5 replies to this topic

[mahesket]

Mini Mayfair
1985
1340cc


Hi everyone,

yesterday on my way to work i brokedown through overheating, managed to boil what little water i had in my engine in about 8-10 miles at 6.45am i was driving normally not thrashing her at all.

When the RAC came out to get me back on my way the guy said that he didn't like the idea of me driving anywhere in the car because after filling her back up with water and running the engine for five mins the top pipe to the rad was getting very hot plus my temperature gauge had also failed so we could not see easily what was happening with the engine temps.

fair enough i thought don't want to cause any more potential damage so got towed back home after waiting for a couple of hours finally arrived home at 11.00am.

i set about trying to find the problem with the temperature gauge. its at smiths Aux water temp gauge that goes from 30-110 degrees and has a coiled cable that runs from the back of it to a brass plug (sensor) on the right hand side of the cylinder head also it has a buld holder for the back light.

Now i have taken the sensor out and cleaned it up and re-fitted but still no reading on the gauge, would the sensor be at fault or could it be something else. also the original gauge on the dash next to the fuel gauge has never worked since i've owned the car (about 1 month), will this not be working because i've got an aux gauge fitted?

i have removed the speedo dash and the multi pin plug and all wires and contacts are are their non are missing as far as i can tell.

Is it possible to change back to the gauge in the dash or would replacement of the aux gauge be my best bet?

Thanks for your help

Matt.

[CaraMillar]

I just had exactly the same issue, I was advised to change the thermostat and the sender unit. So I bought the parts and was under the bonnet ready to replace them when I noted a connection going to the thermostat had came loose. A qucik clean and click back together an voila sorted. SO I would check all the wires heading from the thermostat first to make sure all ok then I would go ahead and replace those parts if all seems well.

[WiredbyWilson]

As above, I would check the sender connections and then change it if you don't solve the problem.

I have a capiliary temp gauge so can't really advise anymore, sorry.

[mahesket]

Cheers i will check again all of the connections.

I belive my temp gauge is a capiliary one too its a smiths gauge with just the one cable from the transmitter to the back of the gauge it has a coil like spring running around the cable/tube.

[WiredbyWilson]

Mine just has a black pipe/cable that screws into the head where a normal sensor would be. As a result the normal gauge in the clocks is disconnected and won't work.

[mahesket]

Ah ok cool, i might just by an electric transmitter and try and get my one on the clocks working again if the cable for it is still there. if not i'll buy a smiths leccy one and do it that way i think

Or is a capiliary one easy to fit and more accurate?