My Temp gauge quit working. I know there is power to it because the needle will jump when I start the car, but drop back to zero. I think its the Coolent Temp Senser, but I don't know how to test it. The Haynes manual just tells me how to test the temp light and not the needle. Is there a way to see if its a short in the wiring. The wires look pretty good, but I still want to make sure before I drop about $25 for a new senser that may not be the problem.

 

i have the exact same problem.... do our gauges have a sending unit? or does it just feed of the temp sensor....? because i was just going to get an aftermarket gauge that comes with its own sending unit...but i dunno if that would replace the temp sensor.. (or the sending unit if we have one)...

 

I went to the junk yard today and pulled 3 sensers and a connector to the senser. None of the other sensers didn't change anything, and neither did the other connector. So the problem gots to be more internal. Any other ideas?

 

The sender for the temp gauge is on the driver's side head below the #1-#3 spark plugs.It has a single feed wire.Magadith the coolant temp sensor on the intake is the sensor for the ECM.And if there is a sender in the passenger side head below the #6-#8 spark plugs it's for the electric fan.You could have a bad gauge,a loose connection or a bad sender.Make sure you ask for the sending unit for the gauge and not the temp warning light.

 

Thank you! I found the problem. It was the wire to the sender where you said it was. For some reason the wire was severed. And I don't know how it got that way. My first clue was I found a dark green wire at the back of the engine was cut. I remembered in the wiring diagram the wire to the sender was dark green. I found the sender and only the connector to it was there but no wire. So I took a piece of wire and connect it to the sender and the unknown severed wire. Sure enough it worked. As for happaned to the rest of the wire...?