Temperature Sending Unit, gauge or switch?
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Temperature Sending Unit, gauge or switch?
Today I replaced the temperature sending sensor on my 92' Bronco. Before the switch the needle at the gauge was always at the "N" in Normal and after the switch it is now at the "L". I was reading another thread on the oil sending unit being more like a switch than a real gauge and was wondering if the same applied to the temperature sender. It was not that expensive to replace, only 3 bucks and easy to do. I want to monitor my temperature carefully, should I add another gauge?
Last edited by redrumybronco; Jul 5, 2004 at 12:02 AM.
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why then do you suppose that my temperature needle is now in a different position (running hotter) at normal operating temperature? Do these sending units wear out over time and cause different readings?
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Another thing this new temp sender does is waits about 10 minutes before it moves... then all of a sudden it wakes up and goes from far left to the "N" then waits awhile then continues to the "A" and "L". Is it defective? The old one never did that. I have a 160 degress thermostat.
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Mine went up somewhat after installing a new sender (the old one died). But not as drastically as yours, and I think that it is correct now anyway. And it does not act erratically. It sounds like your new one is defective, or something happened to the ground when you put the new one on. Did you use a dielectric thread sealer? If you used regular thread sealer than that would cause a bad ground.
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From: Loveland, CO.
On the other hand, after re-reading your second post, it could be acting normally.
This is a normal sequence for a temperature gauge from a cold start -- The temp gauge will stay on the extreme left for a couple of minutes, and then gradually move to the right. It will go hotter than normal until the thermostat opens, then it should go down to wherever normal is and stay around there.
Yours acts a little funny in that it stays pegged on cold, and then goes all the way to the "L" and then back to normal. So it sounds as if it is sort of working properly in its own way.
This is a normal sequence for a temperature gauge from a cold start -- The temp gauge will stay on the extreme left for a couple of minutes, and then gradually move to the right. It will go hotter than normal until the thermostat opens, then it should go down to wherever normal is and stay around there.
Yours acts a little funny in that it stays pegged on cold, and then goes all the way to the "L" and then back to normal. So it sounds as if it is sort of working properly in its own way.
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On a separate note, a 160 thermostat is pretty cold for an EFI setup. You'll be running rich and wasting a lot of gas. I'd recommend going to a 180 or a 195 thermostat.
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you know now that you mention the ground thing... I didn't have any sealer with me and since I had just checked the coolant temperature sender I used teflon tape on both... the chiltons manual said to use sealer or teflon plumbing tape on the coolant sender since it seals in water but the other isn't in water. Maybe I should take the tape off and see what happens...
and as far as the thermostat goes, it gets really hot here in the summer with an ambient high temperature in upper 90's if I change to a 180 degree thermostat as is the recommended one, I will be running the engine really, really hot and my air conditioner can barely keep up with all the heat being generated under the hood. I always switch back to the 180 during the winter months even though winters here are mild. Is there much a difference in trying to keep the engine 20 degrees cooler or is it all in my mind?
and as far as the thermostat goes, it gets really hot here in the summer with an ambient high temperature in upper 90's if I change to a 180 degree thermostat as is the recommended one, I will be running the engine really, really hot and my air conditioner can barely keep up with all the heat being generated under the hood. I always switch back to the 180 during the winter months even though winters here are mild. Is there much a difference in trying to keep the engine 20 degrees cooler or is it all in my mind?
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From: Loveland, CO.
Don't put it in with no tape. It will leak. If Chilton's said that teflon tape is ok, then that should work.
My truck ran fine in Florida with a 160. When I moved to Colorado I couldn't get any heat with it so I switched to a 190, which I have left in year round with no problems. The temp stays somewhere around between the "o" and the "r" once it is warmed up.
My truck ran fine in Florida with a 160. When I moved to Colorado I couldn't get any heat with it so I switched to a 190, which I have left in year round with no problems. The temp stays somewhere around between the "o" and the "r" once it is warmed up.
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BTW - dielectric is just a fancy word meaning that it won't mess up any electrical connections. Lots of stuff is dielectric and doesn't say it. So don't sweat it. I just wanted to be sure that you didn't put something on there that was definitely a no-no.
And I think that your gauge is working ok. Watch it closely next time you start cold - it should go slowky to the hot side until the t-stat opens, and then go to normal. If it seems to get too hot before the t-stat opens, then replace it. It might be sticky. Because the "L" in normal seems a little bit high before the t-stat opens. Mine goes a little bit past halfway before the t-stat opens, and I have the 190.
Before I put in the 190, when I had the 160, the gauge stayed just over the first line, before the "N." And in winter in Colorado, it wouldn't even move anywhere at all. But if I let it idle on a hot day (good fan clutch) it would creep up. Now with the 190, it goes to the point where it used to creep up to at idle with the 160 and stops, and won't go any higher even when idling on a hot day. So I believe this to be the truck's proper operating temperature.
And I think that your gauge is working ok. Watch it closely next time you start cold - it should go slowky to the hot side until the t-stat opens, and then go to normal. If it seems to get too hot before the t-stat opens, then replace it. It might be sticky. Because the "L" in normal seems a little bit high before the t-stat opens. Mine goes a little bit past halfway before the t-stat opens, and I have the 190.
Before I put in the 190, when I had the 160, the gauge stayed just over the first line, before the "N." And in winter in Colorado, it wouldn't even move anywhere at all. But if I let it idle on a hot day (good fan clutch) it would creep up. Now with the 190, it goes to the point where it used to creep up to at idle with the 160 and stops, and won't go any higher even when idling on a hot day. So I believe this to be the truck's proper operating temperature.
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From: Loveland, CO.
Originally Posted by redrumybronco
... if I have a 160, should the temperature always be 160?
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hmmm. so then what is the ideal operating temperature?... I am curious to find out the temperature my engine is running at and if it is ideal or not and what I can do to change it to my benefit... should I put a thermometer to the radiator cap to find out?
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