Hi all. Glad to be here. I have a temp gauge ? about 66 Polara. I removed the gauge pod to replace a burned out bulb and when I put it back in the temp gauge was pegged at H. It took a few tries of shutting the ignition off to get it to go down to C as they normally do but as soon as the key was turned back on it pegs to H. During a 20 minute drive to the gas station it went all the way down to C and been there sense. It worked fine before I took the cluster out. Is it the temp sending unit or the voltage limiter? Thanks.
Temp gauge question.
- Thread starter 66Hardtop
- Start date
If the gas gauge is working, the cluster regulator is still functioning. Check the plug to the instrument cluster and be sure it is properly seated. Next, unplug the sensor lead from the temp sending unit on the front of the engine. A gauge pegged at high suggests there might be a short in the sensor or the lead going to it. If you ground the sensor lead, the gauge should peg at high. If nothing happens, the sensor lead is open someplace. If the lead pegs the gauge at high, the sensor is probably bad. When you changed the burned out bulb, a circuit pathway may have been damaged. In that case you will need to pull the gauge head and start checking circuit pathways with a voltmeter, looking for pathways to the temp gauge that are open and solder them at where ever there is a break. While you have the cluster out, check the temp gauge to be sure it is not block by spiderwebs, a common problem on cars that have sat for an extended time. It is also possible that the gauge itself may have failed in which case you will probably need to locate another unit.
Dave
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
You might consider replacing the gauge with a mechanical unit. I realize this means adding an extra gauge somewhere, but engine temperature along with oil pressure is a "showstopper" datum you dare not do without. I drive a '66 Newport and the very first thing I bought for it when I purchased Mathilda 3 yrs ago was a simple mechanical gauge cluster. It hasn't failed me yet and neither has the car. (seriously)
I got the new temp sensor in and no luck. I cleaned up the plug and noticed the temp gauge was loose in the housing so i tightened it back up and when plugging it in it sparked slightly and now the car has absolutely no power
I went out again and had power and it started just fine. But once I pulled the headlight switch it died again and no power. I can't believe all this from just unplugging the temp gauge connector and plugging it back in
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
Check the connections around the starter relay. Do you still have the ammeter hooked up? THAT setup can cause you TROUBLE. Ditch it.
PurpleBeeper
Member
Based on what you describe, it sure "sounds" like an exposed hot wire moved around and is shorted in the dash somewhere. You may have to pull the gauge cluster again and inspect the wires/connections. The headlight switch doesn't go through a fuse, so that may be a clue.
Canadian or US car??
Different dashes between the two.
Cheers
Different dashes between the two.
Cheers
The fusible link should be hooked to the big terminal on the starter relay. Wiring diagram download for free at www.mymopar.com
Wiring diagrams are in the Tool/Reference section. The link will usually have a plastic tab on it.
Dave
rkrochen
Senior Member
I had some similar issues with starting where it would work sometimes and then stop working. Turned out to be a bad connection at the bulk head. Took it apart and cleaned the corrosion up and everything works great now.
I found the fusible link and wiggled it back and forth and everything is fine now but will replace it. Thank you all for the help. This is my first chrysler product so it's new territory for me. I'm mainly used to late 80s early 90s GM stuff.
Alright I got a NOS temp gauge and got it put in. Good news is it works...kinda. If I ground it, it pegs to H but when driving the car it's only a hair past the "normal" on the C side of the gauge. I'm assuming the new temp sender I got is faulty. Damn Oreilly.
Check the temperature of you coolant. You might have a 160 degree thermostat installed.
Dave
Do not jump and ground the gauges with 12 full vols you will fry the gauge!!
The fuel and temp gauges run on 5 volts and the limiter is built into the fuel gauge.
If the new gauge is not damaged already, and What you described where the new gauge sits at operating temp is actually normal.
As mentioned,when you removed and re-installed the cluster,wires got disturbed and created a short.
The fuel and temp gauges run on 5 volts and the limiter is built into the fuel gauge.
If the new gauge is not damaged already, and What you described where the new gauge sits at operating temp is actually normal.
As mentioned,when you removed and re-installed the cluster,wires got disturbed and created a short.
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