My temp gauge has a ghost

[m_jermyn]

Some of you may know I have had some issues with my temp gauge not working. Just turned itself off one day.. Anyway I have had the cluster out swapped batteries, done a few electrical checks to no avail.

This morning the poofter started working again out of the blue. WTF? Now as im still testing the board and gauge I dont even have the batteries in it... Thats right I have no batteries in the circuit board. Took em out yesterday drove around with no gauge and this morning it decides to work.

Anyone have any reasons for this? Its a little spooky.

Mike

[mrLEE30]

battteries have nothing to do with the temp gauge. they only work on the service indicator lights.

the guage is basically a variable resistor (which is the brown temp sensor) fed by the voltage created from the battery (main one 12V) this (very basically) varies the amount of voltage that is seen back at the guage and thus where the needle is on the guage.

If yours is intermittant then there is etiher a broken/loose wire or the occasinal dead short, when your guage does not work does it go to fully red or just not work?

In you case is suspect you have moved something and now the guage is ''seeing'' the voltage signal from the sensor, suspect your wiring immediatrely behine the gauge pod or the famous 8mm nut on the back of the guage which is generally loose

[m_jermyn]

The gauge moves just a little when I turn on the ignition but never got to the blue... It was working then it wasnt. I have obviously checked the 8mm nut as I have had the gauge out and replaced it with another, I have done a few bypass tests from sensor to big plug on firewall. The only thing I have not done yet was to earth out pin 26 in the blue plug as willnz suggested.

And then it worked again and I hadnt done a thing to it..

But I do agree there is some issue somewhere with the wires..

Mike

[mrLEE30]

normally the first step to fixing a dodgy temp gauge is a goof firm smack on the dashboard!!

this fixes about 90% of fuel guage/dash lights/temp guage problems!!

if this does not work then start diagnosing properly!!

Once bought a non starter mini for nothing, the owner had spent a load of time but it would not turn over, bought it, paid him, borrowed his hammer, opened the boot, hit the battery terminal once, started it and drove off smiling!!

lesson learnt there!!

mrlee

[poolnoodle]

The race is on Mike, still haven't got mine to work properly - works perfectly occasionally, totally dead at other times

[m_jermyn]

Im not even going to try and find the problem on mine as im afraid if I touch it it might not work again lol. I will wait till I get the fan clutch sorted... Should arrive tomorrow I hope..

Mike

[poolnoodle]

The race is on Mike, still haven't got mine to work properly - works perfectly occasionally, totally dead at other times

something like your rugby team????

...or your cricket team