Temp gauge wont go past 1st tick!

[joosdawg]

Well sense ive bought the car my temp gauge hasent gone past the first tick and i figured it was the thermostat. Bought a new one today and installed it and it still wont go past the first tick mark it idled and got to that point and i drove on the highway for 10 min and still no change it was stuck like that again!! so my question is sense idk if the previous owner put his thermostat in wrong or somthing but i copied it how it found it. In other words i put the part that you can see the spring facing downwords twords the block. Is that correct? If you dont get what im saying, the side that has the post with the spring wrapped around it that you can see is facing downwords and the stubby end with the one crossmember thing accross it is facing upwords. If that is correct then wtf is wrong with my car and why wont it heat up any further then that? its causing BAD gas milage from running so cold and so rich please help ASAP

-Ryan

 

[joosdawg]

Just want to add this, i just went outside and turned the logger on and it showed my coolant temp at 195 at idle. When i was driving i got it as high as 206 and heat would come out of the vents. Are those temps close to being correct in 10 degree weather? it deff has to be fully warm when i took those temp readings because it was idling for 20 min driving highway for 10 then idle for 10 again. During idle the fan never came on though but i know it works becuase ive heard it on before. Also i noticed that theres a plug that has broken off wires on the thermostat housing. Right underneeth the coolant filler cap on the housing is a screw in type sensor or somthing and the harness is there but one of the two wires is broken off, is that ok or does anyone know what that is?

 

[Amazin' Wasian]

That sensor your talking about would be your coolant temp seonsor, and yes that does need to be hooked up.. That's probably why your readings on your gauge are so low. And the temps you posted seem to be about right.
Nick

 

[joosdawg]

Well i wouldnt even know how to reconnect it though because one wire broke off right at the plug. I guess if a new plug comes with a couple inches of wire i can splice and solder if thats what it takes. But if the wire isnt connected then how come i still get a reading at all on the gauge and how do i get a reading on the logger then? also just wanted to let you guys know it did that before i ever broke the wire and that was the reason i wanted to replace the thermostat because of cold running. Now it seems to be running hotter but still the gauge is stupid and not showing anything beyond the first tick mark

 

[Amazin' Wasian]

Well i wouldnt even know how to reconnect it though because one wire broke off right at the plug. I guess if a new plug comes with a couple inches of wire i can splice and solder if thats what it takes. But if the wire isnt connected then how come i still get a reading at all on the gauge and how do i get a reading on the logger then? also just wanted to let you guys know it did that before i ever broke the wire and that was the reason i wanted to replace the thermostat because of cold running. Now it seems to be running hotter but still the gauge is stupid and not showing anything beyond the first tick mark

Wait are all the wires disconnected from the coolant temp sensor or just one? If its just 1 then that could be giving you the weird reading.(not 100% sure tho) and I'm also not sure if a new sensor would come with extra wires or not but it should... I've never had to replace mine.
Nick

 

[steve]

Well i wouldnt even know how to reconnect it though because one wire broke off right at the plug. I guess if a new plug comes with a couple inches of wire i can splice and solder if thats what it takes.

The sender for the gauge is a simple single female spade connector. You can pick up a replacement at almost any hardware store or Radio Shack along with some wire to splice with.

But if the wire isnt connected then how come i still get a reading at all on the gauge and how do i get a reading on the logger then?

The ECU uses another sensor in the thermostat housing.

Steve

 

[joosdawg]

good info but i just tried somthing... the coolant temp was showing 193 on the logger so what i did with the car running was went to my rents house and had my dad sit in the car and watch the temp gauge while i was under the hood and took the raw end of the wire that broke off and touched it to the part it broke off so at least a few strands of copper would touch. He said it didnt change the gauge at all. thanks for the radioshack tip though ill go there tomorrow and see what they have.