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Temp gauge quit

Started by Jeff Wilk, May 25, 2014, 10:25:30 PM

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Jeff Wilk

Anybody have ideas on why my temp gauge stopped working on our 59?  Last two drives it bounced hi to low very fast several times. Now it just stopped working.  In a parade tomorrow and would love for it to work. O
"Impossible Only Describes The Degree Of Difficulty" 

Southern New Jersey

1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special
1975 Eldorado Convertible (#12 made)
1933 Phaeton Chevrolet - "Baby Cadillac"
1933 Master Sedan Chevrolet - "Baby Cadillac"

SOLD
1976 Cadillac Mirage (factory authorized Pick-Up)
1958 Cadillac Sixty-Special
1958 Cadillac Sixty-Special
1958 Cadillac Sedan
1958 Cadillac Coupe Deville

bcroe

You could turn on the ignition, pull the engine sender wire. Grounding it ought
to cause the gauge to swing from end to end.  If not, you probably have a deteriorated
connection along the wire or in the gauge package.  Or it could be a bad gauge, less
likely.  Bruce Roe

Jeff Wilk

Thanks Bruce!  Will give it a try at dawn. 
"Impossible Only Describes The Degree Of Difficulty" 

Southern New Jersey

1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special
1975 Eldorado Convertible (#12 made)
1933 Phaeton Chevrolet - "Baby Cadillac"
1933 Master Sedan Chevrolet - "Baby Cadillac"

SOLD
1976 Cadillac Mirage (factory authorized Pick-Up)
1958 Cadillac Sixty-Special
1958 Cadillac Sixty-Special
1958 Cadillac Sedan
1958 Cadillac Coupe Deville

MY 59

agreed, umplug from sender, ground and see what it does.
does it move at all when the ignition is turned on?
mine springs up ever so slightly when cold and ignition is switched on, until it died of course, and I had to rerun a jump wire from my + on the fuel guage :) - the joy of old cars!!
David Bone :)

1959 Cadillac Sedan Deville
1967 (aussie) ZA ford Fairlane

chrisntam

Ok, you've had some time to look at the issue and the parade is over (ours is!).  What'd you find out?  Bad temp sender?
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

Jeff Wilk

Parade went well. Picture below.  I hang drive in movie speakers facing out from the rear windows blasting Kate Smiths God Bless America while in the parade!!

As for the temp gauge issue..... No luck.

When i turn key to on the gauge moves a little towards C

When i jiggle wire at sending unit on engine nothing changes
"Impossible Only Describes The Degree Of Difficulty" 

Southern New Jersey

1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special
1975 Eldorado Convertible (#12 made)
1933 Phaeton Chevrolet - "Baby Cadillac"
1933 Master Sedan Chevrolet - "Baby Cadillac"

SOLD
1976 Cadillac Mirage (factory authorized Pick-Up)
1958 Cadillac Sixty-Special
1958 Cadillac Sixty-Special
1958 Cadillac Sedan
1958 Cadillac Coupe Deville

MY 59

if it pops up slightly as you say when the ignition is turned on then at least it is getting power.
my focus would be sender at this time
David Bone :)

1959 Cadillac Sedan Deville
1967 (aussie) ZA ford Fairlane

bcroe

Quote from: bcroeYou could turn on the ignition, pull the engine sender wire.
Grounding it ought to cause the gauge to swing from end to end.  If not, you
probably have a deteriorated connection along the wire or in the gauge package. 
Or it could be a bad gauge, less likely.  Bruce Roe   

I said, disconnect it, then ground it, observing the results.  Bruce

Jeff Wilk

So we tried again yesterday and here is what we get:

1. When key is turned on the temp gauge needles jumps up a little
2. As the engine heats up the gauge does not move
3. When we remove the wire at the sending unit on the block and ground the wire nothing changes and the needle does not jump, move, dance, nothing.

Any ideas?

Jeff
"Impossible Only Describes The Degree Of Difficulty" 

Southern New Jersey

1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special
1975 Eldorado Convertible (#12 made)
1933 Phaeton Chevrolet - "Baby Cadillac"
1933 Master Sedan Chevrolet - "Baby Cadillac"

SOLD
1976 Cadillac Mirage (factory authorized Pick-Up)
1958 Cadillac Sixty-Special
1958 Cadillac Sixty-Special
1958 Cadillac Sedan
1958 Cadillac Coupe Deville

J. Gomez

Jeff,

If you have a digital multi-meter and set it on volts.

Removed the dark green wire from the sender.

Place the red test lead on the green wire and the black lead on a good ground source.

You should read a resistance + voltage from the gauge with the ignition switch to “on”, the gauge is connected to a +12v source. The bounce on the needle once you turn the key on indicates you have power up to it.

If there is no reading most likely there is an open somewhere in the path, the traces at the cluster or the upper panel connector.

Good luck..!
J. Gomez
CLC #23082

David Greenburg

Senders are cheap to buy and easy to replace; I just did mine. It helps to have special socket (should be available at any parts store.
David Greenburg
'60 Eldorado Seville
'61 Fleetwood Sixty Special