Non Operational Engine Temp and Gas Gauge
02-04-2019, 08:59 AM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Non Operational Engine Temp and Gas Gauge
Fellow Enthusiasts - looking for some guidance and how to best trouble shoot the non operational engine temperature gauge and gas gauge, the needles sit at the lowest calibration.
I filled up the tank and nothing and after a quick drive the electric fans kick on just fine.
My car is an '87 5Speed that was on eBay for quite some time that I bought offline when I was the high bidder twice but it did not meet reserve. I am starting to go through the car in detail as it certainly needs some TLC.
Thanks!
Yasin
The car:
I filled up the tank and nothing and after a quick drive the electric fans kick on just fine.
My car is an '87 5Speed that was on eBay for quite some time that I bought offline when I was the high bidder twice but it did not meet reserve. I am starting to go through the car in detail as it certainly needs some TLC.
Thanks!
Yasin
The car:
02-04-2019, 12:01 PM
#2
Nordschleife Master
The first place I'd look would be the cluster connections.
Follow Dwayne's writeup to pull the pod & cluster. It can be found in the "New Visitor" sticky.
Follow Dwayne's writeup to pull the pod & cluster. It can be found in the "New Visitor" sticky.
02-04-2019, 12:15 PM
#3
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Gauge temperature sender is on the driver’s side of the water bridge. Pre-‘89 the connectors are bare spade connectors. I usually find them green with corrosion and thus super-high resistance.
Connection for fuel level sender in the hatch area is also often corroded. Sender itself may also be stuck at the bottom. The latter is becoming more and more common.
Yes, it could be instrument cluster connections too. Checking the sender-side of the problems requires less gymnastics, so I do that first.
Connection for fuel level sender in the hatch area is also often corroded. Sender itself may also be stuck at the bottom. The latter is becoming more and more common.
Yes, it could be instrument cluster connections too. Checking the sender-side of the problems requires less gymnastics, so I do that first.
02-04-2019, 12:23 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Thank you kindly, guys. I will definitely investigate further based on your advice.
I did notice the engine temp sensor wires are just bare spades and a bit green, I also noticed some electric tape on those wires as well, making me think that there was a "fix" on them at some point.
I did notice the engine temp sensor wires are just bare spades and a bit green, I also noticed some electric tape on those wires as well, making me think that there was a "fix" on them at some point.
02-04-2019, 01:45 PM
#5
Pro
Regarding the green on the sensor connectors, I've had good luck with DeoxIT removing the corrosion on copper connections. My gauge cluster traces had a lot of patina and verdigris (the green stuff) before I put a touch of DeoxIT on all the connections. A bit of waiting had the corrosion all liquefied, and wiped off with a shop rag.
As far as the temp gauge goes, if the wiring from the cluster to the sensor is all in good shape, you should be able to measure a voltage at the sensor wires.
On my cluster, until I took the time to clean the cluster wiring again and tighten the sockets that the little connectors plug into on each gauge, I had no voltage, or motion from those two gauges.
Once those were all cleaned, my gauges jump up a little bit off of the no-power positions that they were stuck at before that point.
As far as the temp gauge goes, if the wiring from the cluster to the sensor is all in good shape, you should be able to measure a voltage at the sensor wires.
On my cluster, until I took the time to clean the cluster wiring again and tighten the sockets that the little connectors plug into on each gauge, I had no voltage, or motion from those two gauges.
Once those were all cleaned, my gauges jump up a little bit off of the no-power positions that they were stuck at before that point.
02-04-2019, 04:26 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Thanks Josh!
Great feedback.
Great feedback.
02-04-2019, 04:36 PM
#7
Three Wheelin'
Rusty -
One other check (if none of the above are successful)...The engine-side senders (coolant temp, oil pressure, and oil level) all go through the infamous 14-pin connector. May check for corrosion there as well. If your main engine (not Fuel Injection) harness has never been replaced, there could be some corrosion in there.
Of course this would have absolutely nothing to do with fuel gauge.
-scott
One other check (if none of the above are successful)...The engine-side senders (coolant temp, oil pressure, and oil level) all go through the infamous 14-pin connector. May check for corrosion there as well. If your main engine (not Fuel Injection) harness has never been replaced, there could be some corrosion in there.
Of course this would have absolutely nothing to do with fuel gauge.
-scott