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Engine Temp Gauge

Old Nov 12, 2007 | 06:50 PM
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wagib
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Engine Temp Gauge

I have a Mh with a 40 engine,the temp gauge goes well over to the right when at oper temp,the temp is normal as i have had it checked with heat sensor gun.?should I just replace the sensor or both.When replacing the sensor what sealant do you use on the threads.Als should you release the pressure at rad on install.
Trixie
 
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Old Nov 13, 2007 | 03:09 PM
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Not sure what motor, year etc you have, but in general if the guage is reading incorrectly, it is usually the temperature sensor or the guage itself.

Usually the shop manual or a chiltons/haynes will tell you what the correct resistance is for the sensor. Often they will have a termperature versus resistance curve so you can test at multiple points. I would probably do this test first since it is usually the easiest thing to do.

If the sensor is good, then you need to check the guage. Once in all the years I have tinkered, I had a guage that read very high. It was in a 67 Dodge and I assume a regular meter movement type guage with a resistive sensor. I fixed that problem by installing a resistor that made the guage correspond with the temperature I was reading with a thermometer. A cheap easy fix.

If you don't like the resistor trick, essentially a bandaid, you can have the guage tested and maybe replaced.

If it isn't guage or sensor then you either have a bad wire or connector, or maybe yours is computer controlled?

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson
 
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Old Nov 13, 2007 | 05:53 PM
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Sorry about the incorrect Info,1989 Ford 460.
 
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Old Nov 19, 2007 | 12:40 AM
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Sending units and sensors can lie.

Start the truck and run it to hot... and insert a candy thermometer into the coolant thru the rad cap hole to verify temp.
 
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Old Nov 19, 2007 | 01:37 AM
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Disconnect the wire from the sender and the gauge should read zero or at least the low end of the scale. Now ground the wire and the gauge should read full hot. If it does, then the sender is bad.
 
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