- This topic has 11 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 6 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
Anyone had any experience with a fluctuating temperature gauge? Cruising along fine when the gauge went straight to the hot zone, l turned the heater to max and it dropped back to normal, but a few miles later returned to the hot (top) zone and began to fluctuate. The needle rising and falling quickly. I pulled in and checked everything, coolant felt OK, no other warning signs. I called the AA. He arrived an hour later, coolant was ok, 49 degrees on live reading, two sensors on housing, one goes to gauge and one to ECU, apparently there is an overheating light which did not come on when gauge was at top. He was confident it was a faulty gauge. I drove the 180 miles home without a problem, but the gauge was fluctuating between the top and midway. Apologies this is along one! Any suggestions? Mine is a 2.8JTD. Thanks
-
Sounds like maybe a faulty sender unit (gauge sensor)?
If no actual overheating, it won’t be the thermostat in the water system that’s defective. The gauge itself just reproduces the signal sent to it, so if it’s the gauge that’s at fault, I think you’d see constant over temp or no temp at all.
Nope. My money’s on the temperature sender that goes to the gauge. Cheap enough, I would have thought?
Good luck. Let us know what you discover?
Barry
-
-
-
-
I’ve just had a quick look on E-Bay and found this…
As I supected, it’s not a fortune and dead easy to fit. If you’re not booked into the garage for anything else, you might be able to save a lot(?) of money by fitting it yourself, if you’re able?
Let us know how this pans out – others have had this problem too, like Alan (and I think I had this problem on my old Anglia, if I remember correctly!).
Barry
-
I had a strange problem with the temp gauge years ago. For a while, every time I put the ignition on the gauge went immediately to the middle position (which coincided exactly with the normal running position) and stayed there till I switched off. Since the engine couldn’t be hot when it was cold (if you see what I mean) I ignored it for a few weeks. One day when it realised I wasn’t going to do anything it reverted to normal function and has been absolutely fine ever since.
-
That sounds very much like either a stuck gauge or a stuck temperature sensor, with my bet again on the sensor sender unit, Gezza. What made it “unstick” I suppose we’ll never know. The problem with a “stuck” gauge/sensor isn’t so much that it’s broken until you get round to repairing it, but that you then won’t be warned of any overheating before it’s been repaired!
-
-
-
This seems to be a more common problem than at first thought?
I dont know how these sensors work (the old thermostats used to use wax?) but I suspect maybe a bi-metal strip? Perhaps a couple of taps with the handle of a screwdriver on the body of the sensor might free-up whatever’s stuck and produce a good result? Judiciously done, it shouldn’t do any harm and it’s worth a try. When the engine’s cold, turn on the ignition, tap the sensor body then see if the gauge drops.
Barry
-
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.