Digital temp gauge question
 

I just installed a digital temp gauge and it is reading only as high as 60 degrees. It says it's fahrenheit and even it is was celcius it would still be too low. I check all my connections and they are good. The sending is mounted in line where the hose hoes into the tstat from the engine. Do I have a bad gauge or sending unit? I will be calling the company tomorrow, but has anyone ever experienced something similar?

get a cup of hot water and drop your sending unit in. If the gauge still reads 60 its bad. If it reads correct, you probably have an air pocket where you installed it.

Just took it off and set it in a stream of steamy coolant and read between 32-36

Sweet! Soounds like you have a solution to our overheating issues! Just curious, did you connect the stud on the hose insert for the sender to a ground?

Hmm that may be it. I will check that.

Ah, that was it. Thanks, I'm not an electrical person, and was wondering what that screw was for (duh). Took it for a ride and got 197-199 on the interstate and couldn't get it to budge over 201 while sitting idling in the driveway for a few minutes. Outside temp is 47. I still need to rebleed it and add some water wetter. Hopefully it will get even better. Thanks again.

Since you have the sensor mounted at a point outside the intake manifold (where the other sensors mount in D1 and D2); then your temps may be reading "cooler' than the actual temps inside the motor. If you are able to stop by a parts store that can demonstrate a free code read with one of their OBDII readers, it can show coolant temp, which is from the sensor that drives the engine computer. This would be important to get an idea if you are really 5 or 10 degrees hotter than your new gauge shows. And the rest of us would appreciate you posting about it.

You need to be asking this question to the company you bought it from, you know it is bad based on you steaming water test.

I copied this setup exactly (minus the gauge brand)https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...isco-ii-33978/ . Where the sensor is mounted is where the hottest coolant is coming out of the engine. I don't think any shops here would read my OBDII temp for free. If I could borrow an ultragauge I could double check it, but it should be pretty spot on. Also, do my temps seem a little high for running a 180 tstat in 47F outside temp? Hopefully, a couple good bleeds, some water wetter and a radiator fin cleaning will get them down a little.

You can get a cheap scanner from Harbor Freight Tools for $50. You're going to need it sooner or later anyway.