So looking for some input from the group. I recently purchased electric temperature gauges for my transmission inlet/outlet. While I was at it purchased water temp gauge as well. So need to ask where the ideal place to install the sensor. I also wish to maintain the dash temp gauge operation.

Been awhile since I have been on the forum but life happens! Would like to hear from the 'mod' faithful. Thanks guys and gals

 

Why would you want to still keep the dash gauge working .

If your good with soldering I was thinking in the radiator tank but with plastic tanks that is not going to happen.

Make a metal adapter to install in either the top or bottom radiator hose put a fitting for your sensor .

Keeping in mind the sending unit must be in coolant to work.

I am also sure there are other locations on the engine but most are in a hard to access location

 

Well look who the cat dragged in.
And you remembered us gals, too!

In the 96 I put a coolant temp sensor adapter in the upper hose.
32mm $15ish off Amazon, didn't have the correct size hole for the sensor but a local machine shop took care of that for me super cheap.

 

I would place the sensor on the upper hose as it's carrying heated coolant and therefore would give the best approximation of the coolant temp.

 

Upper hose cause you don`t need to drain it all to install it either.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/151771186006?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82
They're pretty cheap. Pick a cool color.

Someone could also research taking the compensation circuitry out of the factory temp gauge. I know it's possible on some cars - there's jsut a circuit board that preconditions the sender signal before it gets to the gauge, basically rendering it into an analog dummy light. Bypass the compensation board, you've got a 'real' gauge that goes up and down depending on conditions.

 

Upper hose and make sure it's properly grounded.

 

Yes you would need a separate ground for the sender to work.

 

Now this looks to be a simple adaptation to add the gauge sensor. Only question I would have here, well actually two do you know what the size of sensor that would fit the sensor hole? I hate having to add adapters up size, down size, and I take it all you really need to do is cut the hose remove a small section equal to the adapter and then just clamp it in place? If that is the easy fix that would make it very simple. Saw the replies on which hose, but just so I keep it straight in my own mind, the upper is coming from the engine while the lower is "cooler" coolant returning to the engine? So would the consensus be the coolant coming from the engine as a real reflection of the actual coolant temp?

 

Yeah it was one hell of a BIG cat too! Seems that someone else recommended this adapter as well, so I will need to see what size the sensor is. I had installed a sensor mounting block in the tranny lines and had put some other gauges in but they failed, well one of them failed and the line broke, the lights fried and in general were just a PITA.

Ended up removing the adapters I had installed to use the sensor probes for those analog gauges but after removing them the sensor for the new gauges just screwed right in. Leaked a little tranny fluid but was easy pezzy, lemon squezzy.

The old sensor lines, they were fun taking them out... NOT! Had to find alternative method of routing the wires but still looking to modify that path too. thinking about drilling hole in firewall and installing a grommet. right now the wires for the tranny temp wires goes up through the grommet for the heater control behind and slightly under the glove box. Not the ideal situation but it is working for now. will update with pics too so right now I am having some minor issues but other wise I really like these gauges.

Good to be back on here

 

Scan gauge reads temperature live as you drive. No cutting, wiring, draining, wire routing... just plug it in and velcro it somewhere where you can see it.

 

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas

The Scangauge2 for $149 is a really good idea. I have one and use it to monitor water temp and tranny temp. To monitor tranny temp, you have to go online and find the code on one of the Yota forums but it's easy to find.


You have a 3rd gen Runner and some weird electrolysis issue with ONLY the Runners is causing an erosion of the factory radiator built-in tranny cooler to corrode.....that could ruin your transmission. Bypass the built-in cooler and go external.
https://www.pepboys.com/product/details/8126328/00735

The clamp-in adapter for the upper radiator hose is a really smart idea also. An external analog water temp gauge will give you real time readings of the actual water temp.....unlike ALL Toyota factory water temp gauges which are a joke. .....A joke because once the water temp get to about 177 degrees which is about the oem gauge halfway point, further increases in water temp will show no noticeable change in the halfway reading (a dead zone) and the factory gauge will not start to move up until sometime after about 220 degrees. Nice factory gauge! That's where the scangauge2 with its digital readout to the nearest degree is a real eye opener as to how much the water temp really does "fluctuate".
The upper rad hose with analog gauge would be my second choice......still a good choice.

Ken

 

If you disabling the dash gauge, why not just place the new sensor where the oem sensor is?

BTW if you put the sensor in the top rad hose, it wont give accurate readings until the T-stat opens to allow fluid into the radiator or better said, out of the radiator.

 

Took your advice on the adapter and bought one in red, installed today and did a moni-write up thanks for the input really was easy-peezy lemon squeezy!

 

Well didn't want to disable the dash gauge so installing the adapter was the way to go for me, and yes I understand about the T-stat in the upper hose. Finished up the install and I noted thatt eh new gauge indications did not start until the dash gauge was about 1/8th inch up on the gauge and then it really went p quickly to engine operating temp after that. Easy to see the status now in the dash and what it really is reading so if it starts upwards I get a heads up before it really does start to shoot up. Thanks