installing water temp gauge

[98pacific_frontier]

i got a autometer short sweep gauge.will it work on my frontier?thinking of tapping my stock wire behind my instrument cluster but will it read correctly?

this gauge measures 100-250 will this work?

[JsD21HB]

uh usually it should have came with a sender which you will have to use. but u might get lucky you would have to know what the ohm specs are for the stocker and the aftermarket gauges if they are the same then u can but more than likly they are not.

[98pacific_frontier]

oh yeah okay i thought it was just a fitting,it came with the sender,where is the easiest place to connect on our trucks without tapping?and then the new sender would read correctly?thanks man.

[JsD21HB]

yeah the sender is gonna read correct if it came with the gauge and the easiest way is find a 89-90 240 and pull the lower hose it has a temp sensor for the ac fan work great on my truck heres a pic it should be the first picture i also think u can buy those somewhere. cant look at photo's from photobucket at work they gots it blocked.

[98pacific_frontier]

im guessing the lower radiator hose?

also i was thinking if i can pull out my stock temp sensor screw in the new one and have the gauge work but would there be any other problems beside the CEL?but i still wanna try your way.

[JsD21HB]

yeah u probly wouldnt wanna do that u want the temp sensor in the upper hose that is the coolant that comes straight out of the head give a more accurate reading there. ill post a pic later.

[JsD21HB]

and u need the factory coolant temp sensor that controls fuel and ignition

[98pacific_frontier]

so whats the best route and more accurate reading way should i go?plus later im gonna use the new temp sensor to control some fans.

[JsD21HB]

here ya go went out and took a few.
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r66/jsd21hb/Picture854017.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r66/jsd21hb/Picture854018.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r66/jsd21hb/Picture854019.jpg
and my sensor isnt hooked up cause it was a mechanical and the wire thing broke.
its just a bung u should have it that far down thats cause the 240 intake.

[98pacific_frontier]

exactly what do they call that?lower radiator a/c temp sensor bung/mount,ill check for that over the weekend meantime i wonder if the hardware got something i can use?hhmmmm,thanks jsd21HB for those pics man,oh and i like the site hard to believe this is the third generation only thing that never changed was the NISSAN.

[JsD21HB]

and the people have always been with too. ive been a member since like 2004 at NZ.

[nis720]

It's called a hose adaptor. This is what I used to install my electric fan sensor and it works great.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=ATM%2D2283&N=700+0&autoview=sku

[98pacific_frontier]

allright i knew autometer had something just could never find it,do it fit in our hoses no problem?im going to try using the upper hose since its the esiest to get to but the lower would give a more accurate reading right?

once i put the fans in just get the temp controller hook it up to my new sensor on the adaptor and it should work right?

[nis720]

Well the intake will give you a more accurate reading since the upper rad hose won't see the actual temp till after the thermostat opens up. I'm only using mine for the electric fan sensor. Here's how I have mine.


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d193/nis720/nis720/IMG_0014a.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d193/nis720/nis720/IMG_0015a.jpg

[JsD21HB]

really i always thought that the upper radiator hose always gets hot first.

[98pacific_frontier]

engine is so clean, damn i have two many wires in mine so ugly but everything works good,

so this route for a dual electric fan set up would work cuz im gonna try to order that adapter kit.

so far i got the fans
temp sensor
temp gauge
wires to hook it up
i think i need the temp fan controller and thats about it right?oh and i got some zip ties to mount it.

man if someone made a write and u guys make it a sticky,that would be one of the top ones like the 240sx manifold install and hanger cutting.

[98pacific_frontier]

i finally bought the hose adapter,so far i havent started but wanted to ask what would be the easiest way to put the hose adapter in without losing too much coolant,and i also heard i have to ground the sending unit?meaning i run a wire to a ground to the sending unit,then the sending to the back of the gauge?

[JsD21HB]

loosing coolant thing just do yuur best if u loose alot oh well. and the ground for the sending unit sounds bout right unless it has 2 wires coming off the sensor. if its a single wire then yeah you probly would, but dont take my word on that its just a guess, best bet would be to read the instructions that came with the gauge and if u lost them or didnt get any you could probly go on the manufactures web site and look at an install pdf. shouldnt really be that hard though.

[98pacific_frontier]

yeah i guess i should buy some coolant first,you know i dont really know if the coolant from the block flows from the bottom or top radiator hose because everyone seems to use either one......?

[JsD21HB]

id use the top one it always seems to get hotter first. just my 2 cents.

[98pacific_frontier]

yea the top would be easier but what is the flow of coolant on our trucks?i want the one that flows out from the block not the one coming out of the radiator.

[JsD21HB]

pretty sure the top is out from the "head".

[1sick94hb]

His truck doesnt have that. There is a Sending unit Either on the T-stat housing or On the Intake manifold for the gauge. It should have just a single wire going to it.

[JsD21HB]

His truck doesnt have that. There is a Sending unit Either on the T-stat housing or On the Intake manifold for the gauge. It should have just a single wire going to it.

what?:confused::confused:

[98pacific_frontier]

guess ill hook it up tomorrow.

[98pacific_frontier]

hooked up everything,is this correct though the gauge is reading about 126-130 for normal operating temperature.

[JsD21HB]

from the top hose or bottom? cause when i had my gauge (it was mechanical) read right about 180f and mine was the top hose.

[98pacific_frontier]

from the top hose, i grounded the sender thru the threads on the aluminum hose adapter then grounded the adapter directly on my battery ground.