Topic: Temp gauge ?'s!!

[Cheesemaker]

My truck is running, the only thing that isn't is the temp gauge!  So, I know the wire from the sensor to the ecm plugs is good!  Could it be the ecm?  Is there different ecm's for gauge options!  Maybe it's for a 2wd, because most of them don't come with many gauge options!  The ecm I got is for a 86, but when I bought it from snoshobrue, he didn't know what it was from too!  So, help give me ideas on where to look!  I have other ecm's, one from a 85 I was told was 4x4, and the original turbo one!  I can get access to other ones! 

If anybody has had this problem please help!  If not I can get a aftermarket gauge if I have to!  Any ideas will be awesome!

[93tonkatoy]

Have you pulled the cluster and examined the printed circuit for corrosion, broken conductors?

check this page BE-36
http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-buchanan/93fsm/bodyelectrical/6combinat.pdf

[Cheesemaker [OP]]

I will try that!  And I haven't tried to check the back of the instr. panel. 

[Plekto]

95% of the time it's a failed solder point.  It'll look fine, but the vibration will have caused the pin to come loose from the surrounding metal.  A few minutes with a soldering iron and all's well.  (usually it's where the connectors come in - much like how the headphone jack on a portable Cd player will go bad)

[kneedownnate]

Ditto on checking the cluster, not to mention the connector at the sending unit.  If it's sending a signal at the sender I'd look for other connectors in the engine bay then jump up to the wire going to the gauges.  Probably just something left loose. 

[Cheesemaker [OP]]

I know the wire is good from the sender to the ecm plug.  I had to re-solder the connection because the wire was broke.  And I know that the wire has conductivity through it!  So, it's either the sender or somewhere between the ecm and instr. panel.  I made sure all the wires in the efi harness didn't have shorts.  All the wires had 2 ohms!  Except the coil wires that I had to splice new line for, and they were like 3/2.5 ohms!  So, I will keep looking for the culprit.

[jimbo74]

got a 2wd computer from an 85 for sale

its temp gauge worked when it was in the truck

[Cheesemaker [OP]]

Thanks, but I for some reasons have 2 extra ecm's now, that's not including the turbo one that came with the truck.  I've got a 85 4x4, the 87 turbo, the 86 from snoshoebrue, and I just picked up a 87 4runner 4x4 ecm from TOYO487 just this morning!  The one I'm using now that came from snoshoebrue looked like it was in an accident!  The aluminum cover is all bent and the aluminum frame has a slight tweak in it!  Enough that there is a gap that will allow some dirt and stuff in it!  I'll probably use that as a back up and sell the rest!  I'll post pics of what it looks like later!