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have watched hours and hours of you tube videos, done everything to this temp gauge except take a hammer to. i post threads done everything that was suggested, still my temp gauge will not work, 2 sending units, 2 BrandNew temp gauges at 100 bucks a piece, if anyone can please help me I don't know what else to do????
I'm not at your house to fix it for you. However, have you tested the wiring? Have you tested the signal wire with a ohm meter? From the end that connects to the sender to the other end that connects to the guage? Do you have power and ground at the guage?
I understand that you feel you have done everything. But clearly your missing something basic here. It's just not a very complicated circuit.
So let's take a look at the temp gauge circuit. This picture is from a 77 manual but your 81 is basically the same.
OK, So we can see our gauge mounted to that awful printed circuit panel. Do we indeed have 12V. Power to the guage? Do we indeed have a good ground? Using a long chunk of wire on our ohm meter, can we determine if we have a good connection from gauge to sender? And also make certain that sender wire is not shorted to ground. And you are checking the sender in the drivers side head? Between cylinders 1 and 3 just behind the alternator?
What is the gauge reading with key on engine not warmed up? On your temp sender your not messing with the sender on the passenger head with two wires right? That for the electric fan.
I'm not at your house to fix it for you. However, have you tested the wiring? Have you tested the signal wire with a ohm meter? From the end that connects to the sender to the other end that connects to the guage? Do you have power and ground at the guage?
I understand that you feel you have done everything. But clearly your missing something basic here. It's just not a very complicated circuit.
I am today, I didn't install insulator under screws heard that could short guage out, ohm gauge and was good, the wiring goes into a cluster of other wires,
I am today, I didn't install insulator under screws heard that could short guage out, ohm gauge and was good, the wiring goes into a cluster of other wires,
Have you measured the resistance of the sending unit at different temps? Have you checked the connector that goes into the back of the gauge panel and contacts the (fragile) flexible circuit board? Have you posted photos on the Forum? Have you confirmed your car's operating temp with an IR thermometer?
Have you measured the resistance of the sending unit at different temps? Have you checked the connector that goes into the back of the gauge panel and contacts the (fragile) flexible circuit board? Have you posted photos on the Forum? Have you confirmed your car's operating temp with an IR thermometer?
There could be lots left to do!
Do not have voltage to guage, going check the ground wire today, i didnt really want to get into the 1 wire is with a cluster of wires going have to dig into and chase the wire. was hoping something more simple!!
Using anything like Teflon tape or even an anti-seize on the sending unit will make it hard to get a good solid ground. Unless the sending unit touches the coolant I don't put anything on the sending units before screwing them into the block or intake depending on the year Corvette. My C3 has a temperature sender sticking out of the block between cylinders #1 and #3 and this hole doesn't have any coolant access. On the top of my intake there is a sending unit used to measure the coolant temperature and I sparingly apply PTFE Paste on a couple of the threads. It helps to go back and enure the sending unit is grounded properly.
Is the engine grounded properly? Take a multi-meter and read the voltage at the battery. Then take the meter and read the voltage between the alternator output and the engine block, the numbers should be either the same or very, very close, if the ground is working okay. A poorly grounded engine can cause grief for electrical sending units as they depend in part on the engine's having a perfect ground.
I count myself to be Lucky not having any flexible printed circuit boards in my C3. My C3 is a early 1968 and is just as simple as it could be, which to me is a big Plus.
Have you measured the resistance of the sending unit at different temps? Have you checked the connector that goes into the back of the gauge panel and contacts the (fragile) flexible circuit board? Have you posted photos on the Forum? Have you confirmed your car's operating temp with an IR thermometer?
temp guage for 1981 vette
