Temp guage stoped working.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
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Temp guage stoped working.
My temp guage stoped working. the light behind it still illuminates.. but the guage does not move.. My truck is not overheating or anything like that. Drives great right now, and I can still hear my electric fan kick in, so I think my thermostat is working OK. where do I start on the troubleshooting of this problem.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 19,402
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From: Bonita Springs FL
I would start by checking the sending unit for the gauge. I can't remember where it is, somewhere in the intake I think. A search will turn up a description of the location, or someone will chime in.
Short the wire and the gauge should peg to full. If not, then the gauge itself or the wiring to it is bad. If it does, then the sender is bad.
Short the wire and the gauge should peg to full. If not, then the gauge itself or the wiring to it is bad. If it does, then the sender is bad.
More Turbo
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 545
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From: BC, Canada
The coolant temp sensor for the gauge is 2-3" to the right of the distributor (at the 3 o'clock position as viewed from the front). It has a single wire (red/white). If you connect the wire to ground thru a 22 ohm resistor, the gauge should read hot; a 1,500 ohm resistor will make the gauge read cold. You can just ground the wire for a few seconds and the gauge will peg to hot, just don't leave it grounded for too long. ...Terry, '90 F150, 302
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I found my temp sensor... but it has two wires. I kept the electrical connector on the end and used a piece of wire to connect it to a ground.. The guage did not move. Do I need to go direct to the wire or can I just go to the electrical connector. Also after I took a test light to the electrical connector. One end on ground and one end on the connection and got a hot. but still the guage did not move...
More Turbo
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 545
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From: BC, Canada
You didn't find the sender for the gauge if it has two wires. You may have found the engine coolant temp sender (two wires, gry-red & lt grn-red) or the air charge temp sensor (two wires, gry-red & gry), these are sensors for the computer, not the gauge. The one you are looking for is below the level of the base of the distributor, 2 or 3" to the right, at the 3 o'clock position. It is hard to see because it is very small and is low down in the intake manifold. It only has one wire (red/white). You can test the sender with an ohm meter, and test the wiring and gauge by grounding the wire. A test lamp won't really help you here. ...Terry '90 F150, 302
Last edited by Overkill-F1; Sep 29, 2005 at 10:14 PM.
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Senior User
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you say two to three inches to the right... Right as in drivers side or passenger side... Either way Im gonna try and locate it in the morning.. I will report back.
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