temp gage

[phbsoler]

what is normal for temp gage reading. mine was blow half. and took long time for gage to move when cold. today installed new temp switch.now driving down the road it just above 1/2 like 3/4. is that normal???? my fan does work i let it sit in driveway running till i heard fan come on. it never went above 3/4

[WaterWheels]

Really there is no "what is normal" with the coolant temperature or fuel gauges. They are set at the factory as are the sending units (either bay design or adjustment). Over time the electronics wears and changes as do the gauges themselves. It is often the case that when changing one or the other parts the reading will differ. You can check you connections, grounds and power sources or even bend the needle a little to put it where you like, but not much else. You can try a different sender or gauge also but as long as it is not reading too close to cold or hot you might have to live with it. Just be sure the coolant is filled and no air is trapped inside or that it really is getting too hot.

[Seax_Smith]

"Normal" (as stated above is rather subjective to the car), for an 8 valve make II or III is having the needle pretty much strait up/ noon, reading in the center of the gauge. given the car, it may be as much as 1/4 below Strait up or 1/2 above strait up.

The big thing is to pay attention to it until you figure out what is the most common for the car.

Get a probe type meat thermometer, stick it threw a 3"- 4" section of fuel line and hang it into your coolant recover tank. Start the car and wait for the fan to come on. The meat thermometer should be reading about 190*F. Check the temp gauge on your dash. That is "normal" for the car.

Than use that "normal for you car" as an indicator of when the car is rynning hotter than "normal" or cooler than "normal".

The other option is to install an aftermarket (accurate) H2O temp gauge (which will show you just how generally accurate that cluster gauge actually is - they are close, but not spot on.)

[turbochachi]

Is there air in the system? That's the only time my gauge
rose over the "normal" area..

[andy92xx]

might need new temp or cts sensor?

[Seax_Smith]

might need new temp or cts sensor?

CTS is the temp gauge for the Digi ECU. It has nothing to do with the cooling system or the water temp gauge. It monitors the engine temp for the ECU.

The Mark II water temp sender and gauge are good enough for what they do, but are not the most precisely accurate things. Usually, the needle will point strait up in the middle of the gauge at full operating temp. each car is a little different though.

The Big thing is if the gauge is consistent. If the gauge always shows you the same reading at full operating temp, and you know the system is operating correctly. All you need to do is confirm that the coolant temp is at spec. After that, the gauge will show you when something changes.