temp gauge isnt working.

[jgprete]

I need to begin trouble shooting the temp gauge not working in my 82 40. Has the original gas 6 cyl. I have done some searching on here and read about many others trouble shooting there fuel gauges etc, not too much on the ol temp gauge. can anyone offer a link to a guide for this issue or perhaps able to offer some info as to where to start and what the components look like (sensor etc)?

 

[WES1977]

Does it just stay at the low end?

I'm not sure about the 82 but on my 77. the back of my guage panel is pressed in pins and mine become a little loose. I ended up putting solder from the pin to the board of the guage and haven't had a problem in many years.

 

[jgprete]

its dead in the water at the low end. i havent pulled the panel yet because i wasnt sure if it was the best place to start. in other words if the temp sensor is on the engine and easily checked. but i will get to work pulling the panel and see whats going on back there i suppose. bet back to ya shortly

 

[WES1977]

On the 82 the book shows the Water temp sender and guage uses a solid yellow wire. You should be able to short that cable to ground and i would expect a fully hot reading. If you do that at the sender and it's fully hot then your wire is good.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/520085-changing-temp-sending-unit-help.html

 

[jgprete]

Hope that sensor that was cut off and welded at the end isnt for the temp....looks a lot like it..

 

[rsnellie]

That looks like a plug to plug the egr system from putting exhaust back into the head. The temp sensor on mine is gold in color and close to the firewall. Has a single yellow wire coming off it. Same general spot on the engine as the picture shown just towards the back.

 

[jgprete]

ok thanks ill take a look now. also i pulled the two screws to pull the dash out...is there no room for me to pull it out and then disconnect everything from the back or do i need to do yoga to get under the dash and unhook things before i can pull it out? also how should i go about shorting it to ground?

 

[rsnellie]

I would worry about the dash until you find the temp sensor wire and ground it. That should like posted earlier, make the gauge read hot " all the way to the right".

 

[jgprete]

Yeah guess that test wont work if the gauge isnt in. Was just thinking of replacing bulbs while i was at it. Dash is really dim

 

[Weber Sarge]

If you are going to pull that gauge pod make sure to disconnect the battery negative terminal first , otherwise you risk shorting out the ammeter terminals to the dash and burn a lot of stuff up bad .
Sarge

 

[jgprete]

might have been over looked because of replies but how should i go about shorting the wire on the sensor to ground?

 

[Weber Sarge]

Unplug the wire at the sensor and just ground it with a jumper to the block or battery , should peg the gauge to the hot side ...
Sarge

 

[WES1977]

I'm guessing you have never seen it work?

 

[jgprete]

Ty sarge. No i havent wes. This thing has been sitting in a garage for atleast two years untouched. I have sort of "inherited" it.

 

[jgprete]

Ok so grounded it out and got nothing so i start looking at the back of my gauges from under neath dash board. While im down there i see a yellow wire that runs through the fire wall dangling not hooked up....i managed to remove the heating duct so i could snap a pick of the back of the gauges. The included pic is my temp and amp neither of which are working. Are those studs where the connections should be made or are they internal connections and those studs are just to hold it together?

 

[JohnVee]

Yeah guess that test wont work if the gauge isnt in. Was just thinking of replacing bulbs while i was at it. Dash is really dim

They're always gonna be dim, get used to it. You can search all kind of key words for threads on this and how to improve it - there are some good answers if you look hard enough, but it's not as simple as just replacing bulbs. Some folks say that the really hi power incandescent bulbs cause too much condensation from the heat of the bulbs. Try searching DASH PANEL LIGHTS DIM LED BULBS or something similar.

I'll run out and check the back of my Temp gauge in a few minutes and post up what I find for your most recent question.

--john

 

[jgprete]

i guess i just assumed there was a bulb or two out but im sure they just suck lol. the third stud in from the left has a nut and washer vs a plain nut like the others. so perhaps in goes there? ill wait to here back from you though before i start a fire lol

 

[JohnVee]

gauge cluster

First, mine is a '78 and I'm not an expert. I assume there are differences but that they are minimal. Somebody let me know if I need to shut the hell up; I also assume that I do.

The yellow wire in question should attach to a cluster connecter behind the oil/fuel side instead of directly to the temp gauge. The pic below is what you're looking for. Your pin out colors might not correspond to mine based on year but I'd look for a missing wire at one of them and that's probably it. You can use the following link to find all the info you'll probably ever need on the subject of gauges. Rudi is the man. Read the whole damn thing and don't rush through it - I bet you'll find everything (or a link to what) you're looking for.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/544543-clusters-gauges-odo-meters.html

Hint: Disconnect your speedo cable for more room to maneuver back there. And make sure you've unhooked ground from the battery terminal before removing the cluster, as somebody already said.

--john

 

[JohnVee]

Where are you located? Probably not close to me with that snow in your avatar.

--john

 

[jgprete]

thanks john. the wire in question hasnt been ripped from somewhere or just cut it comes right off the sensor through the firewall and its got a "loop" connector crimped on the end so it wouldnt go into the harness like you have pictured. sigh...its already giving me a head ache but i hate when people have aftermarket gauges all over so im trying to avoid it