2004 5320 temp guage reads hot tractor is cool

steve flint · Apr 4, 2019

I have a 2004 5320 4x4 great strong tractor, but the temp guage when operating starts moving up slowly and eventually pins to the peg, changed the thermostat, water pump, temp sensor and still reads hot but the radiator and head feel cool. I bought a $25.00 heat gun and began working the tractor and would stop and shoot the head it was never over 194 degrees usually around 184 when working, I shot the radiator it was never over 165, I shot the transmission it was 135 the oil filter around 165 so the hydraulic pump, oil system, radiator and motor are all cool. Can you repair the guage or is it a entire cluster problem? It runs $350.00+ I would like the temp guage working when it gets hot out and hay season starts. Any help?

Zebrafive · Apr 5, 2019

To verify it's the gauge, try unplugging the temp sensor. If the temp gauge still rises, I would suspect either the gauge is bad or possibly a short in the wire from the gauge to the temp sensor.

Or maybe the new temp sensor was bad?

steve flint · Apr 5, 2019

Thanks for your reply. I did unplug it and it goes dead, actually is accurate for awhile then pegs, the old sensor did exactly the same thing, I guess it could be a short, never thought of that.

Industrial Toys · Apr 5, 2019

Did you ever take an IR thermometer just to verify coolant temperature?

How are the other gauges? Usually, there is a voltage regular that keeps gauges at an exact voltage, otherwise gauges would fluctuate with even minor voltage variations in the electrical system.

So, did I understand correctly, that disconnecting the sender results in a dead gauge? That would suggest, it is NOT a ground issue, otherwise the gauge would read low or dead.

steve flint · Apr 5, 2019

Yea I shot it prob 10 times the other day while spreading fertilizer at the sending unit and on the back of the head between the exhaust holes, it never read over 194 while running. I hear this is common on these year tractors, I know that GM, Ford and other auto manufactors had dash and guage issues in 2003/2004 models, I'm thinking of putting a manual temp guage somewhere that does not require disturbing the body of the tractor. Yes unplugged it reads like the tractor is cold.

Industrial Toys · Apr 5, 2019

I don't know how electronic savy you are. For the time being you know that you don't have a temp issue. You could put an appropriately valued variable resistor in place of the sender, and see if gauge readings change on their own. Then you know, it has NOTHING to do with the sender. One step at a time.

DK35vince · Apr 5, 2019

Worst case you could just install a new gauge, something like this.
Sunpro 2" Electrical Water Temperature Black / Aluminum Bezel 1-28 F CP75 | eBay

steve flint · Apr 5, 2019

That is my thought that cluster is $800.00 at JD?

steve flint · Apr 5, 2019

Industrial Toys said:
I don't know how electronic savy you are. For the time being you know that you don't have a temp issue. You could put an appropriately valued variable resistor in place of the sender, and see if gauge readings change on their own. Then you know, it has NOTHING to do with the sender. One step at a time.

I can get by and fix most things, what would I use as a supply to see if the correct ohms are being sent to the guage? There are several threads on here with similar issues, so it must be common.