Temperature gauge not working

[Ashwood]

Hi,

The temperature gauge on my 1990 2.1DJ is not working. I’ve disconnected the sender unit wire and earthed it with the ignition on, but there is still no movement on the dashboard gauge.

Are there any other checks I can do further down the wiring to work out if it is a wiring fault or a gauge fault? I have taken the dashboard cover off but not sure how easy it is to take the dash out.

Many thanks
Ash

[Mocki]

Ok, so let’s get a few facts here .....

You say you earthed the gauge wiring out ....

On a 2wd DJ the temp sender is the one in the thermostat housing that faces the front of the van , and is a two pin connector .

The other sender ( facing the wheel) is known as "temp2" and is a thermo switch for the ECU to control the mixture enrichment.

So, assuming you unplugged the temp. Gauge sender and bridged the two pins of the loom. And the garage didn’t rise to the hot end , you have a connection in the black box in the engine bay , and then the connections at the front , near the fuse box and at the dash pod , and then the actual dash gauge

[Ashwood]

Oh, I think I should go for the muppet award . I have been looking at the oil sensor by the water jacket!

I will now follow your advice Mock!

I have noticed that the red warning light on the temp gauge still lights up initially when the ignition is turned on, so i presume that functions ok. Will work on the gauge pointer.

Cheers now

[Mocki]

Yes I thought something wasn’t ringing true with your description

The flashing red light in the temp gauge has two functions ....
1. If the gauge is above 3/4 and it's flashing it means over heating
2. If the gauge is below 3/4 and it's flashing , it means low coolant in the header tank.

Unless the garage is reading high , the light works independently, and one is not dependent on the other

The red flashing light should self test as you turn the ignition on .