i just installed my electrical temp gauge and it doesn't seem to be working. i just don't know if i tee'd the sender to the right place. This would be for a B18C engine. I was told to tee it off the heater hose that is to the left of the intake manifold (if looking from front of engine) That is the short little heater hose that comes out and bends back into the block. That location is very hard to get a tee into there and to squeeze everything on. So then I changed it to the smaller hose that runs above that area. This would be the hose going from the top of the radiator hose on the front of engine and it runs to the back where there thermostat housing is. I was figuring there was coolant running through there and it would work but the temp doesn't seem to move as the engine warms up.

Did i hook this up wrong? Any better or more correct places to put sender?!?!?? help!!

 

anyone?!

 

It's late and I am going cross eyed but if I read this right you should have hooked it up in a place there is warm coolant so did you wire everything correctly?

 

I recommend to put it in the upper radiator hose.
I personally mounted mine in the water neck on the head by
drilling a hole and mounting it in the water neck itself.

No matter where you put it though, eventually it should show a temp change.

 

i have my sender tee'd into a small hose that should have coolant running through it. i'm pretty sure that the wiring is correct and there is power going to the gauge, i'm guessing is maybe my location is not a sound choice and there isn't enough or too much coolant going throught that hose.

sgT: would you have a picture of your setup? u just drilled and tapped into the water neck where the thermostat is? i would like to put it in a radiator hose or heater hose but what is the easiest way? tee? can't really poke a hole....

thanks for help guys!

 

I drilled out the bleeder screw opening with a 7/16" bit, then tapped it for 1/4" NPT fitting. Used the adapter fitting that came with sender.

You can get the drill/tap kit from Home Depot or Sears.

BTW, remove the housing before drilling/tapping.

 

mistabone: thanks for the pic, good stuff...

could it also be a ground reference problem? since my sender isn't mounted directly to the block like yours. does the sender body actually have to ground?

 

Yes, the sensor body must be grounded to read correctly.

 

do you think i can just wrap the body of the the sender to a wire and ground that to the engine? i'm just trying to find a way to not have to take my setup apart and drain coolant and all that good stuff. last time when i first did it, i ended up having coolant all over the garage floor, big mess and big headache afterwards.

 

solder a lead from the sender body and wire it to ground.

BTW make sure you have a killer soldering iron if you attempt this.

 

i seemed to have fixed my problem. I just wrapped a wire around the sender and grounded the damn thing. now i am able to get readings.

oh btw, what kinda of readings do you guys get? i was told that 180 was normal operating temp. mines seem to read at 150 most of the time and only when i'm driving around in the city in stop and go traffic do i hit 180.

thanks

 

depends on air temps and if heater is on.
Normal when temps are 40-60 is 175-180 on the highway.

Also in the summer, pull up to 2-3 cars behind a SUV and watch the temp gauge climb.

 

do u have it on the hose going to the heater core by any chance? if u do... u may not get that accurate readings... at times when the valve to the heater core is closed... there is no water flowing through... it is at a standstill

 

If you refering to mine, see pic above.

 

do you have to drain the coolant?