temp sender- autozone?

[treynon]

Autozone sent gave me a sender for my temp guage that looked like http://www.amazon.com/Wells-SU284-C..._418/104-7408200-5995937?ie=UTF8&s=automotive

and the one I pulled out looked different I have a 1997 4 dr XLT 4.0 2wd OHV

It threaded in correctly and I plugged back in the sender wire connector and now i'm getting 0 input when before i'd get input from the most left to just under Cold. Could Autozone given me the wrong temp sender? Could it be the wire and or connector to the sender that went foul? BTW im getting heat from my heater after about 5-10 minutes of warming up in No. Utah cold weather.

 

[NHale623]

That looks like the coolant temp sensor for the PCM, not the instrument. There are two temp sensors, the one for the instrument should only have one connector.

 

[treynon]

Its the sensor directly above the thermostat on OHV 4.0. Its the correct fitting for the wire and connector.. The connector is a bit beat up though I was wondering how do you take the wire out of the connector? Can I replace just the connector instead of the entire wire connected to it?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Did you test the resistance of the old one before removing it? Test the new one. You mentioned that the plug could be bad. I don't know if they sell a replacement in the auto parts store, but you could check. Send KBabiak a PM. He should have the correct plug. Most of the time the single wire sending unit is used unless you have a digital temperature gauge. Then this 2 prong sender would be used. Most wiring harnesses have both plugs. Did your old one have 2 wires like this one? If you are not getting a signal, then most likely the wrong plug was used. Look for the single wire plug, and ground it. Your gauge should jump. Here is a troubleshooting chart for the two wire sensor:

 

[shamaal]

And an OHV pic

 

[treynon]

Is there a way to take the wire off the plug that plugs in and replace just the plug instead of having to unwrap the whole wiring to pull that specific wire? It is just a single wire into the plug which has 2 openings for wires but only goes into 1.

 

[treynon]

So from that pic they did give me the temperature sensor not sender.... damnit... So the big question is can I replace the plug for the wire for the sensor that plugs in by detaching the wire somehow and connecting it to a new connector? Argh this is going to be painful.

 

[BrooklynBay]

You will need the same connector as the stud on a starter solenoid. They sell them in the auto parts stores. They are about $2. Pep Boys sells them. How much did the sensor cost in AutoZone? That part varies in price in different states even though it's from AutoZone.

 

[treynon]

how do I effectively take out the wire from the original connector for the sensor not the sender and put it in the new one? I'm still talking about the sensor plug that plugs into the sensor at the top of the page (not sender). The plug needs to be replaced now that I changed the sensor... and I also need a sender. That way I wont have to worry about those things for awhile.

 

[BrooklynBay]

You would have to cut off the old connector, and crimp a new one on.

 

[treynon]

thanks

 

[BrooklynBay]

Here's a link with some information on the temperature sender: http://www.motorcraft.com/products.do?item=9_1

 

[treynon]

Does anyone know where to buy one I dont think autozone has this? I usually work during parts hours at dealerships too..

 

[BrooklynBay]

AutoZone sells them. They are about $7. Make sure that you get the one for the gauge, not the indicator light.

 

[treynon]

they didnt have em... trying pepboys

 

[treynon]

Well I used the "switch" from pepboys and it seemed to make the gauge start going a little bit under C just like before. When the car is warming up I try to feel for pressure in the main rad hose and there is none. I tried burping my system too but still no avail. argh?

how exactly do you ground the plug to see if the gauge is working?

 

[BrooklynBay]

The wire just touches any ground, even the engine. If you aren't getting a reading, it sounds like there is no coolant touching the part. Check your coolant level. Maybe your thermostat is stuck in the closed position if the top hose is always empty.

 

[treynon]

The thermo was the culprit. Thanks for all your help.