Tar Heel

Last fall my EWP quit working and I overheated my engine. I remember pegging the gauge. I had to resurface the heads due to warping but all is back together now and running fine. However, my water temperature gauge isn't working. Yes, it's in my '95 Impala SS but I have a Camaro cluster with non-digital gauges. Did I fry the gauge, sending unit, ...? Also, where is it picking up the temperature from? Nothing was in the heads when I removed them as far as a sending unit.



Any help would be appreciated.



Scott

Injuneer

The F-Body has the gauge sensor in the drivers side head, between #1 and #3 plugs. Not sure where they put it on the B-Bodys.

Tar Heel

Both of my heads have plugs where a temperature sensor would go. I do have the one in the water pump for the computer. Is there a chance my gauge is running off that? My gut tells me the gauge is bad as I remembering it pegging quickly several times when I finally figured out it was overheating. I know I could put a mechanical gauge in using one of the ports in the head. Could I put an electrical gauge in coming off the sensor in the water pump? The two factor wires coming off it are orange and black I believe.

Injuneer

You need input from a B-Body owner, since it apparent they did things differently than the F-Body with regard to the gauge temp sensor. Many other engines use a single temp sensor for both the PCM feed and the gauge feed, but I would think the sensor would require a 3-wire connector.

I'll change the wording of the thread "topic" to indicate this is with regard to the Impala SS.

Tar Heel

So is there a 3-wire sensor for the water pump that I could wire an Autometer electrical water temperature gauge or is it possible to connect into the two wires coming off the existing one for the computer for a new gauge?

Injuneer

You can't hook two devices to a single 2-poin resistance type sensor. The resistance seen by the PCM would no longer be correct - it would be the combination of the other gauge and the sensor in parallel. I have two computers in my 94 - the stock PCM for controlling the speedo, idle RPM and the cooling fans, and a MoTeC M48Pro to run the engine. I had to add a second sensor in the steam line from the back of the heads to the radiator to feed the 2nd computer.

I know my son's Cavalier had a single sensor with 3 pins, but I don't know if that would work in an LT1.

Tar Heel

Doing some research on the Impala forum GM does make a 3-pin sensor for the water pump. Two of the pins go to the computer like from the factory. The third pin goes to the temp gauge in the dash. Calling Autometer the factory GM 3-pin sensor will not be compatible with one of their gauges.

On a related note, the pipe plug in the driver's side of my cylinder head has a female sqaure hole that you would need to put something in to take it out. However, it's smaller than a 3/8'' drive but larger than 1/4''. I went to a couple tool stores as well as some auto parts' stores and no one has ever seen it. Does anyone have any idea how to get that out ....

Thanks.

Scott

NJ-LE

Tar Heel:
The socket with the 8mm square drive should work for you.
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-piec...set-94961.html
(BTW the port in the head will accept a 3/8 npt sensor)