Topic: temp gauge dont work and i need some help please

[NaturalDisaster]

im just wondering if the pros can help give me some things to look for to try and figure out why my temp gauge is not working properly in my truck which is an 86 efi and it has a tach but i dont think that should make much difference. anyways the gauge will just be sitting down at the bottom or cold and then will just all the sudden jump up to normal operating temperature and then stay thier or sometimes may go back down to cold and then back up again Thanks All

[jimbo74]

sounds lile a bad ground or connection.....

just an FYI, the factory temp guage is pretty much a joke. It is a last ditch effort, when it says its TOO HOT! it basically means your engien is already screwed up and it is about to explode

[MiniSimp]

im just wondering if the pros can help give me some things to look for to try and figure out why my temp gauge is not working properly in my truck which is an 86 efi and it has a tach but i dont think that should make much difference. anyways the gauge will just be sitting down at the bottom or cold and then will just all the sudden jump up to normal operating temperature and then stay thier or sometimes may go back down to cold and then back up again Thanks All

I've got the same problem, just watch for steam.

[ninja turtle]

sounds lile a bad ground or connection.....

just an FYI, the factory temp guage is pretty much a joke. It is a last ditch effort, when it says its TOO HOT! it basically means your engien is already screwed up and it is about to explode

is this really true? my temp gauge totally controls the way i drive my truck.

[crawlerdan]

sounds lile a bad ground or connection.....

just an FYI, the factory temp guage is pretty much a joke. It is a last ditch effort, when it says its TOO HOT! it basically means your engien is already screwed up and it is about to explode

i agree with this completely!! mine blew up @ 7/8th hot, not even red yet. they are horribly inaccurate!

so install a quality aftermarket guage, and ignore the factory one!

i used an autometre

[Rocksurfer]

Did you change anything? Different engine, convert from the standard dash to an SR-5? If you did you may need to switch out the sensor. As to it not being accurate I've never had that problem, they've been good to me.

[BLACKDOG]

sounds lile a bad ground or connection.....

just an FYI, the factory temp guage is pretty much a joke. It is a last ditch effort, when it says its TOO HOT! it basically means your engien is already screwed up and it is about to explode

  My temp guage sits right below middle (just left of the little thermometer symbol)  if it passes that symbol, my truck is hot, and I'm pulling over.

[NaturalDisaster [OP]]

yes i have just swapped the motor out but i was having the same problem before the motor swap. The truck is a factory sr-5 with the tach in it. Where exactly is the temp sensor located at is the the sensor right on top of the thermostat housing?

[weirdtimes_7]

i agree with this completely!! mine blew up @ 7/8th hot, not even red yet. they are horribly inaccurate!

so install a quality aftermarket guage, and ignore the factory one!

i used an autometre

Yes yes.... swap that baby out.... thats why there called dummy guages. Check all connections for now, and also look at your themostat, make sure it's still good too, i have had this problem to because of bad thermo's

military_stang