I installed Autometer ultra lite gauges recently. The weather here has been mid 70's without humidity or anything. The temp gauge usually heats up to about 180, maybe a little further when in some stop and go traffic... maybe around 195 or so on the gauge if I had to estimate. Is there something wrong here? Or is my car actually running at 180? I have a stock 197 thermostat in there. I thought the thermostat opened when it reached 197 to circulate coolant through the radiator and then it closed after the temp cools down? Or do I not have this right? Anyway, does this sound right that I'm running around 180 or is my gauge not reading accurately?
Temp running around 180... is this good?
- Thread starter 92Patrol5.0
- Start date
Michael Yount
Mustang Master
If your temp sensor for the gauge is installed in the intake manifold near the t'stat - the temp ought to be near the t'stat temp. If it's reading 180 when you have plenty of air flowing over the radiator, I'd suggest to you that there's actually a 180F t'stat in the car. It's either that, or your gauge isn't accurate.
mustangt93
New Member
mine runs @ 180-185, except when i have the a/c on, then it runs about 200, id say thats pretty normal if you ask me
65ShelbyClone
Founding Member
I have a Sport-Comp electric with retarded 15 degree graduations and the best I can tell is 180-185 with a 180 'stat. Any more than about 15 seconds of engine braking and the temp starts falling rapidly, but I have a huge AL radiator and flex fan. It might hit 190-195, but the last time it did I was sitting in traffic and 100* ambient for about 20 minutes.
You could always toss in a known 180 thermostat and see if anything changes. If you start running at 160 after that, then either the gauge actually is off or you have a helluva cooling system.
You could always toss in a known 180 thermostat and see if anything changes. If you start running at 160 after that, then either the gauge actually is off or you have a helluva cooling system.
Xterminator03
Member
I know that tstat is 197 or 195 because when I got it a year or so ago, none of the parts stores I went to had a 180 in stock, so I went with the stock replacement. My factory gauge was bouncing and going higher than I felt comfy with, that's why I put in the aftermarket gauge. I also replaced the temp. sender for the factory gauge when I did the install. Now the factory gauge moves right alone with the Auto Meter gauge. At 180 on the autometer, the factory gauge is just a little bit above the 2nd line I believe(the line before the halfway line). My cooling system consists of the factory components. I also have the SSP oil cooler as well. My autometer gauge goes has 100,150,180,210,250 marks. The gauge has never reached the line between 180 and 210. It will just get past the 180 mark and that's as far as it has been. My guess is the mark between 180 and 210 is around 195... That's why I was curious about the temp. not reaching the t-stat temp because that mark would be around the t-stat temp. I wish I had some hotter days coming so I could see if the temp would rise, but we're looking at upper 60's and low 70's next week. I spose I can try cranking the A/C on and seeing if that makes it go up any. When I just had the factory gauge, if I turned the A/C on it would go up past 1/2 way on the factory gauge so I would shut the air off.
People seem to like to read my thread but nobody wants to reply hahaI'm not sure what else you expect. i dont think you told us where you mounted your new gauge's sensor - important info for us to know (and if you did, please reiterate it and i apologize for missing it).
like i said before, the temp at the stat and the temp at the gauge can be quite different, depending upon where you mounted the guage sender.
you could remove the gauge and use a stove and known good thermometer to check the function of the gauge/sender.
FWIW, there are quite a few guys that run colder (per a gauge) than their stat rating.
good luck.
like i said before, the temp at the stat and the temp at the gauge can be quite different, depending upon where you mounted the guage sender.
you could remove the gauge and use a stove and known good thermometer to check the function of the gauge/sender.
FWIW, there are quite a few guys that run colder (per a gauge) than their stat rating.
good luck.
The new sender is mounted where the stock sender is at. I had to use some brass fittings to make it so I could screw both senders in to run the factory gauge and the auto meter gauge. I was told if I didnt run the stock gauge also that I would be throwing codes and Engine lights. And if I connect the stock wire and the new gauge sender wire both to 1 sender it wouldn't read right. SO, both senders are in the stock location and connected so the factory and aftermarket gauges are functional.
88GTtom
Member
pull the stock fan off and let her idle. maybe your cooling is good enough that it never reaches 195 and when it does it cools very fast. pull the fan off and then watch the gauge. i have an electric fan and if i leave her off and watch the gauge it gets up to 180, chills their for a little bit but then goes up. had her at 200 then fliped the switch to the fan and she cooled to 180 in a matter of minutes.
ok, i gotcha. the set up you have is not the best, IMHO. the sender needs to be exposed to the flow of coolant. a Tee fitting will create an alcove of coolant that might not be representative of the actual coolant temps.92Patrol5.0 said:
you can relocate the stock sender to the rear of the lower or T-stat housing, etc.
also, the stock sender is just for the gauge - removing it will not create a CEL situation. the puter gets its coolant input from the ECT on the pass side of the motor.
good luck.
UGH!! 
I was under the impression from reading posts on here that if I didn't hook up the stock sender so that the factory gauge worked that it would set off engine lights and codes and I would have problems. If all it's going to do if it's not hooked up is not allow the factory gauge to work then I could care less about the factory gauge! I wish I would have known that. I went through hell trying to get brass fittings connected so it would clear the injector when installing it and getting everything leak free. If I would have known this info., all I would have had to do in the first place is remove the old sender, put in the new autometer sender and connect the new wire and be done with it. I will try removing all that extra crap, installing the new sender in the factory spot and seeing what happens. I don't need the stock gauge to work anyway, was just under the impression it had to be functional or it would cause problems.
Michael Yount
Mustang Master
You might have found part of the problem. The tip of the sender needs to be immersed in the flowing coolant - not up in a brass fitting away from the flow. Put it in the intake and see what happens to it.
One other thing you may want to consider after you get your temp probe where you want it and that is that the typical Brand X t-stat you get from Auto-Zone and Pep-boys etc.. are rarely accurate themselves. An off the shelf 180* t-stat can allot of times open anywhere from 170* - 190* (though they're not usually THAT bad).... but you get the idea. Boil check it with a meat thermometer next time you install one.
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