I had an AutoMeter Oil Temp gauge and Water Temp gauge still in the boxes from another car I had. So I decided to install them in my 944. I just swapped out the clock and A/C **** and they fit perfectly. I can't seem to get them to work though.

I used an inline coolant temp housing to screw the sender into for the water temp gauge. I also bought the pre-drilled oil drain plug from Lindsay Racing for the Oil Temp sender. I have good grounds, good switched power and both senders are wired to the gauges and still the gauges don't work. Could they be bad gauges?

 

Are there inline fuse holders in the positive power wire ? If so are the fuses in there ?.....good ? I have an Auto Meter
Wide Band AFR, that's been working great for 5 years.

 

The 944 spec car I bought has Autometer gauges, they work fine other than having to buy another oil temp sender - the one in the car was leaking, installed in the drain plug. I seriously doubt both of your gauges could be bad out of the box, you have something wired wrong.

 

Don't think Porsche senders will work.
I have all autometer gauges in the race car and I had to get matching senders.
The water temp is installed in the top radiator house. You will need a hose adapter. Look on eBay.
And the oil temp is in the oil pan. Lindsey racing sells the drain plug that holds one.
One other thing. You need to have the nut on the back of the gauge. Regardless if you are using a spade connector. The nut cometrs the circuit.

 

I think this is right. Unless you put in resistors (which would take forever to get right). The Porsche ones send the wrong resistance IIRC.

Take care,

 

I dont think you read the issue properly. He's using the Lr drain plug to the auto meter sender. and an inline water temp sender.


To the PO. Did you make sure you connected +ve and -ve to the gauge? the gauge wont work with out power

 

Yea I didn't read it through. After reading it again....

The oil temp in the oil pan takes a long time to start working.
I drove my car in January and thought the gauge was broken. The oil just didn't get hot enough to register.

As for the coolant sender....
Where is the sender exactly? If you cut up a hose and spliced it in there then adding a ground wire may be needed. Couple ways of doing that. Either drill and tap a hole close by the sender. Or put a round connector around the base. Then run that gnd wire to the chassis.
Also. Double check you have 12v at the gauge when the car is running.

 

That's correct. Depending on your gauge, some temp gauges need to be grounded like this:

https://rennlist.com/forums/8872729-post115.html

 

I took all your guys advice and it turned out the housing for the coolant temp sensor just had to be grounded to the body, gauge works great now. As for the oil temp gauge, it just doesn't register until I sit in traffic for a bit. I guess the oil in these cars just doesn't get that hot.

 

Civic dune buggy?

 

It turns out if you just take all the body panels off of a third gen Civic, and weld a push bar on it, they make fantastic dune buggys. Very overbuilt little cars. The dual carbs makes it a bit more fun too.

 

I am going to request photographic evidence. We should start a "wats your other car" thread