temp gauge problem
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 232
Likes: 1
From: Parker (Denver) CO
temp gauge problem
I had my dash off redoing the speedo and tach. All other gauges were working fine. After reinstalling dash and gauges, now when you start the car, the temp is down below 100 for about 2 min. until send unit starts getting warm, then the needle slams over 220 all the way to the right. I changed the Temp Sensor send unit for a new one, checked to make sure there wasn't a ground issue with the wires at the gauge end.
Any ideas out there for a would be mechanic?
BTW, it's a 61 vette but has a 64 327 small block in it.
thanks
Any ideas out there for a would be mechanic?
BTW, it's a 61 vette but has a 64 327 small block in it.
thanks
Pro
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 735
Likes: 174
From: Myrtle Beach South Carolina
I had my dash off redoing the speedo and tach. All other gauges were working fine. After reinstalling dash and gauges, now when you start the car, the temp is down below 100 for about 2 min. until send unit starts getting warm, then the needle slams over 220 all the way to the right. I changed the Temp Sensor send unit for a new one, checked to make sure there wasn't a ground issue with the wires at the gauge end.
Any ideas out there for a would be mechanic?
BTW, it's a 61 vette but has a 64 327 small block in it.
thanks
Any ideas out there for a would be mechanic?
BTW, it's a 61 vette but has a 64 327 small block in it.
thanks
C1's are notorious for grounding problems.
This sounds like one of them.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 58,061
Likes: 7,146
Army
Agree - Check the ground wire path, but such an extreme 'pinned-to-the-right' gauge movement is usually the sending unit wire grounding out. If you want to isolate that run a long jumper from the gauge over the windshield to the sending unit after disconnecting the original sending unit wire from both ends. If gauge works correctly you definitely have wiring problems. 5-10 minutes work to get the lowdown on a major potential problem area.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 653
Likes: 9
From: Ottawa, Ont. Canada
I had my dash off redoing the speedo and tach. All other gauges were working fine. After reinstalling dash and gauges, now when you start the car, the temp is down below 100 for about 2 min. until send unit starts getting warm, then the needle slams over 220 all the way to the right. I changed the Temp Sensor send unit for a new one, checked to make sure there wasn't a ground issue with the wires at the gauge end.
Any ideas out there for a would be mechanic?
BTW, it's a 61 vette but has a 64 327 small block in it.
thanks
Any ideas out there for a would be mechanic?
BTW, it's a 61 vette but has a 64 327 small block in it.
thanks
Pierre
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 38,897
Likes: 1,926
From: Washington Michigan
Yup, they gave you the wrong sender - you have a "switch" sender for a car with an "idiot light", not a variable-resistance sending unit for a car with a temperature gauge. Try a Wells TU-5 sending unit (AutoZone, about six bucks) - it's as close as any of them, but will probably need a resistor to calibrate it properly. 
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