If you rev up the engine, the water level in the radiator should change, that would indicate that the pump is working, also the heater won't go if the pump isn't pumping as no water will pump to the heater core.
2sheddies,
Jan 28, 7:46am
Well, after driving around all bloody day looking for a mechanical temp gauge, the only sensibly priced one I can find is that Trisco one. And it won't work because the fitting is slightly too small, and I can't locate an adapter. So frustrating!
I bought a new temp sensor for the original gauge, incase that was the issue. But started the van from stone cold this arvo, and within a minute, the gauge was reading 80 deg lol. It's absolutely inaccurate. Had it idling for over an hour with that idiot gauge stuck in the red, while the probe in the rad never moves from 85 to 90.
Took it for a 15k test drive uphill and down dale, runs like a top. No missing, no hesitation, no smoke or strange noises. Put the probe back in after the drive and it was 90 deg. So I'm more than satisfied the repair is successful, but I've got to organise a gauge that works. Unsure why the original has been disconnected. Wondered whether I should get a new sensor for that one and see if it works?
muppet_slayer,
Jan 28, 9:55am
Yip frustrating. Sounds like you've done a good job though. Keep persevering you'll get there. You might have to go with an electric temp gauge if they have the right size sender.
nice_lady,
Jan 28, 10:05am
In the flesh intrade is a very nice person and extremely clued up.
muppet_slayer,
Jan 28, 10:14am
So it has two temp gauges. I thought so lol. If you can find that sender it might be just a loose connection at the spade terminal.
2sheddies,
Jan 28, 10:21am
I have no doubt he is.
2sheddies,
Jan 28, 10:24am
Yeah the original in the cluster (which has mysteriously leaped into life all of a sudden) and the ridiculous dashboard ornament from China. I shall dig around and see if I can find any other sender units.
Couldn't have worked this morning and save me a whole day running around could it!
2sheddies,
Jan 28, 10:25am
Sorry again for the confusion regarding the two different accounts. I've just realised that when I post from my phone, it's the missus account, and when I'm on the tablet as I am now, I'm under my own lol.
muppet_slayer,
Jan 28, 10:45am
lol yeh bloody temperamental thing. If you do find the sender for it, it probably will be the right thread for the trisco gauge sender. maybe. The sender threads are usually common. Something to think about anyway.
muppet_slayer,
Jan 28, 10:50am
Can't see how you could make it work. Mounting the probe would be the main problem.
2sheddies,
Jan 28, 12:02pm
Yeah, on my mission earlier, on the blower to one purveyor of automotive treasures for hapless Hiace owners, and he mentioned you could use the Trisco gauge by way of an adapter that fits into the radiator hose. When I queried how exactly the adaptor is installed, ge mentioned making a hole in the top hose! Surely that can't be right.
Anyway I'll see what the factory gauge does over the next few days, and if I can locate the sensor, perhaps I can get a new one from Toyota.
heads1st,
Jan 29, 6:39am
I've got an `87 Hiace ~ a few months ago, I noticed temp gauge wasn't working. Was about to order a new sending unit when it randomly started working again. Then one day when it didn't go, I gave the top of the dash on the temp side a thump and bugger me, the needle went to it's usual running temp. Still does it sometimes. I'm guessin it might be dry? joint in the dash.
2sheddies,
Jan 29, 7:50am
Haha! The joy was shortlived. It's gone to shite again. When I started it today, the gauge went up to halfway as soon as the ignition was turned on lol. Then a bit later it stopped working altogether. You may well be right about dry solder joints.
Think a new lekky gauge with fresh wiring and sender is the order of the day for my one. Though one very slight possibility I've considered is maybe the sender is not earthing properly, being as the head is aluminum. Hmmmm.
ronaldo8,
Jan 29, 8:00am
run an earth strap directly from the battery to the head, or better yet the sender directly and see what happens, just any old bit of wire as a temporary measure. Is there sealing tape around the threads of the sender? that'll break the circuit
2sheddies,
Jan 29, 8:09am
Funny you mention thread tape. I was only thinking earlier this arvo, while pondering what might be causing this, wonder if the thread tapes got anything to do with it! Although without the tape, it leaks. So ann earth direct from sender to block you think? The erratic behaviour of the gauge certainly points to an earth problem, the more I consider it.
The only thing is, the sender has one spade terminal to which the gauge is connected, and nowhere for an earth wire. If I splice the earth together with the signal wire, will that work?
ronaldo8,
Jan 29, 8:21am
Hmmm, you need a good earth back to anywhere you can find one, a multimeter set to continuity would be handy for this if you have one or even a 12V bulb on a wire hooked up between pos and wherever you are looking for earth, bulb lights=good earth.
My suggestion would be to pull the sendewr, give the threads of both it and the hole it threads into a good clean with a toothbrush/cotton buds/rag what have you, with a bit of solvent to remove any oil, you want it bright and only put sealant tape on half of the threaded shaft so that at least a couple of threads near the end are making good metyal to metal contact when you screw it back in.
2sheddies,
Jan 29, 8:37am
Okay mate cheers for that, will give that idea a crack tomorrow and see if it makes any difference. Certainly makes sense. At least I now know exactly what temp it's running at, so I'll know right away whether it's working or not. Might have been wrongly blaming the gauge all this time.
extrayda,
Jan 30, 10:52am
My truck has the factory gauge in the dash (doesn't work much), and an aftermarket mechanical one (used to work, then just stopped randomly).
I bought an aftermarket electric one from Repco (I think it was Trisco). It's a temporary fix, so I wired it in with all new wiring, and it behaves as expected. As it's temporary I was lazy and joined the + up to the light, so the light is on all the time, but hey, it's only going to be there for a few months. I used thread tape on the fitting and had no issues with earthing. There is an earth strap to the block as well as the chassis, I assume your van has this also. I'm too paranoid to run without a working temp gauge.
extrayda,
Jan 30, 10:55am
If you are really worried about earth on the sender then if it's accessible just earth it with a jumper lead to test (to the metal body of the sender). Don't splice the earth in with the sender wire, that will just peg your gauge.
ronaldo8,
Jan 31, 12:35am
As has already been stated.
2sheddies,
Jan 31, 2:58am
I found that out yesterday while mucking around with it lol. Even earthing to the metal body of the sender makes the gauge shoot straight up to hot.I don't know WTF is going on, and no amount of tinkering has any effect. It's a shitty cheap gauge and I doubt, even if I get it working, that I'll ever fully trust it. I'm completely fed up playing around with it now.
So after much trawling through TM, I've found a place that sells mechanical gauges with the correct 1/8" NPT fitting that will fit straight in no worries. A lot more pricey, but I've just spent $800 and many hours getting this head done, so what's another $95 to be able to reliably read the water temp without worrying about earth's and senders and wiring. Hopefully once installed, that will be an end to this saga.
extrayda,
Feb 1, 10:47pm
Really? The bit about pegging the gauge if splicing an earth in to the sender wire - must have missed it.
I've been through exactly this exercise in the last couple of months, so my comment was relevant.
I didn't know that thread tape can cause issues with gauges, I've used it on Temp senders for years, and never had an issue, I assume because at some points there will still be metal to metal contact. There's lot of comments on the internet saying that it can, so not disagreeing on that one, just never experienced it myself. Maybe because they have all been old cars (70's).
ronaldo8,
Feb 2, 12:11am
No, this "you are really worried about earth on the sender then if it's accessible just earth it with a jumper lead to test (to the metal body of the sender"
Obviously.
There is of course no definative rule on tape insulating or not as that is down to the person using the tape, I.E. how many layers and how far along the thread they put it, but yes the tape is an insulator, it will break the return if there is enough in the way.
marte,
Feb 2, 1:32am
My definitive rule on The Teflon thread tape is " Two layers only, the second layer holds the first layer on, clockwise inline with the thread, 2 helixes from the start, one tape width wide".
It's only there to fill the gap between the crest & the root of the thread, the taper does the sealing. It's helpfull to tighten it up a bit after a while, an hour or a day later. I have seen someone put ten layers on and blame the guy who measured the piping "That nothing fit properly, everything was out by about 4mm, too long" . Ie, 2mm per fitting. About the difference in taper than 10+ layers of Teflon tape will give to the taper.
After a few days, that compressed air line was gonna piss out air untill the day they took it apart & removed it.
ronaldo8,
Feb 2, 3:56am
That's the way alright, exactly.
Like you, I've seen the stuff slathered on to the point a 12mm fastener is doing a bang up job of imitating a 14, if not all wound the wrong way and bunched up around the shoulder like a teflon scrunchy. Nearly as abused as gorilla snot on an over torqued, warped and leaking oil pan or hot glue in one of those stupid life hack videos.
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