I used a 1/8 short nipple, 1/8 "T" fitting for my long sender. Theaded the sender in one end of "T", nipple in the other and reused the plug, facing down and theaded the nipple into the test port.

 

Hey, I just installed an autometer trans temp gauge but no info comes up on the gauge, I have checked for hot at gauge, ground at gauge and sender plus I verified continuity from sender to gauge. Nothing. Does any one have any ideas, I know I must have forgotten some stupid thing. Help a guy with some diag. ideas please.

 

your gage may be bad. mine is not a autometer but if your electrical supply is good and you got the wires conected correctely it should work just fine. did you instell the trans temp sensor in the correct location. I would think if you had it connected evan to the wrong place you would get some kind of reading. it takes a while for the tamp to start rising after you start the truck maybe you need to drive it a while to get a reading. is it a digital gauge or a analog one?

 

did you run power to it?

jim

 

I put an Autometer sender in that port this week. However I did break one off first & had to remove it. I just wrapped with teflon & ran it in til it stopped without leaks, there is about 3/8 to 1/4" of thread still protruding and sensor is reporting 150 degrees at highway speed in the rain, 165 degrees on a sunny 85 degree day. I perfomed this install to monitor temps when I tow my 5900 GVWR travel trailer.
I went through a bunch of hand wrenching to get to this point. When I over torqued the first sensor & it broke I pulled the trans pan to check for debris, hoping to find the broken off part. Well it was not in the pan as the line port does not readily open to the pan area. While I had the pan down I found a trans piece in the pan...shaped kind of like a kids toy top with the end that would be away from your hand having a ball shape and an o ring to seal it's outside edge. After failing in my search for a place for this valve to belong I kept it out, replaced the trans pan, filled with Mercon V and Voila, trans shift smoother than ever. I had been having hard shifts to 2nd gear. Now it shifts smoothly all the time. By the way this trans came from Factory overfilled and I asked twice when doing service and complaining about shifting, could Ford tech lower the fluid level. My service writer said yes but whenever I rechecked the fluid was way past top mark on stick.

I got the broken sender probe out by briefly starting truck with no plug in the port, it popped right out, along with a bunch of ATF.

My truck is still below the 3 yr 36k point.
I am seriously considering calling dealer about that valve. There is a service bulletin on this truck for harsh shifting. Maybe I did the right thing, maybe not, but I want to trust my truck to tow all day in hot weather.
Does any one here know what the trans service bulletin fixes, and what is a valve piece doing in my trans pan?

 

I should have gotten one of these earlier seeing that my transmission go so hot that pieces were "welded together" and now I need a whole new transmission. I think the edge has a tranny temp guage on it doesnt it?

 

NHGuy: The plastic plug you found in the trans pan is normal. Do a search, this has been discussed before. Nothing to worry about.

KiCk *** FX4: Yes, I'm pretty sure the Edge has a trans temp gauge. (probably would have been an easier route to go verses installing a gauge)

 

I am pretty sure you are not supposed to use teflon tape on the threads of the sending unit. it should tell you this in the directions for the gauge. the sending unit is grounded to the transmission gauge through the threads. although your sending unit sounds like it is reading right so you must be grounded.
also I am sure you were checking it correctly but I thought I would ask if you were checking the trans fluid with the engine running and in park. the manual says also to move the transmision shifter through all the gear positions allowing each gear to engage before putting in park and checking it with the engin running. just thought this might have something to do with why you were reading high trans fluid.

 

Mitchman: Thanks for the answer about the plastic valve, it must be part of the assembly process. But I'll tell you the truck shifts way smoother, maybe the aftermarket Mercon V is better, I don't see any other change except the ATF level back to correct.

JasonK: I know there is a good ground at the sender because I tested for continuity at the sender with my multitester. I assume it is due to the thread tops cutting the teflon tape and making contact. As far as the instructions, I read them as saying DO use thread tape. And I can tell you having worked with some very talented auto mechanics that many use teflon when joining disssimilar metals. It discourages the corrosion which can occur between pieces of differing metals. I have heard of some situations which require specific compounds or gaskets. According to the reading I did, this isn't like that.

Another post thought the A pillar pod would look bad or remove the grab handle. I bought the Autometer F150 specific 2-hole pod and it looks the beans. It is an exact match for my OE black A pillar. It includes a cutout moulded to fit the curve in the handle surround.
So if you follow the instructions exactly you get a smooth pro looking installation. Just use a tiny hook to remove the A pillar handle plugs, unscrew the two captive hold down bolts, which are designed to stay on the A pillar when unscrewed, pull back the door gasket material and you can finesse the A pillar out of the cabin without a mark. Attach the pod so it lines up with the handle edge (it is obvious) and you can then put it back together cleanly. I am really happy that my truck didn't end up looking badly done. I spent the extra effort to make sure to keep it looking and acting right.

Now I am getting ready to wire up a sender to the rear diff, I really don't think it is a major necessity . But that is the other un-monitored component that will work hard while towing the travel trailer.

Guys thank you for the info & background.

 

just buy an EDGE. you can read trans temp on there plus many other things

 

I considered an Edge, I'll probably get one eventually but for now I'm good.

 

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but those of you who put the sender into the plugged factory port, where did you run the sending unit wire up through the cab to the dash at?

 

It's kind of tricky....

I put mine in plastic wire loom tubing (the split kind you can buy at the autoparts store) and then zip tied it away from the exhaust as best I could. I also routed the wire behind the factory heat shields when ever I could to further reduce the chances of the wire melting.

If I could do it again, I would just buy an Edge, or one of the other units now on the market like the one from MSD. (I think it's called the Dash Hawk or something)

 

how many miles do you have on your truck. Was you transmission Maint done at the recommended intervals? Did the mechs told what caused the problem with your tranny?

 

I just took it away from the exhaust and up the driver side firewall to the access plug where I passed it through into the driver side footwell. Ps. If you really flog your truck leave a little flex room in the wire for when the trans and motor mounts flex under load.