Coolant Temp. Gauge Not Working...

[Jelly]

Quite simply, I'm simply getting no reading from my coolant temperture gauge.

Thermostat is working just fine.

Thought it might be the sensor, so I installed a new one, but the gauge is still not working.

Any thoughts on this?

Vehicle is a '92 1500 Chevy w/ 4.3L.

 

[TheJMan19]

I've got a Ford Explorer but I know on mine there is a coolant temp sensor and a coolant temperature sender. See if yours has a coolant temp sender. If so, that may be the problem.

 

[Jelly]

Yep, here's a case of me being stupid again...there is a sender/switch hiding in the block...never have seen it before, but then again, I haven't been looking for it either.

Thanks for the help...

 

[Mike242GT]

Jelly:

A basic test (at least for the temp senders in my Volvos) is to pull the wire off and ground it to the block. If nothing happens, it may be the gauge or the wiring. If the gauge pegs, then it's probably the sender. You WILL lose some coolant when you remove the old sender from the block, so either drain some from the system first, or be prepared for the spillage.

 

[Jelly]

Well, the gauge worked before...when you started the truck up, the gauge would sweep through it's field of motion (as all of the other gauges do), so I figured the gauge was good.

Went ahead and purchased a new switch/sender unit, and it works good now.

 

[K-Man]

OBD vehicles generally have two different coolant temperature sensors: one for the gauge or dashboard light, one for the engine computer. On my car ('97 Escort) they are side by side near the thermostat housing.

 

[The_Jeff]

I wouldn't overgeneralize about number of temp senders. If they can build a gauge output driver into the PCM cheaper than doing a seperate gauge sender they would.

Now at the risk of generalizing

gauge senders usually have only one pin while PCM senders have two-- gauges need not be as precise and can ground through the rusty engine block.

PS, I like the cars where you can get 'puter info like coolant temp through the electronic odometer-- poor man's scan tool.

 

[97tbird]

Does anybody know where the temp.sensors for the gauge and for the EEC are on 97 4.6L T-bird?
any tips on changing those?
is it easy?

I'd like to change mine, 'cause I have the feeling that the sensor to the eec might be acting up;
Car feels better when cold, and as it warms up, feels a little sluggish...am I thinking in the correct direction?
-Thanks for any feedback.