my temp guage in my car is pegged all the way upwards, and it doesnt come back down when the car is running, we (my dad and i ) are sure the guage itself is fine, but we are wondering where the wire would connect to tell u how hot the engine is

now on the radiator we got, there is a little peg, where it looks like a wire would snap onto there, its about halfway down on the passenger side of the radiator, but on the old one, there was no wire connecting itself to that spot either (but the gauge did not work for the old engine either, and im a lil paraniod, because the old engine overheated real badly on me last summer)

 

so it goes down when you shut it off?

 

Go look on the water pump, there should be a spot that the temp gauge wire connects to, it probably came loose.

 

That's a good question. Does it go down when you turn off the ignition?
My '89's needle would get stuck on the clear plastic covering the guage and look like the guage was pegged. Until I adjusted it I would knock it back down with a zip tie.

 

The temp gage sender (sensor) is located in the drivers side head between cylinder numbers 1 & 3, it should have a flat (female spade) connector plugged on to it.
If when you feel down there (you wont see it) and you just feel a round connector it is not connected, you will have a lose wire floating around (possibly green) with a what looks like a female spade connector on the end of it. This (female spade) connector must be slid over the round one on the engine.
Here is a fue pictures I just took of mine (I have RHD so i can access it MUCH easer than you).
Hope it helps

 

yep that sensor mentioned above is where I would check first. I had the exact same problem. Until i changed that sensor between 1 & 3 cylinders.
Might just be corroded where the wire hooks up.

 

k, srry, i havent been able to get back online in a while, btu yeh, the tempguage doesnt come back down when i turn the car off, ill check those connections this weekend (only time ill have a chance to check em, lol) ill let u know how it goes

 

Dude, it's probably wedged up in the plastic just like mine. Wiggle a zip tie in there and pop it loose.

 

I wouldent be suprised if it is just stuck up there, Every time I shut my car off my OEM temp guage dose a full 360 then stops back where it started sometimes it only dose a 180 and stops pointing up.

 

we found out its just the guage itself is broken, we pushed it back down, and when i started the car it stayed down, and then when i shut it off, the guage shot right back up to where it was stuck b4, im getting a new guage hopefully this weekend, lol