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Temperature gauge issues

DavidL

Active member
In the last couple of weeks my gauge has started going a bit mad. Current symptoms are that whilst the engine is cold and then getting warm it's fine. Once properly warm it starts to do a little dance up and down the gauge until finally it sticks at max temp. This has made me think the issue is engine end as I can't see the dash gets that warm and it seems a bit like the behaviour of a solenoid or relay failing. But prior to these last couple of weeks it would sometimes jump a bit and a sharp tap to the dash would settle it so more likely to be dash end. So none the wiser really.
I know there isn't an engine issue and the deviations are way to much for actual variations in temp, it's clearly electrical.
I've had the dash out and cleaned the contacts, applied contact cleaner and done the same under the bonnet but to no avail.
The only other thing I can see is that very occasionally if I watch it the fuel gauge wobbles ever so slightly.
I have another temp/fuel clock, in fact a whole other dash binnacle except its from an S2.
So where do I find all the earth points for the car, especially for the4 bonnet end and is there any reason why I shouldn't just swop the dash binnacles over to see if its that end? I assume the boost gauge connections are just not there on the S2 pod.
Does the sender break to open circuit like the oil sender hence max deflection?
Any other suggestions?
 
I had the same 10 years ago. Definitely either the gauge or the binnacle. I swapped over the complete thing and it's been fine ever since. Used to hurt my finger flicking the bloody plastic screen!

Given that you don't have a spare turbo clock pod, swap out the gauge, I'm fairly sure that will cure it. If you need to use the whole pod from the S2, at least it will tell you the issue is the binnacle. If you have an aftermarket boost gauge you will be fine, however I've not plugged an S2 binnacle into a turbo. The wiring ought to be the same but you never know.........

Also your turbo speedo will be a 180mph one and the S2 one will be 160mph. Actually, the more I think about this. Do this. Swap the fuel gauge first and see how you get on. If that solves it great, if not it's the binnacle. Take out the speedo and rev counter from your turbo clocks and swap them into the S2 binnacle. Should work fine!

Stuart
 
Thanks, that's pretty much what I'ce done so far but with no joy.
I shall have a play with swopping the gauge an then if needed the whol pod out over the weekend and see what occurs.
 
It looks like I have a couple of spare fuel/temp gauges so I'll swop one out and see. Even if that has issues of its own its extremely unlikely to be the same as the current one. The spare pod is actually a LHD s2 as its in KPH. Is that going to cause an issue if I swop the pods or is all the gearing in the dash clock itself.
Also both pods have a bulb missing just above and to the R of the fuel gauge.
You can see it on this image as the dark square in that position. What's that for?
DdNEBD0.jpg

 
Can't say for certain re: speedo but would imagine connecting your mph one would work fine. Only one way to find out! Thinking back my issue was definitely a faulty temp/fuel gauge. I'm sure I ended up with my original clock pod back in with a replacement temp/fuel gauge and it's been good for 10 years so far.

Good luck.
 
According to the S2/turbo handbook here in my office, that black square is not for anything. It's a blank.

But I'll do a physical check on my car when I get home this evening.
 
I think the binnacle part number is the same for all manual series 2 cars, so every car will most probably have unused bulb holders depending on spec. I think the auto cars have a different binnacle.

Stuart
 
Off topic but I got my front sport seats and CS steering wheel done by the leather buff (Prophead, Sean, on TIPEC). All still looks great one year on and the leather was revived, not replaced. Great prices too but you'd have to get your steering wheel to Scotland....
 
I swapped the gauge out on Monday and partially reassembled. I ran the car today and there is a marked improvement. No hopping about and no deviation to max. It's only showing about 80 which makes me slightly suspicious as I'm sure it's a bit warmer than that and whilst I didn't encounter much traffic I would usually expect more rise on the gauge in those circumstances than the fraction I saw today. But it is cold. Fuel gauge is fine.
I spent the day without a rev counter but as hoped it was just a ribbon cable not quite pushed home.
So I shall continue to monitor but hopefully all is well. At least its really simple to get to and dismantle the dash pod.
Thanks all.
 
Good stuff, I was quite confident that would be the case. You'll probably find your old faulty gauge was reading a bit higher than a non-faulty gauge even during the periods when it wasn't pointing to the sky. At this time of year, and most likely a slightly tired thermostat, you are unlikely to see the gauge reach a quarter unless in traffic. Mine sits a wee bit under a quarter when driving about at this time of year. The thermostat must be about 8 or 9 years old, to be fair when it was brand new it didn't run that much higher.

Stuart
 
To continue this, and I'm getting a bit hacked off with this now.
It turns out the gauge fitted before Christmas was one I had tried before and has the same intermittent fault as the other one. Every now and again it flicks to max. Sometimes you can persuade it down but increasingly not.
So I swapped it out for yet another temp/fuel pod. Now the temp gauge works fine but the fuel gauge reads max all the time!! A fourth pod is back to fuel ok but temp at max.
So how do the individual pods come out as I have one working temp gauge and several fuel gauges.
I do wonder if there isn't another issue here but as I can get both gauges to work (just not together) I'm not sure what it might be.
Alternatively are there companies out there that fix gauges?
 

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