Finally picked up my 96 SVX. Temp gauge moves around a little. - Page 4

svxfiles · #46 08-06-2010, 08:50 AM

I see them as VERY close to dead level.
I am about to take a 40 minute round trip and will take a closer look.

Green1995SVX · #47 08-06-2010, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

Where is the normal fully warmed position based on your experience? I have heard it is about 45% or just below horizontal.

I just read that thermostats can also get stuck in partially open positions as well. Annoying little buggers. I should know later today if there even is one in there. Man, what do I do if they took it out to hide a head gasket problem? Am I SOL or do I have recourse? I live in NY and the dealer and owner live in TN.

Unless you purchased the car with a warranty, you're "SOL."

Mike

kwren · #48 08-06-2010, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevor

Good on you for calling a spade a spade. I have been watching this thread with concern and am pleased that you have relied on common sense and have not become wrongly influenced.

There has been an ongoing tendency within the technical section, for the worst scenario to be given maximum space, when the logical approach is to first eliminate what could be simple inexpensive issues. It would appear that some are intent on only exploring the most complicated possibilities, on the basis of illustrating their alleged know how. As a result they achieve the opposite and more importantly the thread becomes detrimental to the member asking for genuine assistance.

Well said Trevor! Great contribution... I am sure Huskymaniac can print that out and take it to the bank. Better still, maybe the repair shop will take it and apply it to the final bill for the Head Gasket job.
Trevor, your futile attempt to put everyone down is always a failure because none of us actually care what you think!

Huskymaniac, when anyone on this form posts a problem, the majority have compassion for them and will do their best to try to find a way to make it better. I know that I am certainly in that category.

My comment was from personal experience. I went through the "head gasket thing" and carefully analyzed ever function, with a lot of help from this form, to determine the problem.

I wasn't in a position at that time to pay the big bucks to get it repaired properly, and that was my only transportation, so I changed the head gasket only on one side of the engine myself. I did that without even pulling the engine or loosening the exhaust from the head. I did however, loosen the intake manifold and actually take the bolts out on the side of the head that I was working on. I realized that this would be a temporary fix.

I had no way of knowing which side was causing the problem, but that turned out to be the one. (we pray a lot)

I knew it would probably be a temporary fix and after 20K+ miles of great performance, the problem started again... but not as severe. I have no clue if it is the side I replaced that is causing the problem now or not. I cannot do the other side without pulling the engine. I have no equipment to do that and at 80 years of age, I have to pace myself.

I can drive it without any appreciable fluid loss as long as the weather is cool but on a day over 70, I loose a little fluid. Hotter days will cause a bigger volume of fluid. loss.

We now have two other fantastic SVX's, thank the Lord, so for hot days... we pick one of those.

Huskymaniac, I seriously doubt that anyone is rejoicing because of your predicament. We all pull for each other. Take care and good luck with your SVX!

Keith

svxfiles · #49 08-06-2010, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svxfiles

I see them as VERY close to dead level.
I am about to take a 40 minute round trip and will take a closer look.

Okey Dokey,
now back from my 40 minute drive,

the temperature needle on my almost stock 93, (Christine)
is just above the wavy lines and below the three horizontal lines on the image in the middle of the temperature gauge.
Hope that helps.

Of course if you are taller than 5'10", and/or ride with the seat not at the lowest position, or have an enormus butt

then your view would be different.

Huskymaniac · #50 08-06-2010, 06:05 PM

Thanks guys. I had the thermostat and radiator cap replaced today and the radiator flushed. There WAS a thermostat already installed so it looks like the previous owner and the dealer who sold the car did NOT try to hide the problem by removing the thermostat. On the 25 minute ride home (about 78F outside temp) the temperature gauge seemed to be more stable but it was still not dead still. It was also still below the horizontal level. I guess there is still the chance of a head gasket issue but the fact that it runs cooler than normal is still a mystery to me. Why would a leaky head gasket cause an engine to run cooler than normal? I doubt there is an issue with the water pump for the same reason. That would make the engine run hotter than normal, not cooler. The only other possibility is the sensor or what people call the sender unit. But the temp reading isn't erratic. It moves slightly but logically. I suppose I should find a big hill and give it a test. The mechanic said the coolant was clean so that is a good sign.

Trevor · #51 08-06-2010, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

Thanks guys. I had the thermostat and radiator cap replaced today and the radiator flushed. There WAS a thermostat already installed so it looks like the previous owner and the dealer who sold the car did NOT try to hide the problem by removing the thermostat. On the 25 minute ride home (about 78F outside temp) the temperature gauge seemed to be more stable but it was still not dead still. It was also still below the horizontal level. I guess there is still the chance of a head gasket issue but the fact that it runs cooler than normal is still a mystery to me. Why would a leaky head gasket cause an engine to run cooler than normal? I doubt there is an issue with the water pump for the same reason. That would make the engine run hotter than normal, not cooler. The only other possibility is the sensor or what people call the sender unit. But the temp reading isn't erratic. It moves slightly but logically. I suppose I should find a big hill and give it a test. The mechanic said the coolant was clean so that is a good sign.

I think you have been logical all through this issue and have now written your own answer. Automotive gauges are produced at a price and are not designed to provide exact calibrated accuracy.

Huskymaniac · #52 08-06-2010, 07:37 PM

I'm not sure what you are saying Trevor. Please elaborate.

Here is a fascinating link that might provide a clue. I need to know if the gauge or sender was ever replaced on this car!

http://neuralfibre.com/paul/4wd/toyo...temp-gauge-mod

svxfiles · #53 08-06-2010, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

On the 25 minute ride home (about 78F outside temp) the temperature gauge seemed to be more stable but it was still not dead still.
The only other possibility is the sensor or what people call the sender unit. But the temp reading isn't erratic. .

There are two temperature sensors on your engine, both on the drivers side, at the back of the engine, under the intake manifold.
The top one has a single wire and is for the gauge,
the bottom one has two wires and is for the ECU.
Take a multi-meter and see if you have high resistance from the battery ground to the brass base of the single wire sensor.
You can replace the sensor by yourself (when the engine is cold) and it is only about $20.00 from Subaru.
It is worth a shot.

kwren · #54 08-06-2010, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

I'm not sure what you are saying Trevor. Please elaborate.

Here is a fascinating link that might provide a clue. I need to know if the gauge or sender was ever replaced on this car!

http://neuralfibre.com/paul/4wd/toyo...temp-gauge-mod

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger, Huskymaniac! No one is ever sure what Trevor is saying!

Keith

Huskymaniac · #55 08-06-2010, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svxfiles

There are two temperature sensors on your engine, both on the drivers side, at the back of the engine, under the intake manifold.
The top one has a single wire and is for the gauge,
the bottom one has two wires and is for the ECU.
Take a multi-meter and see if you have high resistance from the battery ground to the brass base of the single wire sensor.
You can replace the sensor by yourself (when the engine is cold) and it is only about $20.00 from Subaru.
It is worth a shot.

You are assuming I can fit my fat a$$ under the car! I don't have a lift and jacks make me nervous. Have you ever heard of this dead zone in the gauge?!?!?! It is due to a zener diode which clamps voltage in a circuit. If the resistance of the sender creeps up, one may never get to that dead zone. If that is it, I will feel stupid about replacing a perfectly good tstat and flushing the radiator. Oh well, I guess I now know that I have a nice clean and well functioning cooling system...I hope.

svxfiles · #56 08-06-2010, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

You are assuming I can fit my fat a$$ under the car! I don't have a lift and jacks make me nervous. Have you ever heard of this dead zone in the gauge?!?!?! It is due to a zener diode which clamps voltage in a circuit. If the resistance of the sender creeps up, one may never get to that dead zone. If that is it, I will feel stupid about replacing a perfectly good tstat and flushing the radiator. Oh well, I guess I now know that I have a nice clean and well functioning cooling system...I hope.

Its under the intake manifold, on TOP of the engine.

However the $20.00 is now a thing of the past.
www.subaruparts.com lists it for $33.43 PLUS SHIPPING!

21203AA030 Temperature Sensor $43.87 list, $33.43

As far as the dead zone in the gauge, yes.
In 1995 Subaru went to a digital dash display in their high end units, and long time Subaru owners worried that the engines were running hot, as the display at normal warmed up temperatures was above the middle of the gauge.
Subaru's solution?
Have the dealership's service install a small resistor to the gauge to make it read lower.

svxfiles · #57 08-06-2010, 09:14 PM

Advance Auto Parts lists these two;
BWD Coolant Temperature Sensor
Part No. WT522Z
Warranty: 1 YEAR REPLACEMENT IF DEFECTIVE
OE Style; Temperature Sender - With Gauge$14.39

BWD Coolant Temperature Sensor

ACDelco Engine Cooling Temperature Sensor
Part No. E1878
Warranty: 1 YEAR REPLACEMENT IF DEFECTIVE
ALL MAKES$20.39

But check with them first.

Huskymaniac · #58 08-06-2010, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svxfiles

Advance Auto Parts lists these two;
BWD Coolant Temperature Sensor
Part No. WT522Z
Warranty: 1 YEAR REPLACEMENT IF DEFECTIVE
OE Style; Temperature Sender - With Gauge$14.39

BWD Coolant Temperature Sensor

ACDelco Engine Cooling Temperature Sensor
Part No. E1878
Warranty: 1 YEAR REPLACEMENT IF DEFECTIVE
ALL MAKES$20.39

But check with them first.

It looked like the second one was the single wire unit.

svxfiles · #59 08-06-2010, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

It looked like the second one was the single wire unit.

Both of the Advance Auto Parts part numbers that I listed showed single wire sensor pictures.

svxfiles · #60 08-06-2010, 10:40 PM

Here is a fuzzy picture of both sensors.