noobie alert, temp gauge question Options

[double-a]

i have enjoyed learning about my 914 in the last six months or so. but, i have a question, and the haynes manual was no help.

so my temp gauge on the console works... sorta. even after the engine gets good 'n hot, the temp needle barely gets above the first tick, and it never sees the middle of the gauge's range. is this a problem with a sender of some kind, or a bad gauge? i'm thinking oil temp sender, but what do i know? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) if i'm on the right track, how do i replace/repair it? thanks, can't tell you how much i've learned since joining this site, it's truly amazing.

and if someone could give tips on making my odometer/trip meter work again, that would be cool also. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Dave_Darling]

Combo gauge oil temp gauge: It is possible that one from a 911 would work--but you would have to make certain that the sender you got has the same resistance range as the gauge module does.

Steve, make sure you have the gauge hooked up to the right wire. Check the wiring diagrams for what color that should be. If your car did not have an oil temp gauge originally, it will likely not have a sender and you will need to install one. The existing sender is only for oil pressure, and only runs the light.

If you do have a sender, and are plugged into the right wire, then dig out your ohmmeter. Unplug the sender wire from the gauge, and check the resistance from that wire to ground. It should be either a couple of hundred or a couple of thousand ohms. When the engine warms up, the resistance should drop to a much smaller amount.

You can fake the sender's signal by using a potentiometer (a variable resistor). Hook it to a ground and to the sender input terminal on the gauge. Power up the gauge, and vary the resistance of the potentiometer by turning the knob. Low resistance should give you a high reading, high resistance a low reading.

--DD