My original Smiths temp gauge shat itself on the weekend, so I went out and picked up a cheap replacement electrical guage.

1st thing that didn't work was the sender unit had a different thread to the hole in my block, so I couldn't use it.

2nd, I wired it up, turned on the ignition and it was reading 140 F. The engine wasn't even running! So it should have been air temperature.

This didn't really matter, because 3rd, it stopped working about 5-10 seconds after turning the ignition on (needle just drops to resting point). This 3rd problem happens every time you turn the ignition on. Gauge reads high, then stops working. If you turn it off and on quickly, it stays at rest. If you turn it off, then turn it back on after 20-30 seconds or so, it reads high, then stops working as usual.

Any suggestions before I take it back and get a mechanical gauge?

Check the wiring diagram that came with the new guage. Is your car negative or positive earth?


dewey

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dwightgunning.com

Sounds like it is wired up back to front to me. Just make sure that your wiring is the correct way round.

Cheers

Aaron