Engine Coolant Gauge
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Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 479
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From: Tallahassee, FL
Engine Coolant Gauge
Guys,
I've installed an Autometer Elec. Water Temp. Gauge. Since this is an electrical gauge, I did not use the sender that came with it. I just tapped into the wire that the factory engine coolant sensor (as well as computer) uses. Now I get a reading but the reading seems high. Currently I have no way of telling what the computer is registering (I don't have an OBDII codescanner). My autometer gauge is reading between 230-250 farenheit. I feel this thing isn't reading right or something. Do you think by using the factory sender instead of the one supplied with my gauge that it is inaccurate? I guess I can try using the sender that my gauge came with. Any ideas?
I've installed an Autometer Elec. Water Temp. Gauge. Since this is an electrical gauge, I did not use the sender that came with it. I just tapped into the wire that the factory engine coolant sensor (as well as computer) uses. Now I get a reading but the reading seems high. Currently I have no way of telling what the computer is registering (I don't have an OBDII codescanner). My autometer gauge is reading between 230-250 farenheit. I feel this thing isn't reading right or something. Do you think by using the factory sender instead of the one supplied with my gauge that it is inaccurate? I guess I can try using the sender that my gauge came with. Any ideas?
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 358
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From: Pembroke Pines, FL.
Chances are that the Ford sender and the Autometer sender are not the same.
The sender is essentially a resistor that changes value with temperature. The higher the temperature goes the lower the resistance becomes. This is called the NTC, or Negative Temperature Coefficient of the resistor. If you want your gauge to read correctly, I would stick with the sender supplied. You can put the new sender at the same location of the original one if you use a 'T' fitting.
Good Luck! Let us know how it goes.
The sender is essentially a resistor that changes value with temperature. The higher the temperature goes the lower the resistance becomes. This is called the NTC, or Negative Temperature Coefficient of the resistor. If you want your gauge to read correctly, I would stick with the sender supplied. You can put the new sender at the same location of the original one if you use a 'T' fitting.
Good Luck! Let us know how it goes.
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 10,511
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From: Under the flightpath of old ORD 22R
Might be a silly question
Had you checked this against the odo reading for the coolant temp ?
This will read in C not F, so you will need to convert them.
In case you don't have it handy :
C=5/9(F-32) and F=9/5(C+32)
I think the 97 still allow the odo use as the temp gauge, but I could be wrong on that....I cannot recal the cut off for the digital gauge and the DTM program.
The other quick check is if you know someone with one of the temp guns for reading temps. Check this right at the inlet of the radiator.
Just a thought.
This will read in C not F, so you will need to convert them.
In case you don't have it handy :
C=5/9(F-32) and F=9/5(C+32)
I think the 97 still allow the odo use as the temp gauge, but I could be wrong on that....I cannot recal the cut off for the digital gauge and the DTM program.
The other quick check is if you know someone with one of the temp guns for reading temps. Check this right at the inlet of the radiator.
Just a thought.
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Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 479
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From: Tallahassee, FL
Wish the 97 had the digital odometer but it doesn't. Thanks for the reply though...
Thanks for the replys guys (hey that rymes). I confirmed my suspicion last night using the search engine.
Thanks for the replys guys (hey that rymes). I confirmed my suspicion last night using the search engine.