coolant temp sender wiring
 

I've got an 82 and trying to fix the temp gauge. Previous owner hacked up a bunch of the wiring harness and I can't seem to find the wire to hook the temp sender back up. I've searched and can't seem to find the right info. Found a FSM but was for an 85 and didn't have what i needed. Is there an online service manual for the first gen 79-83? Thanks

http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/index.html

did you try the first one on this site?

Yes sir, that's the one i've looked through. The only wiring diagrams it has in it are from the 85 efi truck and 4 runner.


edit: I did find the diagram of the gauge cluster so I could take it apart and find what I'm looking for, but would like to do that as a last resort.

Look for a Yellow / Green stripe wire. Should run from the Water Temperature Sender down the right side (passenger side) into the cab then across your dash to the Gauge Pod. The wire should be the same color as stated above on the Gauge Pod connector. There are no other connectors between the Temperature Sender and the Gauge Pod. The wire color stated was used on a 1982 & 1983 4x4 trucks but Toyota used the same color combination on most of its 1st Generation trucks

Be very careful using that online FSM, for the exact reason you've found: it's for later model trucks. They only labled it 79-85 because there isn't an online FSM for first gen trucks. I do wish they'd put a disclaimer up on the site...FSMs were year specific. No such thing as 79-85. Anyway, for some things it works great. Wiring...you'd better go with year specific wiring diagrams. Thing changed even within single years, from what I can tell. Not all my wiring on my 83 matches the diagram in my 83 FSM.

Thank you suncomb - I'll check it out, I think i remember seeing a yellow/green wire. I touched several of the bare wires that would reach to the sender and checked the gauge. maybe i need to get a new sensor first just to rule that part out.

Zach - Very true, I think i'll start looking for an 82 fsm

just an update - the yellow green stripe wire was it after a new sensor