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Temperature gauge doesnt work!

oh boy here we are again. just got the car back from the shop and somethine else doesnt work. apparently the CEL light wasnt working and it got replaced... also the water temperature gauge does not work.

anybody have any prior experience with this? im not sure where the temperature sending unit is.
 

Muskrat

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Jun 13, 2004
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Lexington, KY
Follow the upper radiator hose, the thermostat housing is at the end of it. There's a single spade connector on the front (I think, I have a 1g housing, so it may be different) that is for the dash gauge. Or are you getting a code for the temp sensor? In that case, also check the wiring, but you'll probably have to replace it (really easy)

Edit: Oh, I should add there are 2 different sensors. One for the dash gauge, and one for the ECU. A code will only be thrown for the ecu sensor.
 
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i took a look at it. the wiring looked fubar. the protective cover is hard and cracks off. the wires themselves tend to BREAK APART. theres something on the tstat that used to have a orange wire on it, but its broken off. the wiring for the top sensor has a crack on it and i can see copper. its going to break soon.

is there anywhere i can start to replace this wiring? it looks pretty well entagnled with the main harness.


btw i just got the car back from the shop. my cam sensor is painted silver... and the clip that hold on teh connector is missing. what the f*** is wrong with people? too bad this car isnt worth sh*t i would prolly just burn it down and reap some insurance... (its the anger talking)
 

ok the ac works,and the rad fans kick on. so im guessing its either the sending unit or the cluster. how can i check the cluster? i was told that if i ground the wire and the temp goes all the way max hotness (dont sue me paris hilton) that the sensor works.

im typing outside with a laptop so dont mind my spelling and grammer. i really do care.


the sensor for the top is for the radiator fan, theres one on the back bottom for???
2 on front bottom for ??? having hard time without my dsm guide cd!

going to go fiddle some more.
 

Muskrat

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Jun 13, 2004
Messages
2,107
Location
Lexington, KY
So there's a single broken wire on the t-stat housing (spade connector?).

Repair that first.
 

brisvr4

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Feb 13, 2004
Messages
955
Location
brisbane australia
This should help...
coolantsensors.jpg
 
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thank you for the last reply.

that helped me find and fix the problem. i guess i could have assumed the broken wire was the problem, alas i did not. MY GALANT CAN SENSE HEAT AGAIN!



side note. the mini butane soldering iron from radio shack is pretty bad ass if you don't need accurate temp. also comes with a torch tip. when the coil inside the tip it hot you can turn it off and on. heats up in seconds!
 

Spyke169

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Aug 17, 2005
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Greenfield, Wi
could anyone please tell me the wire colors going to all 4 of those sensor, I just bought a vr4 with none of those connected and none of the wires coming out of that bigger harness on the rear of the engine have connector ends on them anymore... Thanks in advance -Nick
 

well from my understanding... they are all the same really, meaning that i dont think it matters whats connected to what.


the sensors are pretty much the same I THINK, so the sensors are sending the same signal just in different directions.

i could be wrong.
 

Quoting brisvr4:

coolantsensors.jpg



1. Gauge = Yellow with Green stripe
2. ECU coolant = 2 wires = Green/Black striped and Yellow/Green striped
3. A/C coolant switch = 2 wires = Green with Red stripe and Green with Black stripe
4. Radiator Fan switch = Light Blue with Black stripe

This is the best I can make out from the manual, not from looking at an actual car. Good luck, as there seem to be some duplicates. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 

Struc

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Nov 24, 2008
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Oconomowoc, WI
Quoting Spyke169:
could anyone please tell me the wire colors going to all 4 of those sensor, I just bought a vr4 with none of those connected and none of the wires coming out of that bigger harness on the rear of the engine have connector ends on them anymore... Thanks in advance -Nick



click

Nick: Did you get ANOTHER VR4?

And Fatslug - nope... They aren't all the same.
 
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656of1000

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Jan 18, 2005
Messages
292
Location
Phoenixville, PA
According to the diagram, #4 is for the cooling fan. I thought the sensor in the lower end tank of the radiator was for that.
 

ktmrider

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Sep 10, 2007
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3,128
Location
Tempe, AZ
^^ #4 turns on the A/C fan, not the main PS one, if the A/C is not engaged ( when A/C is on the second fan runs regardless ).
 

This is the one called the "Engine Coolant Temperature Switch":


It kicks the fan onto HIGH if the temperature reaches 102* C.

It appears that you only have 2 duplicate colors to worry about:
1) Yellow/Green striped - You should probably just ground this one and see what happens. Its either going to peg your dash temperature gauge, or make the coolant temperature on your logger read very, very high.
2) Green/Black striped wire - I would just ohm this one out to ground with oyur meter. If it is the sensors ground from pin #24 of the ECU to the ECU coolant sensor, it should read continuity to ground, through the ECU. If it is the A/C switch, you will get a much higher resistance to ground.
 

ktmrider

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Sep 10, 2007
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3,128
Location
Tempe, AZ
^^ Ok thanks Jeff, so that switch controls High/Low fan operation instead of On/Off like I assumed.
OP sorry for the temp highjack...
 

Spyke169

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Aug 17, 2005
Messages
324
Location
Greenfield, Wi
[quote name=Struc
Nick: Did you get ANOTHER VR4?





I wish, but the one I have a got just over a month ago, still trying to work out a couple thing on it...
 
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