Ashton89iroc

Alrighty guys, I can't get my stock or aftermarket temp gauges to work at all. I'm pretty sure my temp sensor is fine, I'm having zero drivability issues or codes at all. The sender must be bad I guess, but I don't know which sender to use….I have an 87' originally with the 305, I pulled that and put a 350 vortec crate engine in and am running TPI still with a computer from a 350 TPI motor I have out of an 89'. Now the sender I had in there between cylinders 1&3 was one of these…

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/b...nt+temp+sender

that one wasn't working for neither the stock or aftermarket gauge, they didn't budge at all (I know both the gauges themselves are fine, I did the ground test on both). So I figured I had the wrong sender in there and I went and put one of these in there tonight…

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/b...nt+temp+sender

Even with the new sender in there, I'm seeing no difference at all. Neither the rounded head sender or the spade sender is working….are these the wrong senders? does it really even matter? I'm running without a temp gauge and it's really making me uncomfortable not knowing how hot I'm running. I know I don't have faulty wiring in the aftermarket gauge, it has all brand new wiring.

Ashton89iroc

also, is there a difference between these two parts? I currently have the second one in and its not working.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/b...nt+temp+sender

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/b...nt+temp+sender

someone972

iTrader: (2)

The second one looks like it's a temperature switch as opposed to a sender, which is designed to be open when cool and suddenly close the circuit when hot, as opposed to providing a gradual change in resistance. So it definitely won't work if you have that one in. As for the gauge, are you running it from the dash? There could be a break in the wire from the sender to the dash causing you to not get a signal.

Ashton89iroc

ah, ok….well that makes sense why the new so called sender I put in tonight isn't working. I'm more concerned about my aftermarket gauge working since it's far more accurate than the absurdly vague factory gauge. I'll pick up the other sender tomorrow and try that one. As far as my aftermarket gauge is concerned, I know the wiring is good….it has all new wiring.

Ashton89iroc

yea that first one I had in there was definitely a switch. I bought the other part, the actual sender, and it wouldn't thread in. Advance's website says they're both the same thread size but when I did a physical comparison, the sender was a larger diameter than the switch….so I'm not sure what to do about it now. I went ahead and put the wrong plug back in just to keep the hole plugged for now.

Ashton89iroc

UPDATE: I should have just went to NAPA in the first place, I took the guy there 5 minutes to figure out what part I needed and get me out the door. I put it in right there in the parking lot and the gauge works great now.

For anyone else that might have this issue in the future, the part number is ECH TS6641 and the link to the part is…

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...641_0166850493

Advance and Autozone could NOT understand I needed a SENDER and not a switch or sensor. They continually kept giving me the wrong parts, "Temperature/Coolant gauge sender" wasn't even in their system, figures.