Engine Temp Question/Problem
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,001
Likes: 32
From: Franklin North Carolina
St. Jude Donor '09
Engine Temp Question/Problem
So tonight I washed my 01 Z06 and put it in the garage for a cruise in tomorrow night. I pulled my dad's 92 Convert out to make room and decided to drive it tomorrow to work. I was sitting at the shop letting it run while I was waiting on my GF to come down to go with me to town and I noticed the temp was pretty high on the mechanical gauge. I had drove the car to the gas station and back but it shouldn't have been that hot. It was at the line below 260 which I assume is 230ish. I flipped the electronic gauge on and it read 155? I watched it for a minute and I started getting a little steam
So I took off down the road and it cooled back down as soon as I got air though it and felt normal/cool when I parked it. The other think I thought was odd was the oil temp was on the first notch but the electronic gauge was on 225? I assume I should believe the mechanical guages but whats my problem? Are there seperate senders for each? Is this a common problem?
So I took off down the road and it cooled back down as soon as I got air though it and felt normal/cool when I parked it. The other think I thought was odd was the oil temp was on the first notch but the electronic gauge was on 225? I assume I should believe the mechanical guages but whats my problem? Are there seperate senders for each? Is this a common problem?
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 7
From: 1994 LT1 Coupe 6-speed with FX3 & 2000 LS1 Vert 6-Speed with F45 Hunterdon County, NJ
getting a 'little bit of steam', could imply a small leak somewhere -- check for a slightly loose hose or worse, the water pump weep hole (which is right on top of the OPTI and could really damage the distributer if left to leak).
with the car cool, check coolant level and assure it is just below the radiator cap recess.
There are two sensors, the one for the mechanical gauge is in the passenger side head/block. The other sensor, called the ECT, is what the engine computer uses, the digital dash uses, and is mounted in the water pump and is clearly visible just below the intake.
Check for corrosion on the connector by unplugging and replugging or a broken wire (actually 155 sounds like a base temp, as if the gauge has gone bad or a wire is broken).
If none is found, and if your reading was correct (155), and the difference between the two gauges remain, it implies the ECT gauge has gone bad.
If bad, do consider replacing it as the computer uses it to control everything about the engine, so if the computer thinks the engine is that cold, it could affect performance/efficency, etc.
with the car cool, check coolant level and assure it is just below the radiator cap recess.
There are two sensors, the one for the mechanical gauge is in the passenger side head/block. The other sensor, called the ECT, is what the engine computer uses, the digital dash uses, and is mounted in the water pump and is clearly visible just below the intake.
Check for corrosion on the connector by unplugging and replugging or a broken wire (actually 155 sounds like a base temp, as if the gauge has gone bad or a wire is broken).
If none is found, and if your reading was correct (155), and the difference between the two gauges remain, it implies the ECT gauge has gone bad.
If bad, do consider replacing it as the computer uses it to control everything about the engine, so if the computer thinks the engine is that cold, it could affect performance/efficency, etc.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,001
Likes: 32
From: Franklin North Carolina
St. Jude Donor '09
getting a 'little bit of steam', could imply a small leak somewhere -- check for a slightly loose hose or worse, the water pump weep hole (which is right on top of the OPTI and could really damage the distributer if left to leak).
with the car cool, check coolant level and assure it is just below the radiator cap recess.
There are two sensors, the one for the mechanical gauge is in the passenger side head/block. The other sensor, called the ECT, is what the engine computer uses, the digital dash uses, and is mounted in the water pump and is clearly visible just below the intake.
Check for corrosion on the connector by unplugging and replugging or a broken wire (actually 155 sounds like a base temp, as if the gauge has gone bad or a wire is broken).
If none is found, and if your reading was correct (155), and the difference between the two gauges remain, it implies the ECT gauge has gone bad.
If bad, do consider replacing it as the computer uses it to control everything about the engine, so if the computer thinks the engine is that cold, it could affect performance/efficency, etc.
with the car cool, check coolant level and assure it is just below the radiator cap recess.
There are two sensors, the one for the mechanical gauge is in the passenger side head/block. The other sensor, called the ECT, is what the engine computer uses, the digital dash uses, and is mounted in the water pump and is clearly visible just below the intake.
Check for corrosion on the connector by unplugging and replugging or a broken wire (actually 155 sounds like a base temp, as if the gauge has gone bad or a wire is broken).
If none is found, and if your reading was correct (155), and the difference between the two gauges remain, it implies the ECT gauge has gone bad.
If bad, do consider replacing it as the computer uses it to control everything about the engine, so if the computer thinks the engine is that cold, it could affect performance/efficency, etc.
