Temp guage don't work after engine swap?

troys 96 xj · Jun 26, 2010

I blew my 96 4.0 and put a 98 motor in it.The 98 don't have a temp sending unit so I put a rad flush kit in and drilled and tapped the cap and mounted ithe sending unit in there.I get power to the harness but the guage won't work.It reads at the bottom of guage.I put in another one and still nothing.The guage worked before I blew the motor.What else can it be?Thanks.

joe_peters · Jun 26, 2010

The 98 would have had a single sensor mounted in the thermostat housing--the data from that CTS goes to the PCM, and the PCM controls what you see on the temperature gauge.

I'm pretty sure on the 96 you have the CTS in the thermostat housing, but not sure of the location for the temperature gauge sending unit--was it in the head like the early 4.0s? If it is a single-wire sensor, like the earlier XJs, then it won't work where you put it--single wire sensors must ground through their body.

troys 96 xj · Jun 26, 2010

joe_peters said:
The 98 would have had a single sensor mounted in the thermostat housing--the data from that CTS goes to the PCM, and the PCM controls what you see on the temperature gauge.

I'm pretty sure on the 96 you have the CTS in the thermostat housing, but not sure of the location for the temperature gauge sending unit--was it in the head like the early 4.0s? If it is a single-wire sensor, like the earlier XJs, then it won't work where you put it--single wire sensors must ground through their body.

Thats correct.The sensor is in the t-stat housing and that works great.Turns on the fan and t-stat but don't run the guage.So if I run a ground to the body of the sending unit ,will that work?

troys 96 xj · Jun 26, 2010

Thanks for the info.I can't believe I didn't think of that.It works great now.You'r the best joe peters.

Temp guage don't work after engine swap?

troys 96 xj

NAXJA Forum User

joe_peters

NAXJA Forum User

troys 96 xj

NAXJA Forum User

troys 96 xj

NAXJA Forum User

Similar threads