I just installed the performer intake and I can't get the temperature gauge to work. i tried to get the one out of the cast iron intake with no luck. The used intake I bought had what looked like a brand new one installed in it. All my other gauges work fine just not the temp. I just went to the zone and bought a new sensor. The new one looks just like the one in the used intake even with the little red dot. Would anything else create this problem before I drain some fluid to install?

 

Are you saying I should touch the green wire that goes to the sensor to a ground source? I don't have an idiot light I have the actual gauge. I put a new sensor in and still doesn't work.

 

I touched the green wire going to the sensor to a ground and the gauge went from cold to hot the opposite extreme.

 

So the wire and the gauge are good.

Sounds like a bad sender.

I'd check the resistance from the sender screw to ground with the engine cold (should be high), then check it again with the engine hot (should be much lower).
If the resistance doesn't change with temperature, then you need a new sender.

- Eric

 

Almost sounds like the new sensor is either bad, or the guy sold you the sensor for the idiot light.
Put an ohmmeter across the sensor terminal to ground. If it open it is wrong or bad. Let me know what you get, as well as guessed engine temp.

 

I'm a little confused, where to I find the sender screw?

 

The terminal.

May be a screw or a spade.

- Eric

 

I bet he sold me one to an idiot light. Any idea what the part number is for the right one. When he pulled it up on his pc it only asked for either a heavy duty cooling system or normal one. One had a weird fitting on top and the other one had the fitting the I was using.

 

top of the sender is a spade.

 

You said you got it at Autozone?
Should be this part: TU5 (alternate 2004) For cars with gauges
Autozone temp sender

 

This is the one they gave me. Mine has the spade on top.
Wells Vehicle Electronics Temperature Sending Unit


Part No. TU46 Warranty
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Product Application(s):
1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass S

• 273Ý F-253Ý F, 1/2-14 Pipe Thread; w/H.D. Cooling System; w/Light

 

Yes, the TU-46 is an idiot light sender.



- Eric

 

^^ what Eric said. Did they even ask you if your car had gauges or idiot lights? The one for gauges is Duralast.

 

how do I hook up the one Allen said to use if I have the spade type fitting.
downsized_0309132007_zpsf6c35238.jpg

 

They only asked if it was the heavy duty cooling system or not.

 

The sensor will come with a new terminal connector. I removed the original plastic connector without cutting the wire and installed the provided plastic piece, then slid it home.

 

That doesn't help at all. The HD cooling had nothing to do with whether the car had gauges or idiot lights. I just did a quick on line search at NAPA and the criteria that comes back from selection shows
Temperature Sender Gauge Switch (cars with gauges)
Temperature Sender LIGHT Switch (cars with idiot lights)

I thought parts counter staff had to take training to get their jobs.

Thx Rob, that saves me having to go out and find one in the shed.

 

Thanks everyone. I just took back the wrong one and picked up the one Allen sent me. I will install tomorrow and let you know.

 

wonder why in the hell they would change the factory connector.

 

The original gauge sender that went with the U21 rallye pac also had that spade connector. Don't know why they decided to go to a different one, but for some reason even the later GM senders changed from spade to clip on. Might have something to do with manufacturing or durability? As you probably already know, the General didn't always make sense or stay consistent with a lot of their parts.

 

Just installed the new one, and everything works fine now.

Thanks

 

Glad it worked out.