cbernone

Water temp gauge not working, new sensor, full coolant. Can't explain it. What's up?

zxguy1986

You checked all your fuses... Sounds like you have to check the continuity of the circuit from the sensor to the gauge - to rule out the gauge itself. If the circuit is good, it's the gauge - or yor 'new' sensor. Gotta get out your tester - or buy/borrow one.

You will find the detailed electrical diagrams to trace - and maps locating all the connectors for you - in your factory service manual (FSM free at XenonZ31 Reference ) Takes a while to access the connectors but the wire colors are typically consistent all the way through - so that's good. Take your time. You'll figure it out.

Before you begin, tap the face of the gauge a little to see if your needle is just stuck at zero and frees itself. Stuff happens.

rogerz

turn on ignition. have someone watch the temp gage or rig a mirror so you can see it. remove the wire from the sensor and ground it. the gage should pin out. if not you need to find continuity from gage to sensor. also see if gage has power going to it.

Zuphoria

Ive had the gauges go bad in 2 of my z31s. just go to the junkyard and get a cluster

zxguy1986

Wait. You switched out the old sensor - hooked up the new one - and it doesn't read at the gauge - but the old one did? First thing to check: your harness connection at the new sensor. Remove, clean male/female terminals, reconnect.

cbernone

Think teflon tape is impeding the ground going to remove it.

cbernone

Old sensor seamed faulty but had teflon tape on it too.

cbernone

Standing ohms cold should be 300. Open should be whats?

Zuphoria

just ground it like rogerz said. you will know instantly if its a sender prob or gauge.

cbernone

Might have bought a bad sender new sender goes up one mm over 120 and stops not enough ground, taking it back to advance auto, guess all senders are the same resustance!

cbernone

Old sensor would go zero to 180 back to zero so know that's bad

Zuphoria

so whats the scoop? fixed?

cbernone

Cleaned up old sensor removed rust dirt reinstalled with assembly lube real tight fit good ground hoover constantly at 170 degrees problem solved. Anybody need new temp senso?

Ascastlat

you might need to ground it out. with some of them the sender is suppose to ground its self. but the instructions said that in some cases an addition ground is needed.

just an idea