Water Temp Gauge not working anymore!

[GrandJack88]

Hello to the Kioti community.
I have a DK 35 2003. Recently, my water temp gauge/display is oscillating all over the place. 50% of the time, it indicates the right range of temp and suddently it goes to extreme hot then moved back down and all over again. My tractor does not overheat at all, never did. I changed the sensor, it did not fix the problem. I tried to buy a new gauge but my Kioti place is telling me that Kioti does not supply the right gauge or even the whole instrument cluster for that year. So I cannot change the gauge itself or cluster! The Service guy at Kioti in NC was suggesting to install a mechanical or electrical new separate gauge and sensor and I would have installed the gauge somewhere near the wheel or cluster but so far he has not been able to find one that would fit! Any suggestions? I guess I would have to find a part that would hook up to my existing sensor or I would have to find a place to insert the new sensor of the mechanical one somewhere in the Coolant system!!!! Thaks ofr the help!

 

[Roadworthy]

Check your wiring. It sounds like a loose or dirty connection, perhaps even chewed wires. I did add a temperature gauge to my Mitsubishi tractor a couple years ago. I got it from Summit Racing. This particular brand offered the choice of a white or black face. The sensor screwed right into my engine block causing me to believe both were NPT threads.

 

[K5lwq]

This was my solution for my LK2554. Everything works as it should now.

 

[GrandJack88]

Check your wiring. It sounds like a loose or dirty connection, perhaps even chewed wires. I did add a temperature gauge to my Mitsubishi tractor a couple years ago. I got it from Summit Racing. This particular brand offered the choice of a white or black face. The sensor screwed right into my engine block causing me to believe both were NPT threads.

Thanks for the info and quick reply, that is nice of you! I did check the wire as much as I could and everyting looks ok! When you say that you bought a gauge from Summit Racing, the gauge came with the wire and sensor, I assume? and also, the sensor/sendor thread is the same size as the original one and it screws exactly at the same spot? Please let me know, thanks!

 

[GrandJack88]

Thanks for the info and quick reply, that is nice of you! I did check the wire as much as I could and everyting looks ok! When you say that you bought a gauge from Summit Racing, the gauge came with the wire and sensor, I assume? and also, the sensor/sendor thread is the same size as the original one and it screws exactly at the same spot? Please let me know, thanks!

Another solution would be, maybe, tio run a new wire from sender/sensor to the cluster but I have no idea which wire goes to the gauge itself? Which one to cut?

 

[Roadworthy]

I believe I went with an Equus 8000 series gauge from Summit. The only electrical connection was for the light. The gauge itself was mechanical meaning gauge and sender are connected by a thin tube. It worked well for me but you must have a clear path to run the sender from the dash to the block. They also sell electrical type gauges but I was going for cheap and simple. It was for a tractor, after all. There is also a set of Equus adapters for various size hole and thread pitches. My gauge required no adapters other than what was includes. Shop carefully.

https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/gauges/gauge-type/water-temperature?kr=temperature%20gauge

 

[DieselBound]

You should be able to check the resistance readings off the sensor to verify that they're accurate: who says a new part can't be defective? (sheesh, I just installed a brand new A/C compressor in my car, charged up the system to then discover that the coil on the new compressor was shorted out- DOA!)

THEN, read resistance values on the gauge connector end. If the readings are the same, and are sensical, then it's likely the gauge. Should be able to test the gauge as well (also its wiring [I'd imagine provided off the cluster board]).

NOTE: On my VW cars the temperature sensor provides TWO outputs, one to the gauge and the other to the computer. The gauge side of things can whack out and the computer side work properly- car operates properly but the gauge jumps all over the place.

 

[GrandJack88]

I believe I went with an Equus 8000 series gauge from Summit. The only electrical connection was for the light. The gauge itself was mechanical meaning gauge and sender are connected by a thin tube. It worked well for me but you must have a clear path to run the sender from the dash to the block. They also sell electrical type gauges but I was going for cheap and simple. It was for a tractor, after all. There is also a set of Equus adapters for various size hole and thread pitches. My gauge required no adapters other than what was includes. Shop carefully.

https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/gauges/gauge-type/water-temperature?kr=temperature%20gauge

Thanks for all that info, What tractor do you have exactly?

 

[GrandJack88]

You should be able to check the resistance readings off the sensor to verify that they're accurate: who says a new part can't be defective? (sheesh, I just installed a brand new A/C compressor in my car, charged up the system to then discover that the coil on the new compressor was shorted out- DOA!)

THEN, read resistance values on the gauge connector end. If the readings are the same, and are sensical, then it's likely the gauge. Should be able to test the gauge as well (also its wiring [I'd imagine provided off the cluster board]).

NOTE: On my VW cars the temperature sensor provides TWO outputs, one to the gauge and the other to the computer. The gauge side of things can whack out and the computer side work properly- car operates properly but the gauge jumps all over the place.

Thanks a lot, I will try to check the new gauge too

 

[PILOON]

Many of those gauges are similar.
Full voltage = full scale.
The sender is usually nothing but a wire wound variable resistor and activated by a float for fuel
or a thermistor for heat.
Circuitry is as simple as + voltage and a ground.
Always make sure grounds and connectors are good.
A volt/ohm meter is your friend.

Having discected my share of gauges I was surprised to note that often the gauge guts are the same be it temp, fuel and even RPM. Often just different faces.

 

[GrandJack88]

Many of those gauges are similar.
Full voltage = full scale.
The sender is usually nothing but a wire wound variable resistor and activated by a float for fuel
or a thermistor for heat.
Circuitry is as simple as + voltage and a ground.
Always make sure grounds and connectors are good.
A volt/ohm meter is your friend.

Having discected my share of gauges I was surprised to note that often the gauge guts are the same be it temp, fuel and even RPM. Often just different faces.

Thanks for info, not always good here with a voltmeter!!!

 

[Oaktree]

This was my solution for my LK2554. Everything works as it should now.

Kind of hard to see what you did, there's a bad reflection where the gauges are. What vintage is your tractor with that odd, backwards tach? My early 00s LK has a totally different cluster.

 

[K5lwq]

Kind of hard to see what you did, there's a bad reflection where the gauges are. What vintage is your tractor with that odd, backwards tach? My early 00s LK has a totally different cluster.

That is what I did. It is a instrument panel for the old fords. I just made a adapter plate to mount it in place of the original one that was discontinued. I did have to have the tach cable custom made for me but everything works great.

 

[Keoke]

Hi, a simple check is to ground wire at the sensor. The gauge will want to go to full tilt. If it does that turn key off quickly after seeing the rise if you want to see the pointer again.
If gauge responds as mentioned above then gauge and wiring are ok but the sensor is not modulating to gnd.

lots of luck,

 

[ruffdog]

Hi, a simple check is to ground wire at the sensor. The gauge will want to go to full tilt. If it does that turn key off quickly after seeing the rise if you want to see the pointer again.
If gauge responds as mentioned above then gauge and wiring are ok but the sensor is not modulating to gnd.

lots of luck,

...and if the gauge/sensor checks out, replace the thermostat.

 

[Oaktree]

If gauge responds as mentioned above then gauge and wiring are ok but the sensor is not modulating to gnd.

This almost sounds like a flakey ground somewhere, either to the block or the instrument cluster. Maybe try removing the cluster and making sure there's no corrosion on ground points. If it were the gauge or the sensor you'd think the symptoms would be more consistent...ie-it would either work or it wouldn't.