RIPTEC

My temp gauge is stuck and never moves! Even when I shut the car off or turn the car on it is in the same position at all times. How can I fix this gauge??? I just blew my radiator and found out that one of my fan motors was shot. I replaced both the fan and radiator, but now I really need to figure this temp gauge out asap. I need to know how hot my engine is running! Thanks for any help guys!

Lost Again

Is the gauge stuck all the way up - down - or somewhere in the middle?

Have you checked the connection at the sending unit?

RIPTEC

It is stuck right about normal operating temperature. I would check the connection, but I'm not sure where it is exactly. I think it is on the coolant hose coming out of the back of the engine by the v-tec solenoid sticking straight up. Does that sound right?

Lost Again

I'll assume this is a four cyl by your description of the engine - guessing

The sending unit is on the end of the head - it is the single pin sending unit. This pic is a bit misleading - that housing is where the "upper" rad hose connects to the engine.

RIPTEC

It is the 4 cyl engine... would this be on the front of the engine or the back of the engine?

RIPTEC

Ok... I found it. I tested the connector wire that snaps on the sending unit and it was reading 0.89 volts. Is this good or bad? I don't know what it should read.

Lost Again

Pull the connector. Ground it to the block/head. Turn the key to on and watch the temp gauge - does it start to go towards Hot? ALSO be sure to turn the car off or un-ground the wire before the gauge gets all the way to Hot....this can damage the gauge.

RIPTEC

I tested the connector and got no response from the temp gauge, but I'm not sure that I'm doing this correctly either. I just ran a wire from the inside of the connector and had it touching the head of the motor. Could you explain how exactly i'm supposed to ground the connector to the head/block? Otherwise, if i did it correctly and got no response, what does that mean? Thanks for helping me on this.

jdowen2

Is the number 9 fuse (7.5A) in driver's underdash fuse/relay box good? Are you grounding YEL/GRN wire?

RIPTEC

Ok... The number nine fuse is good. Yes the connector wire is yel/grn, but am I grounding it correctly? By just running a wire from inside in the connector and just touching the head of the motor with the other side of the wire.

jdowen2

That is the correct way to test, if you have a good connection to ground. If the ground connection is good you may have a bad gauge, bad pcm, or open wire.

Lost Again

The temp on these didn't go to/thru the PCM until 2000. So I'm with either a bad gauge or broken wire....more like the gauge as it is "stuck" around normal op temp.

RIPTEC

Hey guys, I'm back... I got a sending unit really cheap so I just threw it in to see if that was the problem and nothing changed! DAMN, I was hoping that was just going to do it...

RIPTEC

Also, I did notice that the ECT sensor is leaking, or at least it looks like it is that's for sure... Just relaying all the info that I have on my end to try and figure this problem out.