Thread: Dancing temp needle (video)

I know relying on the stock temp gauge is dumb, but its all I got right now. What do you guys make of this?



IMG_4807.mp4 video by Storm88000 | Photobucket

The car is a 97 SE-R and was fully warmed up. The bang noises in the background are the awful roads here in PA with 40 series tires.

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March 7, 2013 UPDATE:

FIXED!!

Here is what you do.. first off, if your temp needle isn't working or being sporadic like mine was, with the engine running, try disconnecting the electrical connection and see if that effects the needle. The needle should dive down to C.

The new part is $10.49 at Advanced Auto Parts, my place had it in stock. It's part # WT707.
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Here is the new piece:


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Its a 12mm nut, you need to disconnect the sensor then maybe squirt some WD40 on it to get the nut moving, it's in a difficult spot, much harder to change if you have power steering and A/C.

Once removed, have a rag handy underneath because some coolant will spill out, or simply have the new sensor right there to screw in by hand.


Pic of the old sensor removed, hard to tell with the camera pic but it was pretty corroded:
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The new sensor installed, before reconnecting it:
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It's in the center, the shiny piece to the left of the oil filter. Just before I reconnected it.

I'd recommend changing this every maybe like couple years if your temp gauge needle moves when you hit a pothole or something, do it when you're changing the oil and oil filter, with the oil filter removed its much easier to access.

No more dancing temp needle in the gauge cluster. It's pain to reach, I suggest a long open ended 12mm wrench to get at it.

do you have gauge over lays? Looks like a short. could be in the cluster or just the sender it self. the sender is cheap to replace.

my old B14 did that and it was the sender, very easy to replace

ya, check for a messed up clip/sender/wire in the engine bay.

mine does the exact same thing. havent got a chance to check but im thinking its the temp. sensor, short somewhere in the wires or air in the system.

Hmm. Temp sensor, is that the one on the lowport thats connected to the intake? Mine is just kind of laying around near the brake fluid resevoir since I have a CAI

should be on passenger side near the IACV.

Oh ok, I guess I'm thinking of the intake temp sensor

Air in the system will not cause the gauge to jump. 99% of the time it's the cheap temp sending unit (1 wire) on the intake manifold at the passenger side. You'll see how cheap it is once you put your hand on it. The clip is fastened by a rivet, sort of.

and that rivet always breaks and causes the male tab to spin and not make contact properly... ive replaced a few in my time... stupid temp sender!