temperature problem EK chassis (visible on combination meter)


wierzba

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Joined
Feb 4, 2009
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139
Hello,

I'm not sure if there was already such a problem decribed on the forum - if yes please share a link if not maybe somebody could help.

There are few people with a same problem and one of them put a video on YT to describe better a problem.


It looks like a electrical problem instead of cooling system (I've already checked) failure but it's not easy to find electrical failure.
I already know that change of water temp. sensor (located in cylinder head) didn't solve the problem


I have some clues but maybe some of you already had similar problem

- wrong voltage level - battery / alternator "heating up" ?
- grounding - if yes then it should happen more often and not only driving continously for some time with higher speed, during crusing around the city this problem it's not visible.
- combination meter itself is damaged ?


I will appreaciate your help.
 
We see what the gage is doing, now what's happening under the bonnet when the temperature is reading it highest? Is it boiling over ? Is your breeder bottle given and taking? Is your rad cap good? Get a multimeter onto your wiring and check conty on earths ,can you say for sure that the car is not over heating?
 
I'm pretty sure that it's not a problem with cooling because it's not possible to cool down temperature in so short time. Additionally there is a moment on the video when the driver is turning on and off the lights and in this time the gauge is also moving up and down.
 
Yeah mate that makes sense, check conty between the wires with multimeter so .
Good luck
 
Temperature can change fairly quickly if there is intermittent blockage in the system or maybe if the coolant pump is somehow failing. Remember that the temperature you see on the dash is only recorded in one place and does not represent the whole cooling system! If the circulation is not sufficient you can have high temperature in one part of the system and low in another. If all of a sudden the coolant gets moving the cold coolant will surge past the temperature sensor and it will look just like the video you posted. Have you checked your thermostat is working correctly? That would be the first thing I'd check TBH.
 
As I mentioned I already checked cooling system - if it would be cooling system why it did not happen during city crusing ? why gauge is going up and down when turning on/off lights ?
there is something wrong with electrical system but I don't want to change half of the components so I'm looking for advice what I can check without exchange only and see if it's better or not.
 
Get yourself a multimeter and check for conty between wires is your best bet ,change your temperature sending gage ,and thermostat, both very cheap.
 
regarding conty do you mean between gauge on the desk inside and the sensor in cylinder head ?
thermostat is working fine - it's easy to check and I did it.
I think it's not related to the grounding because it should be visible every time I run the car and it's not.
My thought it's related to some voltage level changing and this makes gauge moving up and down - so I think that battery or alternator.
 
Yes gage wire ,check it , also what model car is it ?
 
I couldn't watch the whole video(was boring the life out of me)
I'm assuming the temp needle is abit irratic?
Now my electrical knowledge could be written on a postage stamp so take what I say lightly but I'll say it anyway.

Assuming the oem gauge is like an aftermarket one its just reading a resistance in the wiring from the sensor, so what we are seeing at the gauge is no/little resistance one minute and then normal resistance the next....
So what's going to effect the resistance of the system?
Dogdey earth would be a good one I think?
A short within the system or sensor itself?
I'll leave you to brain storm that one...

You mention alternator, I'm not sure about this as I'm sure you'd see other gauges acting strangely if there was some sort of power surge going on?
Battery.... Again I'd guess the same applies.
 
Assuming the oem gauge is like an aftermarket one its just reading a resistance in the wiring from the sensor, so what we are seeing at the gauge is no/little resistance one minute and then normal resistance the next....
So what's going to effect the resistance of the system?
Dogdey earth would be a good one I think?
A short within the system or sensor itself?
I'll leave you to brain storm that one...

You mention alternator, I'm not sure about this as I'm sure you'd see other gauges acting strangely if there was some sort of power surge going on?
Battery.... Again I'd guess the same applies.

Your comments are highly appreciated.
This courious me also that if alternator or battery would be the case then other gauges should be affected - I need to mention that the light of the fuel reserve sometimes works, other time not - not sure if it's is correlated ?
What is also interesting that turning lights on and off is also visible on temp gauge - maybe voltage regulator inside of alternator starts to damage ?
One idea from my collegue was to measure voltage level (from cigarette socket) - to see if there are any differences when the gauge is going "crazy" - I need to check it.

Just as a comment that the problem is mainly visible during high speed driving.
 
I'm thinking the same the resistance in the wire or sensor is off , and I'm the same as above, I know very little about electrical engineering, I only know what iv fixed and experienced myself and general common sense,
 
sure guys I understand but why it not happens every time I run the car then ? it's not logic at all.
 
It's intermittent, car electrics seem to do that , just change sensor with a new one or one from scrapyard whatever,
And as said check couty between the sender and gage look for little breaks in the line ,trace the wire off the block sensor.
 
yes, I will but evidently something is heating up and then creates a problem imo
 
Not true. Your sensor works off resistance if your sensor is failing it will flutter, also if your wiring is bad that will cause flutter ,you already said it's not over heating!
So is it over heating or not ?that's simple to check.
You have been told what to do ,if you don't do that
Than put some magic powder over it and hope that works .
We can't fix it for you ,change the six euro sensor and check wire as was said before .
 
With over heating I meant that maybe sth inside of the alternator is damaged - bearing, voltage regulator ?
what's the difference in resistance when driving around the city instead of highway ?
I will check your suggestion but beside that I'm looking for logical explain or maybe car electrical installation is governed by different rules ;)
 
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