Temp gauge not working?

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doogievlg

doogievlg

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I took my dart out for a cruise tonight and enjoyed myself then I got home and saw the bad news. Coolant was dripping from the overflow tube and some had come out the cap. My temp gauge never went above half way so I recon I have a bad sensor or wire. The sensor is less than two years old but the connection is very loose. Like I can pull it off with zero force.

Can I just get a new connector or should I just get an aftermarket gauge and line?
 
doogievlg said:
I took my dart out for a cruise tonight and enjoyed myself then I got home and saw the bad news. Coolant was dripping from the overflow tube and some had come out the cap. My temp gauge never went above half way so I recon I have a bad sensor or wire. The sensor is less than two years old but the connection is very loose. Like I can pull it off with zero force.

Can I just get a new connector or should I just get an aftermarket gauge and line?
Click to expand...

Personally, wouldn't go aftermarket. I like OEM stuff and the OEM look. But, that's me.
You might be able to gently, partially crimp the connector and get it to grip the stud better.
I would also test your gauge setup. First, by momentarily grounding the connector straight to the engine block. The needle should peg to the high (hot) scale.
 
iScamp said:
Personally, wouldn't go aftermarket. I like OEM stuff and the OEM look. But, that's me.
You might be able to gently, partially crimp the connector and get it to grip the stud better.
I would also test your gauge setup. First, by momentarily grounding the connector straight to the engine block. The needle should peg to the high (hot) scale.
Click to expand...

The gauge raises at a fairly normal rate. If I hope in and drive into town it is warm in about the same distance as my other vehicles but the needle just stays at the halfway point.
 
First thing I'd do is find out what is ACTUALLY happening. Get/ borrow /steal a thermometer. Find out what it is running. Get a test resistor or three and find out what the gauge is doing. Conversely, warm it up some, and read the sender with an ohmeter. Compare the resistance reading with "what the gauge" is reading.

Test resistors:

c-3826-jpg.1714848381
 
Just because it put some water in the overflow doesn't necessarily mean it overheated. Did you top it off between the last time you drove it and when you took it out for the latest drive? Could have just been some excess coolant.

Warm the car up and check the actual temperature and compare it to the gauge reading. Or check it against a known gauge. At this point it could be nothing (excess coolant leaving the overflow), a bad sender, a bad connection, or a bad gauge. Time to eliminate possibilities.

I run a stock and an auto meter temp gauge on my car off two separate senders right next to each other. The stock gauge is more representative of the actual temperature. The auto meter sender works fine and drives my fan controller (which also will tell me the temp), but the auto meter gauge itself reads hot. Aftermarket isn't always better.
 
Actually before doing ANYTHING else make sure the seal on the cap isn't split causing coolant to get by.
(Inspect your cap first) then go on with other trouble shooting if needed.
 
I did add coolant last week to it. I also managed to get some pliers on the sensor cap so it is snug. The cap looks good and I took it for a little shorter drive today but let it idle for about ten minutes in the garage. The gauge stayed at the halfway mark and it never puked coolant.

Tonight I am running it out to a cruise in. It's in the next town over so I'll be cruising at 60 for a bit. Hopefully she says cool.
 
Bad news. Took it out for a drive and the gauge was good the whole time. Got to a buddies and popped the hood and more antifreeze on the radiator. Going to make some runs tomorrow to get a new sensor.
 
You need to see if the temp gauge is working. I think the easiest way to do that is with an IR thermometer. They are pretty inexpensive now, and after you have used one a few times, you will wonder how you ever got along without it. If the temp gauge is at the half way point, and the IR thermometer reads 200 degrees (or more), then the problem is likely the temp sensor, the gauge, or wiring in between. If the temp gauge is at the half way point, and the IR thermometer reads 180 degrees (or so), then you know the temp gauge is probably OK, and you can turn your attention to the causes of the leaks.
One way or another, without ACTUALLY knowing the engine's temperature and without being able to reconcile the gauge to the actual temperature, you are (in my opinion) spinning your wheels.
 
For what it's worth, if you do use an IR thermometer...don't use it on chrome/shiny surfaces (like a natural finish aluminum radiator). The readings will be screwed.

To take the temperature of something shiny, apply a little black electrical tape first and aim the laser at that.
 
I used to have one when I was doing Hvac work but those days are gone. I have a friend still in the field though that I can barrow. I had an old sensor stashed in a drawer that I put in tonight but I didn't have the chance to get the car back out.

Tomorrow I plan on spending the day working on this issue. There is nothing worse than seeing a puddle under your car after a drive.
 
doogievlg said:
I did add coolant last week to it. I also managed to get some pliers on the sensor cap so it is snug. The cap looks good and I took it for a little shorter drive today but let it idle for about ten minutes in the garage. The gauge stayed at the halfway mark and it never puked coolant.

Tonight I am running it out to a cruise in. It's in the next town over so I'll be cruising at 60 for a bit. Hopefully she says cool.
Click to expand...

So, you added coolant and had a little overflow? That by itself doesn't indicate that there's anything wrong at all. It's not at all uncommon to see a little overflow after you've topped the radiator off.

It's a little worrisome that your gauge never goes past the half way mark. Obviously it could just mean that your cooling system works really well, but it may also indicate that there's a problem with the gauge. If the radiator cap is in good working condition and all the connections are tight now you'll have to confirm that the gauge reads accurately.
 
72bluNblu said:
So, you added coolant and had a little overflow? That by itself doesn't indicate that there's anything wrong at all. It's not at all uncommon to see a little overflow after you've topped the radiator off.

It's a little worrisome that your gauge never goes past the half way mark. Obviously it could just mean that your cooling system works really well, but it may also indicate that there's a problem with the gauge. If the radiator cap is in good working condition and all the connections are tight now you'll have to confirm that the gauge reads accurately.
Click to expand...

I assumed it was just overflow coming off the first time it happened. Yesterday was the third time. It has never gotten to the point where steam was coming out or it was really running out of the radiator but there would be a small puddle under the car and some around the top lip of the radiator.

The only time my gauge goes above half way is when I drive the car then stop and turn it back on. The gauge will peg then within a few seconds of the engine running it comes back to the middle.
 
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