Water Temp Gauge

[mad082]

i'm looking at putting an electrical water temp gauge in and i'm wondering where to put the sender.

do i remove the stock sender and put it in there?

or do i have to make something up to mount it in and put that in the hose?

if i disconnect the stock one does that stuff up the ecu (make it lose cold start or not control the fan properly)?

thanks

[HR32_GTS-T]

i just had the same problem with mine, bought a new one tryed the std sender but gives faulse readings, the sender that u get with it most likely doesnt fit in the std position(Right?), so im either gona tap in a new thread some where or go down to the exhaust shop an get then to make up a bit of pipe to go in between my radiater hose. either way

doesnt cost much.

[jeffers1987]

perhaps get that tiny little coolant hose made up into a stainless item and have a sensor tapped into it.

[midnight]

get one of these.

ebay, or automotive store etc. they cost around 30bucks

mount it in the top rad hose

[tridentt150v]

Thats where my greddy was mounted, in the top rad hose with one of those alloy adaptors, so midnight is right.

[mad082]

i suppose i will have to make something up. getting my hands on stainless piping is no worries. i'll try putting it in the stock location (haven't bought the gauge yet) but if it doesn't fit then i'll make something up.

should i just cut toe standard top hose to fit the adapter in, or buy 2 new bits of hose. i want to try to get out of this as cheaply as possible since its going to be an expensive week for me as it is.

[tridentt150v]

Cut the top hose in two, 12 months ago you could have brought mine!!

I sold it, already had ex temp, oil temp, oil press, boost, reckoned that was enough to distract me lol so sold the water temp and sender.

[mad082]

i found some of the adapters at autobarn. $30! going to hold off for now.

[paulr33]

the main water connector hose has two sensors

one is for the guage in analog style

the other is for the ecu

if you disconnect the ecu one the car may not start and water temp corrections will not be applied correctly, ie: this is a bad idea

[Abo Bob]

get one of these.

ebay, or automotive store etc. they cost around 30bucks

mount it in the top rad hose

I picked up one of these from Just Jap the other day for about $20. Haven't fitted it yet.

[mad082]

if you disconnect the ecu one the car may not start and water temp corrections will not be applied correctly, ie: this is a bad idea

thought so.

[paulr33]

when i fried my water temp sensor the car wouldnt start

but when i unplugged the sensor is started fine so who knows.

i was told by a few people there is no chance an rb will start with it disconnected, but it did, so not sure what is right or wrong. but i know the corrections wont apply if its disconnected

[blind_elk]

If you disconnect the the sensor for the ECU (that's the 2-pin sensor, BTW), the ECU will either regard it as an error and run in safe mode, or it will always think the engine is cold and run with LOTS of fuel.

The sensor you can afford to replace is the single-pin sensor adjacent to the ECU sensor - it is the one that works the temp gauge in the instrument cluster. If you are fitting a new gauge, you obviously don't need that one to work.

[mad082]

The sensor you can afford to replace is the single-pin sensor adjacent to the ECU sensor - it is the one that works the temp gauge in the instrument cluster. If you are fitting a new gauge, you obviously don't need that one to work.

the problem is trying to get a sender that fits that hole.

[grigor]

Most temp. sensors are either 1/8"BSPT or NPT.

The Nissan's sensor hole is NOT tapered but is parallel thread with the sensor sealing against a seat cut in the aluminium housing.

There is ample space to drill and tap another thread beside the existing sensors, just take care that no drillings enter the cooling system.

If you decide on that cut top hose system, you must also run a grounding wire to the sensor.

[jvs007]

hmmmm, interesting???

jus read that the sonsor shud be on the top hose, mine came with the car wen i got it but its on the bottom hose, is there any logical reason why its there, wat difference wud the top and bottom make??

is it hot engine coolant coming out the bottom hose through the radiator and out the top cooler or the other way???

[carl h]

i tapped my intake manifold right off the head near the coolant outlet, so its the most accurate reading i can get.

alternatively you could weld a bung into the motor outlet/rad inlet for the sensor and that would also provide an accurate reading.

putting the sensor in the hose will make your readings about 4* off of actual...well so ive found on various cars ive fitted them to.

[AndrewD]

i tapped my intake manifold right off the head near the coolant outlet, so its the most accurate reading i can get.

alternatively you could weld a bung into the motor outlet/rad inlet for the sensor and that would also provide an accurate reading.

putting the sensor in the hose will make your readings about 4* off of actual...well so ive found on various cars ive fitted them to.

shouldnt make a difference, so long as the sensor, NOT SENDER, is located between the engine and radiator inlet.

[GeeTR]

shouldnt make a difference, so long as the sensor, NOT SENDER, is located between the engine and radiator inlet.

Hey Andrew,

outa interest, what IS the difference between a sender and sensor?

[grigor]

The main thing is to know what you're reading. Engine designers usually place the temp sender in a known hot spot, so the reading will be the max.

Big radial aero engines even shield number 1 cylinder from some air flow so that particular cylinder reading will read the worst case.