What Sensor feeds the Temp Gauge on the Dash?

[MLC Stang]

All,

Where does the temperature gauge on the dash get its signal from?

Does it get its signal from the Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor that feeds the coolant temp signal to the PCM computer, or does it get its signal from a different sensor somewhere else?

Anybody know for sure?

 

[legalize420]

temp sending unit. its on the driver side of the lower intake towards the front of the car.

 

[legalize420]

50resto.com part # SW2328

 

[urban96]

^^^^ yep

 

[MLC Stang]

temp sending unit. its on the driver side of the lower intake towards the front of the car.

Can you tell me more about what it looks like so I can find it?

Also, can you remove and replace it without taking apart a bunch of stuff to get at it?

Thanks.

 

[legalize420]

its kinda behind the coil. there is a wire going to it that you pull off and then maybe use a deep socket and get it out. when you find it you will see that it wont be hard to do.

 

[FlyBy763]

yes, red wire with a black cap...behind the coil.

 

[MLC Stang]

Thanks all very much!

I'm gonna replace mine. My temp gauge in the dash moves really quickly back and forth between the "R" and the "A" as I'm driving. Very strange!

It makes that type of move in just a second or two! Up, then back down, then up again, etc. That's much faster than the engine can actually change temperature. So, I'm guessing either the sender is shot or the gauge is going south.

Or, maybe the connection at the sender is corroded or not tight. I'll check that first.

 

[HISSIN50]

If you put a meter on the sender wire with the car idling and the gauge does its dance, look for the resistance reading on your meter to be jumping too. If this occurs at the sender itself (you have your meter hooked up at the sender) that should indicate that the wiring is ok and that the sender of gauge are on the fritz.

Good luck.

 

[SGTMack]

94 GT: Temp guage wags & car sputters

I'm having the same problem, except my car is dying when the temp guage goes nuts like that. Has anyone had a similar problem? Do you think my mods and the eronius temp signal are screwing with my computer and making the car stall? HELP! (I would be forever indebted to the person who has the answer to my problem. I WILL PAY YOU! I don't have much - I recently became disabled in a full contact fighting course for the Army and they haven't cleared me for living expenses yet - but I will give you what I have. I just don't think that taking my car to the dealer, for him to read my OBD codes and charge me $185 (something I already did, with no luck), is worth it. Please, I'm desperate. I need to drive 412 miles to Madigan Army Medical Center in Ft. Lewis on Vallentines Day for my Fitness for Duty Exam (where they will probably kick me out and finally pay for my living expenses), but I don't think the car will make it. Anything information you can provide will be much appreciated. I just don't want to keep chasing this problem (ex. having to buy a new fuel filter, new battery, new alternator, new ECT sensor, etc.)

Anyway, here's the gist of my problem:

Car:

1994 Mustang GT 5.0 HO

Upgrades:

K&N Cold Air Intake System
BBK Performance H-pipe (no cats)
New Clutch

Problem: Car’s temp gauge “wags.” Causes car to sputter/misfire/die for one rotation. (Also of note: Car can take a few (up to 4) turns to start.)

Symptoms:

This usually happens when the car has warmed up (driven for more than 20 miles), however, it happened to me today, while the car was warming up (during the first mile)

Generally, what signals the start of the problem is the temperature gauge starts to wag. Sometimes it jumps. The temperature gauge will start to wag as soon as the car warms up and sometimes it doesn’t result in any problems with the car. (The car used to only have the temp guage problem, it just recently starting dying.)

The battery light comes on when the temp gauge wags, however, it only comes on when I am accelerating.

Lately, the Tach has been wagging as well. Sometimes, it shows the wrong RPM (stays at a high RPM, even though I know I am not revving to 3000RPMs). This is recent, before that, the only symptom was the temp gauge wagging.

Anyway, when the temp guage wags, and the battery light comes on, the car sputters. It feels as though it dies for a second, however, it immediately resumes accelerating. This happens, off and on, the entire time the gauges are wagging. The sputtering is a choking feeling - like the car has hiccupped. It only lasts for a turn of the engine, however, I don’t want the car to die on me while I am on the freeway, so it scares me.

The car sputters, reguardless of whether I am accelerating or not. If I am just holding the gas in, to maintain a constant speed, it will sputter then too.

Solutions Tried:

I have tried replacing the battery.

I have tried higher-grade fuel. (I was using 87, now I use 92.)

If you can give me any idea as to what my problem could be, it’d be much appreciated. I have run the OBD I scanner on the car, however, I did not get into the Engine Running tests. I figured the holdover memory would keep the code, if there was one to begin with. The OBD I did not give me any warning codes.