Strange temp reading

[2002BlackDragon]

So as soon as you turn the key the temp gauge spikes out at max, even when the car is ice cold. Is this due to the temp sensor being bad? Or is there something else I need to look into?

[silverbullet02]

The one wire temp sensor works by grounding. The higher the temp the less resistance. I learned that when I had temp issues. So I'd check that sensor or the wire coming from it. If that wire is nicked and grounding out, you'd get what your seeing.

[2002BlackDragon]

I just got a new sensor but I don't know anything about wiring so I don't want to mess with that part. Guess I'll replace the sensor and see if that fixes it.

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[Galantman03]

Just disconnect it and see. If it still pegs, then its wiring. If it does nothing then its the sensor


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[2002BlackDragon]

Gotcha. Thanks. I'll try it when I get the chance.

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[2002BlackDragon]

OK, so the sensor that I have is the wrong one. It was found in the car anyway so no biggie. But I disconnected the sensor and the gauge still maxes out. So I'm assuming that its a ground issue? How do I fix that?

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[Galantman03]

does it go down with power off (key off)
haha read the top again. You need a multi meter to see if its grounded to the car.

So what you would do is select ohms on the meter, then put one lead into the signal wire, and then use the other lead to touch any grounded wire (like the grounds grouped together, or the metal strip right above the intake mani), and if you get a reading then its shorted to ground. If the meter says O.L. (over limit) that means that you have an open in the wire. Which is good if you're searching for a grounding issue.

If you still need help, I got you just PM.

[2002BlackDragon]

Lol... that's all french to me. I don't know shit about electrical. I can turn a wrench and figure how things go together, but when it comes to that I'm lost.

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[2002BlackDragon]

And yes, it does go down with key off.

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[OMEGA PHX]

Try chasing the wire of the connector, If the wire insulation is broken anywhere exposing the copper threads of the wire and making contact with a piece of metal or a bolt thats your problem.

[2002BlackDragon]

Alright... I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the help.

[oakrdrs187]

I just had this happen to me on a cluster I got from the yard. I have a project G that I'm fixing to sell and the current cluster has a bad fuel gauge so for 20 bucks I got one.

So I swapped clusters and everything was fine except thd temp needle would just shoot up but in the old cluster it was fine. So I knew it wasn't a sensor or connector issue. I figured the temp mechanism was bad, thats when I decided I would swap temp mechanisms. I began to take apart my replacement cluster, started by removing the lens and trim, took out the bulbs on the fuel/temp side so i could undo the green circuit film,Then removed a few (I think 4) philips screws that hold the fuel/temp board on the cluster, as I did this I noticed the fuel and temp board was one piece and that swapping one meant swapping both. So I had one board with a bad fuel gauge and one with a bad temp gauge, unfortunately you can't make one good one from the two with unsoldering and going through a hassle and a half. I was bummed, but only for a few seconds because upon further inspection of the replacement gauge I noticed that one of the hex nuts that receives signal was loose and possibly causing all this, I retrieved the hex nut and tightened it down, reassembled, plugged it in and viola! Working gauge. Check yours, you may just have the same problem, its no very difficult to take apart just careful with the needles, dont move them around. Btw this didn't require I remove the gauge faces or needles.

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[2002BlackDragon]

Awesome... thanks for the advice. I might pm you if I have some questions about that. Might get to that tomorrow. I don't know yet.

[oakrdrs187]

No problem bro. I had this same issue and it only puzzeled me for about 5 minutes before I had it figured out. How the nut came loose on the board is beyond me but it did happen.