96 XLT water temp gauge does not work

[Andy96XLT]

Hello,
I just got a 96 XLT and everything works great except my water temp gauge. It works kinda, but only when it wants to. Generally it stays on the cold mark or just above it, and im pretty sure my engine is not running that cool. I was told it was probably the sending unit or the thermostat but the dealerships want $200-300 to check it out and fix it if thats it. Has anyone had this issue and can I fix it myself? If so a step by step would be great. Thanks!
-Andrew

 

[marragtop]

If the gauge moves at all, I'd start by replacing the Tstat. Easy repair, and part of normal maintenance. If the gauge doesn't move at all, ground the sending unit wire to see if the gauge then pegs to hot. If so, you need to replace the sending unit.