Possible temp problem

bauble

Registered User
My temp guage likes to run from cold to hot and back again. Sometimes several times in the space of a few seconds. I'm thinking that it's not likely that the actual engine temp is fluctuating that much (and please note that I am *not* a mechanic). My mechanic thinks that I have a bad guage (and he's checked the engine temp while the guage showed hot - 120 degrees ). He also said that the computer isn't showing abnormal temperature readings. The car's performance doesn't seem to have changed since this started happening. I did replace the thermostat when this started happening (with a Ford t-stat), and that hasn't had any effect.

Has anyone else had a similar problem ? Does anyone know the part number for a replacement temp gauge ? What, specifically, does that guage measure ?
 
Try this.....

Probably a bad sending unit for the guage, or poor contact with the wire connecting to the guage. Try pulling the connector and cleaning the post on the sender and the inside of the wire connector. Then carefully crimp the connector a little with some pliers to get better contact. When my guage started bouncing around a little "connector maintenance" fixed it. If not, the sending unit is cheap and available at most parts stores.....
 
LJGriggs said:
Probably a bad sending unit for the guage, or poor contact with the wire connecting to the guage. Try pulling the connector and cleaning the post on the sender and the inside of the wire connector. Then carefully crimp the connector a little with some pliers to get better contact. When my guage started bouncing around a little "connector maintenance" fixed it. If not, the sending unit is cheap and available at most parts stores.....

Thanks! Now I'm going to expose more of my ignorance here: Where is the sending unit located ? Is this something a not-entirely-incompetent person can do ?
 
Easy fix....

The sending unit is located next to the thermostat housing (just a little to the right and below the thermostat if you are looking at the front of the engine). You may have to poke around to find it...It looks like a bolt with a short metal stem on top. It will have a single wire attached to the stem. You can pull the wire connector off by hand and clean the stem with steel wool, sandpaper, etc. Then pinch the connector back onto the stem. You are basically just trying to get good electrical contact to signal the guage.....
 
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