TEMP SENSOR CHANGEOVER 96-97

Good Morning.
I have a 96 XJ country 4.0 aw4. I replaced the overheated and blown engine when I purchased it. The new engine is from a 97 cherokee. At the end of the install I noticed their was no single wire sensor for the temp gauge which should have been on the top back driver side of the head. From my research at the part store, 97 and up used the signal from the sensor in the thermostat housing going to the computer, and then the computer sends the gauge signal. Can someone tell me, can I tap into the existing wiring, or where can I hook up a new sensor. I really would like my temp gauge to work. Thank you for the help.

Do you not have a coolant temp sensor in the thermostat housing?

Yes I do.

Hoping I can tap my gauge wire into that pigtail?

Either drill and tap the 97 head in the same location as the 96 head (there should be a flat spot cast into the head), or make up a T fitting and put both sensors at the thermostat housing. The drain plug on the side of the block is pipe tapped, you could put the sensor there and use longer wires.

hubs97xj said:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1045608

Click to expand...

Ha beat me to it. Thats a pretty good thread with pictures of the solutions.

It's interesting, I had never seen any posts about it before, couldn't find any in search when I needed to know, and after I went through it there have been several threads come up recently asking the same thing.

Thank you guys for all the help. Thankfully I have an extra thermostat housing, so if I mess this little project up I have a backup. :clap: