there is another temp sensor in the water pump and that is the one that actually works with the computer. I'm looking for the part number right now for you and for myself since I know my own is fried and I need to replace it as well... good a time as any I guess to look it up.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: St. Augustine, FL
Cylinder head temp sensor PN: 25037332
Water pump temp sensor PN: 15326386
Courtesy of our beloved LS1tech brethren before us: Cooling part numbers
----------------------------------
- Gauge temp sensor has only one wire coming off of it, this is normal
- Water pump temp sensor has two wires
* dont mix up the two
Water pump temp sensor PN: 15326386
Courtesy of our beloved LS1tech brethren before us: Cooling part numbers
----------------------------------
- Gauge temp sensor has only one wire coming off of it, this is normal
- Water pump temp sensor has two wires
* dont mix up the two
Last edited by hyperzone; Oct 28, 2006 at 07:09 PM.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 30
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From: Dallas, TX
Dude! The guys that changed my plugs cut the wire off right at the connector. There is only a little stub of wire left, not even enought to splice it back together!! I felt down there and there wasn't a wire coming off it, it was wrapped around my steering linkage. WTF?!?! Will I have to find a plug at a junkyard with the wire still attached and splice it onto my wire or do they sell just the plug and wire as a unit? The sensor it good, just the plug is screwed. Also it's a 96.
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: St. Augustine, FL
shitty! I dont know about finding just that plug. Since its toast regardless, why not see if your able to take it apart? maybe you could repin it and still use it. Otherwise, I liked your going to a junkyard and finding another plug idea alot better.. much easier to just splice the wire back together. Get some heat shrink tubing to put around the splice... dont use electric tape. E-tape will work I guess but, IMO the heat shrink is less ghetto.
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Teching In
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 30
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From: Dallas, TX
I have the plug off and taken apart, but I can't reach the little stub of wire that's left with my needle noses. Damn, this is annoying. Just to be clear, just the guage won't work, my PCM won't get confused or retard timing or not turn my fans on, right? It is the sensor in the head, not the water pump, that is messed up.
Yea, you will know when the one on front of the Motor ***** out. The car will run like crap. This is just the one for the gauge on the dash. I still like having all my gauges operable, but that's just me.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Dallas, TX
me too, but until i can find a replacement, i want to be sure i'm not destroying my car by driving it. well, destroying it that way, I'm sure romping on it all the time is taking it's toll as well.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: St. Augustine, FL
The car will run fine without the sensor your talking about. I personally would still fix it but, rest assured, it will not inhibit the car other than no visual indication of temp.... Actually the temp indicated by that gauge is usually off by as much as 40 degrees at times anyway, ha! Should really be called "cylinder head temp" since its not really getting the temp of the heated coolant due to the reverse flow... haha.. I'm just rambling now..
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Dallas, TX
My car got hit by some dumb ***** a couple years ago so I used that as an excuse to add mods. I told my wife "the wreck messed up my exhaust manifolds, I have to get these headers to fix it" Same with the gears and cat back and such. I don't know how I'll explain the heads and cam 
Thanks, guys, for your help, I'll keep working on this plug, but it looks like I'll be hittin the junk yards next weekend.
Thanks, guys, for your help, I'll keep working on this plug, but it looks like I'll be hittin the junk yards next weekend. 