Gauge Question

[Project_bronco]

I have autometer gauges for my Bronco, but am not sure whether they are reading right or not. Everytime I start it, the water temp goes to 210 automatically. It doesn't slowly work it's way up or anything, it just goes up there. I bought the sender that they told me to buy, and have double and triple checked my wiring. It's only three wires after all. Then today when I started it, the temp started at 210 and after a while made it's way up to and then past 250. It is warm outside (102), but I wasn't driving it, it was just idling. Is all of this normal?

Thank you for your help.

Oh, and it's a '74 with a 302.

 

[SaddleUp]

That doesn't sound right. It sounds like the wrong sending unit. Once power is applied it should read the current temp. which would be well below 210. Have you considered a mechanical guage instead of the electrical one? I put a lot more faith in them reading correctly.

 

[DonsBolt]

That doesn't sound right. It sounds like the wrong sending unit. Once power is applied it should read the current temp. which would be well below 210. Have you considered a mechanical guage instead of the electrical one? I put a lot more faith in them reading correctly.

I agree something sounds wrong. I also like mechanical guages, especially for coolant temp.

Which autometer guages do you have??
I am sure they make a mechanical water temp guage in the same series

 

[Project_bronco]

If at all possible, I'd like to stay with these gauges and save money. If I had to redo eveything, I rather go with the stock Bronco gauges with the white face. I'll keep the mechanical option in the back of my mind though.

 

[Project_bronco]

I actually don't know which ones they are, they look like the Street Rod Old Tyme White II. But they have a chrome ring with a Ford emblem on the front. They don't make these any more unfortunately.

 

[DonsBolt]

What I was thinking was to return that one autometer guage, and exchange it for a mechanical guage in the same series. That way you wouldn;t spend any more money

 

[Project_bronco]

It's pretty old, it came with the truck when I bought it 4 years ago (slow project) and they were kind of old then. Do they have a lifetime warranty or something?

 

[Project_bronco]

Here's what they look like on e-bay. I am not selling them, this is just an example:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/FORD-RACING-...yZ130667QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I have the silver ones with the white background.

If anyone has any other ideas about why I may be having this issue, I would love to hear about it. Thanks again.

Steve

 

[bigbadktm]

thats funny, my stock guage does teh same exact thing. as soon as i start it, the temps shoots all the way up ans stays there. I'm assumming its the sending unit. at least thats where i will start on mine

 

[Project_bronco]

If it's the sending unit on mine then Autometer told me to get the wrong one...it's just something they would do. lol j/k

I'm just plain stumped.

 

[NoJoe]

I have autometer mechanical on mine, I would call autometer and ask them how to test the gauge and sender ( ohms resistance or ? ) Joe.

 

[Project_bronco]

Yeah, that's not a bad idea.