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Help Troubleshooting Cluster Temp Gauge

LBM240Wagon

New member
Joined
Aug 5, 2017
Location
Central Florida
After a broken alternator belt last week (no water pump), and the electric fan the PO put in crapping out on me this week, I figure its time to get serious on fixing the temp gauge (car is trying to tell me something). I did a few searches but didn't come up with much. Here is what

I know: ('92 240 non turbo)

1) sender in the block is present and connected (Is there a way to test this?)

2) All connections are correct behind the gauge cluster

3) While fixing my speedometer/odometer I did the temp faker mod (made no difference).

Is there a way to test the sender in the block? What other testing can I do before searching for a new gauge?

Thanks!
 
Disconnect the wire from the sender and ground that wire on a piece of metal somewhere with the key on. The gauge should read full hot then I believe. If it doesn't, the problem isn't the sender (the resistance to ground varies with the engine temperature). Its possible the gauge itself is just bad....
 
After a broken alternator belt last week (no water pump), and the electric fan the PO put in crapping out on me this week, I figure its time to get serious on fixing the temp gauge (car is trying to tell me something). I did a few searches but didn't come up with much. Here is what

I know: ('92 240 non turbo)

1) sender in the block is present and connected (Is there a way to test this?)

2) All connections are correct behind the gauge cluster

3) While fixing my speedometer/odometer I did the temp faker mod (made no difference).

Is there a way to test the sender in the block? What other testing can I do before searching for a new gauge?

Thanks!

helps if actually say what is wrong with gauge
 
Thanks for the resistance bands. I'll check that.

Gauge doesn't move... If I move it with my finger it stays in that location reguardless of key on/off or temperature.
 
It will be the compensation board. IpD sells them or just make a wire to jump the pins. It’s been a while but pins 3 & ?. Can’t remember the other one
 
pin 1 to pin 3 looking at the cluster with the speedo in front of you as I recall. Pin 1 all the way to the left. But I thought he mentioned doing this already.

I second that last suggestion that it is the gauge. The needle isn't supposed to stay in the spot you put it. The gauge comes out of the cluster with a couple of nuts. Easy to replace.
 
It will be the compensation board. IpD sells them or just make a wire to jump the pins. It’s been a while but pins 3 & ?. Can’t remember the other one

I take them out out on all of my clusters and put a jumper on the pins. Happy to send you a used one, but really recommend that you jumper the pins. I jumper 1 and 3 pins.
 
Disconnect the wire from the sender and ground that wire on a piece of metal somewhere with the key on. The gauge should read full hot then I believe. If it doesn't, the problem isn't the sender (the resistance to ground varies with the engine temperature). Its possible the gauge itself is just bad....

Finally got around to tinkering w/ this tonight. Grounded the sender wire to the battery and the gauged moved under its own power! I cleaned the contacts really well with some fine sandpaper, and will see what happens on my drive to work tomorrow. Thanks for the help!
 
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