Temp Guage
 

Ok guys, got tired of the idiot lights so i installed a new temp guage. Removed old sensor and wire attached to it, installed new sensor attached to guage. Ran truck down the highway guage would not register anything just sat there on 100 just like in the box. What have i missed

Help guys did i get a bad unit or have i done something wrong.

You didn't say if you bought a after market or a factory gauge, if you bought a factory gauge you need a different sender for a gauge and you can't use the factory harness in your truck as it was made different. You have to run it seperate, and the same with the after-market gauge. Hope this helps

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Andy
71's Are for ever!!! or 67,68,69,70,72 http://geocities.com/chevy71tpi/main.html

Nichboy, you just ain't having luck with gauges, are you? Heh, I responded to your fuel gauge Q too.
What you need for the temp gauge to work is 12V on the + side of the gauge and a sender to ground (engine block) on the other. Maybe a wire for lights if you want them.
Have someone watch the gauge with the key on while you quickly scratch the wire to ground. The gauge should move. If it doesn't, you don't have the correct power to it, or it's defective. The reason I say to quickly scratch it to ground is that you shouldn't hurt it that way. I'm just not sure what the minimum resistance of your sender is. If you short it to ground for a long time, you may hurt it.

The sending unit that was in the truck had a wire running of it. i assume to the light on the dash. I disconnected the wire and removed the old sending unit. The new after market guage had about a 5 foot wire with a spring all the way around it and a sending unit on the end, i installed it where the old one was and mounted the guage in my bezel. Looks great just doesn't work. Hope this helps. Thanks guys

That's what is called a capillary type sending unit does not need external power. Take it out of the block and boil some water in a coffee cup stick the probe(only) in the water meter should start to rise(will take a short period of time). Tested one like this for my dad. The probe tip needs to be completely immerssed in the water. Will not work right if the probe when installed is touching/hitting other parts, i.e. need to have coolant all around it. Have one installed on my truck now it is not mounted exactlly like the original there is an adapter between the probe(male) threads and block(female) threads. this has the probe sticking off the block about and inch. Hope I've helped.

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1970 GMC K25 Custom
Chesapeake, VA
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