RE: IML: temp gauge shows overheating

["Pete Engel" <peter.engel@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rich,

Wow, I'm glad you're not working on MY car!  Go for the EASY stuff first.

I'll bet that your temp sending unit is the culprit and it's easy to check.
When the rubber molded plug is disconnected from the sender the gauge will
drop to cold.  When you ground the metal terminal inside the molded plug the
gauge will peg at hot.  Don't keep the connector grounded for more than 15
seconds or so.

Years of hot/cold cycles and some corrosion inside the sending unit are
probably causing the guts to short to ground periodically.  I've seen the
sending units get pretty crusty at the threaded terminal and that's a sign
that all is not well.

You can get away with replacing the sender WITHOUT draining any coolant.
Loosen the sender and unscrew it almost all the way out.  Then squeeze the
upper radiator hose closed, remove the radiator car, reinstall it, and
release the hose.  If you quickly unscrew the sending unit and get the new
one in place there will be little or no coolant loss.

Pete in PA

From: "Woolf,Richard T(Contractor)" <richard.woolf@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: IML: temperature gauge showing over heating
Date: Mon, 2 May 2005 13:23:32 -0400 
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Hello List,

 I have a problem with my '66 Crown. I was driving one night coming back
from a car show when all of a sudden my temperature gauge went all the way
over to right which showed me it was over heating. I quickly stop the car
checking the belt to see if it was broken. Everything under the hood looked
normal so I waited for about a half hour and starting to drive the car home
when it did it again. After getting home I decided it probably was the
thermostat which jammed such, and changed that first which as many of you
know is no picnic if you have AC. After completing the job the problem was
still there. So I decided to change the water pump since it was original
with over 115,000 miles on it. I took the water pump off, and found nothing
wrong with it. As a matter of fact it looked like brand new inside. I pulled
the radiator out and used a hose to put water in the top of the radiator
inlet to see if it would flow out of the bottom freely, and it did. I'm
wondering if it's the temperature sending unit. I ordered one today from
NAPA, and will have it by Wednesday. If the problem is still there then I'm
out of ideas.  Does anybody have any thoughts???




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