Water Gauge

[jcannon4]

Hey all, Im not new to the forums, just havent posted before. My setup is a 95 240 with a s13 blacktop sr swap and I only have a few minor problems left after my dad and I made the swap. I search the forums daily for them but since im posting obviously I cant find the answer. My stock water temp gauge reads very hot now after I drive the car for about 10 minutes and the thermostat has been checked, the temp sensor was just replaced, I have a koyo aluminum radiator and a 14" electric fan so my only guess was that the stock temp gauge was faulty, as many are in nissans. I have an autometer phantom water gauge which i got from a friend so i have no instructions as to how to install it (searched 240sxforums, yahoo, etc.). I know I have to splice a wire into the water temperature sensor but when I look at my chilton book for the car, there are two different plugs: water temperature sensor AND water temperature sensor sender. I spliced into the sender wire and nothing happens. Should I splice into the temp sensor plug instead? there are two wires in it as opposed to just on with the sender plug. Any advice is appreciated.

[broken240sx]

I used the sensor that came with the guage (autometer also, I forget the type) and installed it into the upper radiator hose

the stock signal might be different?

[benefitx]

did you bleed the coolant

[jrmiller84]

^^^ Make sure you did this first so you don't mess anything up.

Also, you have a sensor and sender? They are usually the same.

I just installed a Megan Water Temp gauge. You will need a water sensor adapter unless you already have somewhere to put it(I didn't). I bought mine at SPL Parts (http://www.splparts.com/Parts/SilviaShared/Hardware/Fittings/default.asp). The sender/sensor is screwed into it and you put it in line with your upper radiator hose. That should be it with the exception of the wiring.

I wouldn't trust the stock temp gauge. Mine is messed up as well. The general concensus is that the stock one is crazy inaccurate.

[jcannon4]

Yeah we bled the coolant, im thinking about doing it again to make sure...also I do have the sensor and sender and I was thinking they are one in the same...I knew about that tap into the radiator hose but I wasnt sure if I had to do it, so i guess I will. Also two more problems- Speedo doesnt work at all and something keeps killing my battery. Its not my daily driver so when I come work on it on the weekends, the battery is always dead because it sits in the garage for a week at a time. The chassis is a 95 s14 that was automatic tranny but we switched over to the 5spd and sr20. I have one plug under the car near the tranny that is not plugged in but Im almost sure its not the speed sensor. Am I messing up a ground or something that keeps the car on a constant circuit? thanks in advance

[240love]

so for the megan you cant just install it right out of the box?? i just got one and im a big time noob to wiring stuff...some one should do a write up with pics

[jcannon4]

one more thing, on the autometer gauge itself: is there only supposed to be the one wire out of the backside that goes to the sender? i know the black and white are for the light bulb but is the gauge itself supposed to have a power and a ground? (maybe attached to the bolt out of the back with the nut on it?)

[GSXRJJordan]

Wow, we kinda got the blind leading the blind here...

Megan gauges suck - sorry JRMiller, its da troof. Seen a couple engines go because the Megan temp gauge sticks or oil pressure gauge doesn't read accurately enough to detect a problem.

Secondly, stock gauge is inaccurate as f*ck, but that doesn't mean that there's not something wrong for it to be reading high. Basically, it'll stay right in the middle when the actual temp is anywhere between 150* - 220*, in my experience. If you're reading low at startup, then high after a few minutes, there's a chance that you've got an actual problem. Good on ya for gettin an aftermarket gauge.

I use mechanical liquid filled gauges, cause they're more accurate than the crap electronic ones, but the good electronic ones are just as good or better. For electronic gauges, you've got a sensor/sometimes a sensor & sender combo, then the gauge. For water temp gauges, you'll need to tap a source - stock is over under the intake manifold, but most people get a 'water temp sensor adapter' like the one SPL sells and tap the upper rad hose, because that'll be your hottest reading.

Other gauges you'll probably want to get are boost and oil pressure, because oil pressure and water temp will basically let you know whenever there's a problem.

Your battery problems are separate (naturally) and the good things to check are grounds on the motor/harness/fuel pump/stereo, and then I would turn the car off and use a voltmeter across your fuses until you find the circuit that's still drawing juice. Good luck, and as always, be as specific as you can with posts like this :)

[jrmiller84]

I'm not sure about the autometer, but with my megan there is one wire that goes to the sender and then the sender is supposed to be grounded to the engine to complete the circuit. You are also supposed to have at least a power and ground for the gauge face's lights. Mine came with an extra wire for the dimmer which I didn't use since Megan's are shitty and dim enough as it is. Here is my sender and adapter fitting for the sender.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j83/jrmiller84/Project%20240/DSCN0545.jpg

The sender wire attaches to the silver part on top and the bronze part of the sender is supposed to be grounded to the motor. I haven't hooked mine up yet since the car isn't running due to my alternator. I will have to run a wire off of the bronze part of the sender to the motor since it's not attached in any way to a ground.



As for your battery dieing all I can suggest is to check your grounds and make sure your alternator isn't bad. My alternator arced and fried and it was causing my battery to die while the car was off. I'm not quite sure how but it was.

[jrmiller84]

Megan gauges suck - sorry JRMiller, its da troof. Seen a couple engines go because the Megan temp gauge sticks or oil pressure gauge doesn't read accurately enough to detect a problem.

No harm :) You're right, don't buy Megan. These are temporary for me just to get the car up and running. I hate the way they are built and look to be honest.

[240love]

dam i hate myself for getting a megan now

[azndoc]

Megan gauges are just Defi knock off. Spend less money on stuff and you don't get quality shit. I like the Greddy gauges and also Defi. Quality over quantity yo.