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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
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Electrical Autometer Thermostat Sensor Wiring

  • Thread starter Thread starter Treachery
  • Start date Start date Oct 5, 2020
T

Treachery

Founding Member
Jun 9, 2002
148
0
17
Oct 5, 2020
#1
  • Oct 5, 2020
  • #1
I am not an electronic or wiring expert... light years from it.

Current thermostat housing has a single grey wire connected to it. I presume this wire is the stock thermostat.
The Autometer Cobalt thermostat has a sensor that has 2 wires (purple & grey) connected to it and it runs all the way into the thermostat housing.
When i install the Autometer sensor, i will lose functionality of the stock thermostat because of the wiring.

But... if i splice in the single grey wire of the stock thermostat with the grey wire that runs out of the Autoneter sensor, can i expect the stock thermostat to work as well?
 

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp
10 Year Member
Sep 1, 2010
7,387
2,745
194
Kearney, NE
Oct 5, 2020
#2
  • Oct 5, 2020
  • #2
What year and is it a 5.0?
 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
20+ Year Stangneter
Aug 25, 2016
27,892
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polk county florida
Oct 5, 2020
#3
  • Oct 5, 2020
  • #3
You talk about wires connected to thermostat, a thermostat does not have wires, the sender does, keep the stock wire connected to the stock sender, get a thermostat housing with a threaded plug in the top and put the autometer sender there, this was you keep the stock gauge and the autometer gauge.
 

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp
10 Year Member
Sep 1, 2010
7,387
2,745
194
Kearney, NE
Oct 5, 2020
#4
  • Oct 5, 2020
  • #4
General, That’s what I am checking for since this description sounds off.
@Treachery - In a stock 5,0, neither the ECT sensor for the computer nor the dash gauge sensor should be in the thermostat housing. And since the sensor units are temperature controlled resistors (thermistors), connecting two gauges to the same sender will give goofy results if any readings. The aftermarket gauge should not use the factory wiring already under the hood. You can secure the new wire/wires to the factory loom for looks and safety. You can post a picture to make sure we understand what is going on.
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,236
17,922
224
Massachusetts
Oct 6, 2020
#5
  • Oct 6, 2020
  • #5
No, you cannot run two gauges off the same sender. You need an individual sender for each.

However, the stock temp sender for the dash guage is in the front driver's side of the intake manifold. If your autometer gauges is installed in the tstat housing, it doesn't affect the stock sensor. Leave it alone with the factory wiring, and run your autometer wires separaely
 
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