Thermostat sending unit problem?????

[woodardman]

hey guys so i finally got to drive my 93 Fox today for the first time and after stalling 5 times i got it down but on my return from a 20-30 min drive my thermostat on the cluster dies and and im like so when i pull in my driveway i pop the hood and it seems like it was running really hot but when my gauge went out its was like half so not bad but it finally kicked back on but said the heat was ok so im wondering if its the sending unit that i should replace cus i know for a fact all my gauges work

[gt40mkivj6]

We don't know what you're talking about. Please use as proper grammar as you are able. It really helps. And are you trying to say that the fan isn't coming on? Is it overheating?

EDIT: are you saying your temp. gauge stopped reading then came back? Make sure the connection is tight at the sending unit. I believe it's the one pole sender on the top of the coolant flange off the side of the block. Other than that, the flexible circuit boards can be pretty chintzy on the instrument cluster.

[woodardman]

We don't know what you're talking about. Please use as proper grammar as you are able. It really helps. And are you trying to say that the fan isn't coming on? Is it overheating?

EDIT: are you saying your temp. gauge stopped reading then came back? Make sure the connection is tight at the sending unit. I believe it's the one pole sender on the top of the coolant flange off the side of the block. Other than that, the flexible circuit boards can be pretty chintzy on the instrument cluster.

sorry man for the grammar i posted it real quick before work so yeah i drove it for about 30 mins when i noticed the temp gauge went out and i know when the temp gauge goes out so does the fan cus it probably doesnt know to kick on but if you give it a little bit it'll come back but when i got home it seemed like it was wayyyy hotter than normal and yes i did disconnect the main wire and sand the terminal connection down for better contact but it doesn't seem to help

[mtbrob]

Check all the connections: fan, lower rad and the sender.

Get a IR thermometer and check if it's really that hot.

[ziddey]

The fanswitch for the radiator fan and the temperature gauge are completely separate and standalone components. If your fan isn't coming on as it should, check the fanswitch. Is this a non-AC or AC car? AC cars have a two-speed fan.

As for the gauge, it's apparently quite common for some lousy mechanic to cut away a little of the insulation to "test" the temperature sender. Somehow, all 3 of my VWs from the era were like this. For my Fox, it resulted in an intermittent temperature gauge, until it finally broke in half while driving.

Also, the contacts in the cluster itself have make the gauge drop out.

Next time it drops out, unplug the wire from the sender and ground it. The gauge should peg at max with the light blinking. If not, the gauge is suspect. The gauge connects with the circuit board via studs and nuts. Sometimes they work loose or otherwise need coaxing.

[woodardman]

The fanswitch for the radiator fan and the temperature gauge are completely separate and standalone components. If your fan isn't coming on as it should, check the fanswitch. Is this a non-AC or AC car? AC cars have a two-speed fan.

As for the gauge, it's apparently quite common for some lousy mechanic to cut away a little of the insulation to "test" the temperature sender. Somehow, all 3 of my VWs from the era were like this. For my Fox, it resulted in an intermittent temperature gauge, until it finally broke in half while driving.

Also, the contacts in the cluster itself have make the gauge drop out.

Next time it drops out, unplug the wire from the sender and ground it. The gauge should peg at max with the light blinking. If not, the gauge is suspect. The gauge connects with the circuit board via studs and nuts. Sometimes they work loose or otherwise need coaxing.

ok ill try grounding the thermo wire so see what the gauge says and yes it has A/C but it doesnt work so im going to cut it all out A/C isnt a necessity where i live and its in very bad shape so mine as well remove it all and ill also check the Cluster THANKS!!