Mechanical water temp gauge question

[racefan99]

Thanks to everyone here for verifying my oil pressure gauge was showing realistic pressures.

Now, I just had the car (2004 Mustang GT, stock) out for the first extended drive since installing the Autometer Phantom mechanical oil pressure and water temperature gauges.

Even after driving for about 25 minutes in 60 degree weather, the temperature gauge barely read 140 and the gauge in the cluster read just at the start of the coldest part of the scale. If I disconnect the wire from the factory sending unit, the cluster gauge goes dead and the electric fan comes on (fail safe mode maybe?).

I included a few pics below of how I have the connections made. Is there any problem with having the factory sending unit horizontal instead of vertical? Any problems using teflon tape with respect to grounding the factory sending unit? Suggestions for a better way to do this whole thing?

Thanks again.

Rick

 

[racefan99]

Hmmm. Maybe it's either gravity not allowing coolant to get up the two sensors or maybe an air pocket by the fittings. Once the motor's cooled off a bit I think I'll remove the factory sending unit and see if it looks like any coolant is getting to it and the Autometer sending unit.

Rick

 

[blue46gt00]

Same thing happened to me when I first did mine like that. I had to crack the fitting and let the air bubble out. Now it works great.

 

[racefan99]

Same thing happened to me when I first did mine like that. I had to crack the fitting and let the air bubble out. Now it works great.

Given their relative positions, does it matter if I crack the factory sending unit or the Autometer fitting?

I hope that's all I need to do. I'm getting tired of messing with it. My 4 year old daughter was in the garage 'helping' me work on it. I couldn't be nearly as colorful in expressing myself when she was out there.

 

[racefan99]

I removed the factory sending unit (the one that comes out the end of the T) and it looked like there was no coolant in the upper end of the fittings I assembled. I then put new Teflon tape on it, just barely inserted it back into the T and ran the engine for a few seconds until coolant was coming out past the sending unit. With the engine still running, I then tightened the unit the rest of the way. No good news. The Autometer coolant temperature gauge barely comes off the lower end (120 F) and the cluster temp gauge stays right by the C. This is when the engine is hot. And now I have a Check Engine Soon light. Perfect.

I may just put the factory sending unit back in by itself and find another spot for the Autometer coolant temp sending unit. Is there a good place to insert the Autometer sending unit on the driver's side of the block?

And, any ideas what is causing the Check Engine light? Could running the engine with the factory sending unit loose (and allowing coolant to leak out) cause it? Other than a trip to the dealership, how can I make it go away?

Rick

 

[sgarlic]

Yea.. down on the bottom of the block there's a plug most people remove to use for the coolant temp sender. I believe in your other thread, I suggested searching for "coolant temperature gauge" to find the thread that has pictures of the plug you need to remove.

I would think the check engine light is probably due to the coolant temp sensor not sending the correct readings to the PCM. You could take the car to Autozone, as they will read and erase the codes for you for no charge.

I personally would try a search, and use that plug instead of tapping the crossover.

 

[racefan99]

My searches came up empty finding pictures of said plug but I gather it is near the motor mount on the driver's side. I'll give that a go in the morning. And hopefully sh#$-can the current collection of fittings and use this plug instead.

Thanks again.

 

[sgarlic]

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=526213

Funny how nobody else can seem to get the search function to work.

 

[racefan99]

My few searches were on "coolant temperature gauge" + block. No matches with that. Once I did water temp gauge block, there it is. Thanks for the thread. Sorry to be a PITA on this...

In the thread you pointed me to, there seems to be some conflicting information.

blue46GT states "Oh, and the fitting in the block won't work, tried that and the sensor bottomed out."

Indiana says "The plug in the block is the best place to put it. It is on the drivers side, just in front of the tranny, right above the clutch cable. No tapping required. The fitting you need comes with the guage."

Maybe Indiana has the electric gauge??

So, I guess it'll be a crap shoot as to whether the sending unit for the mechanical water temp gauge will fit the plug in the driver's side of the block near the tranny or will bottom out (assuming I can get the original plug out of this opening). Place your bets.

 

[racefan99]

Has anyone here actually installed an Autometer water/coolant temp sending unit from their mechanical water/coolant temp gauge in the hole on the driver's side of the block back by the transmission? I don't even want to waste my time trying if it really won't fit.

 

[racefan99]

Eff it. The only time the factory sending unit functions properly is when it is installed directly in the hole beside the alternator i.e. its factory location. The Autometer gauge works properly when it is installed in that location too. If I use even a 1 inch tall extension from the water outlet to the factory sending unit, it reads just past cold.

I have not found a combination of elevations and orientations that will allow me to use a T at this location to install both sending units AND have them work properly. I even installed another T in the stackso I could add cooolant directly to the extension containing the sending units. After adding as much coolant as I could, I then used a plug to seal the open part of this new T. Didn't make a damn bit of difference. Both gauges still read near cold when driving with a hot engine, a bit warmer when idling.

I'm doubtful the plug on the side of the block will work due to the length of the Autometer sending unit but, since I'm out of ideas, what the hell.

To those of you who were able to get a mechanical Autometer water temp gauge AND factory sending unit working off a T where the original sending unit was (on a 2001-2004 4.6L), good on you! I'd love to see pics of what you did.

I've tweaked, purged, filled, adjusted, etc. enough to last me a year.

Back to the garage. @#$@#$%@. I think I'll just put the factory sending unit back in place for now and re-think my approach.

Rick

 

[Alfredo E]

Hi Racefan99, I installed an autometer mechanical gauge last year whit a "T", and it works fine until a week ago...

Now, the mechanical gauge shows 230ºF and the electric fan doesn`t start!!!
The cluster gauge is on the middle.

I don't know what's wrong (thermostat, fan, air burble).
Any sugestions?
What did you do?
How about to install a manual switch for the fan?

Excuse me for my English.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Sure it's alreayd been mentioned but you can't install both gauges like that. It's so far set back from main coolant flow that hot coolant really doesn't reach it too well. You'll have to split them and mount in separte locations down in the coolant flow

 

[Alfredo E]

Ok, ok, thanks Mike. I will put the sensor in the original position.
I have the plastic intake, with only one plug for the water temp sensor (I read that metal intakes have two plugs), so:

Anybody has put the Autometer mechanical gauge in the block, drivers side, in front of the tranny??? Does it work???
(see pic in Starlic link)

Thanks in advance!!!!