924Board.org

MikesCoupeGT · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 470 Location: Ontario Canada

So for the past two years now the temperature gauge in the 924 doesn't read. I know the car is not overheating, even after some hard track days and 6 hour drives. But, in the end I want it to read properly and not just flop around over bumps and things.

The quick question is this. for the temperature sender is it a connector on the radiator or something in the electrics of the car?
_________________
Cheers;
MikesCoupeGT
'76 924
'83 944
''19 Elantra GT N-Line

!tom · Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 11:49 pm Post subject:

The temperature sender is on the head.
_________________
78 924 NA
5-lug

Ian89C4 · Joined: 01 Apr 2011 Posts: 561 Location: North Carolina

In the worst possible spot to get to with the head on, in the very back down bellow the oil pressure sender. You can reach the plug to it if you have smallish arms, but I think it would take a miracle to pull it off of the head (hopefully I will stand corrected).
_________________
Ian Edgerly
North Carolina

Current:
1981 924 SCCA/ChampCar Weissach Race Car ("Serenity")
1987 924S ChampCar Endurance Car ("Der Weg")
1980 924 Euro ("Wahala")

MikesCoupeGT · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 470 Location: Ontario Canada

Ok. but if I can get in there and unplug it and then use some connector cleaner in there, it may actually get the temperature gauge to read correctly? Or am I pulling at straws here. I really want / need to know what the temperature of the car is when on the track. The fan runs constantly, just the way it is wired so I know it is not getting too hot, but it is for my own sanity and paranoia. LOL

Thanks again for all the answers. It is much appreciated.
_________________
Cheers;
MikesCoupeGT
'76 924
'83 944
''19 Elantra GT N-Line

jason c · Joined: 13 Jan 2014 Posts: 1018 Location: Nwi

You can test the gauge by grounding the wire on the temp sensor, should peg out. Should be full left with it disconnected. You would be able to make it do a complete sweep it you had a variable resistor in line. If the gauge works for these tests, the sensor is bad.

ThomasJoseph315 · Guest

Mike for the price of them you just might want to replace it by the time you get down to it. The easiest way to get to it is removing the Distributor and it's housing. Perhaps check for resistance in the wiring to the gauge before reassemble to make sure the wiring is intact. If resistance is normal, try putting the sensor in a pot of boiling water and check the resistance against a known good one, but if you gone that far just re-install the new one

.

I've spent quiet a bit of time in the wiring behind the dash, over the years the resistance builds up.

Also,.. For some strange reason my gauge seemed to work better after I cleaned out the headlight switch and also ran an additional ground wire to the grounding point under the dash. Might want to check those out.

Remember the black wires are the positive on these German cars! Brown are the grounds!

Rasta Monsta · Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 11723 Location: PacNW

I put a FAT ground cable from the head to the coil mount and all my weird gauge behavior ended. Turn on the headlights, for example, and the temp gauge doesn't even twitch.

Caveat: I had already done the ground crown under the dash when I made this repair.
_________________
Toofah King Bad

WeiBe (1987 924S 2.5t) - 931 S3