John Deere 4300 (1999) temperature gauge doing weird things

[Elembytes]

Hello: I have 1 1999 John Deere 4300 and I currently am having issues with my temp gauge on the console dash. Sometimes it will work just fine but lately it has slowly moved over to the pin on the right side of the gauge past hot. Sometimes the needle gets stuck there and I tap it and it comes down AFTER I shut it off. BUT, mainly once the tractor is started before the thermostat opens the needle on the gauge slowly climbs and goes way over to the right. Once in a blue moon it will spike over there and you can tell it's a short, or electrical in nature. Even my tachometer will at times pulse. I had a mechanic test the sending unit and said ti appeared to him that it was shorting out inside the sending unit. So I spent $73 on a new sending unit. It solved the issue for a day and then I am right back where I am now. The mechanic said it could be the gauge itself and of course if it is I have to replace the entire console $573.00.

Now this is what's odd, my fuel gauge used to do this behavior and has stopped and now it's the temperature gauge. I tired to have John Deere service shop look at that issue last fall. It's not doing it anymore. I am very frustrated by all this.

I suppose I could put another temperature gauge on the tractor somewhere but what kind and where is the bet place to mount one?

IF I chose to invest in a replacement console cluster, do I start my engine hours back at zero? OR does that transfer to a new console? Since these are not cars who do people notify someone else that the gauge cluster was replace?

Anyone with basic layman terms with knowledge on this please let me know. I think a water temp gauge is important to know the health of your machine while using it. Thank you in advance!

 

[joecdeere]

here's all the Deere manual shows -

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[Elembytes]

Hi Joecdeere!

Thank you for your help. Well, the mechanic did connect up things and the gauge did move so we replaced the sensor or the sending unit at the thermostat. Wondering if it would be smarter to just rig up some third party temperature gauge? Far cheaper then replacing the entire console. Just gotta love how they do things anymore. Used to be you could just replace a gauge now you got to replace the entire control panel on the dashboard. If I elect to do that which would be stupid to blow that kind of money, but if I did, do you know what happens to the clock hour meter on the dash? Does it get replaced too? I have 1585 hours on there now. Do you have to have some form disclosing the fact that it had to be replaced if and when I sell or trade?

Thanks again for your help. This is so frustrating. I at lease started with the cheaper of the things to replace.

I know the temp wire (White) is tight in there so Maybe that is what caused all this? I really think it's a wire short cause there for a while it was working and then do this and return to working etc., What ever it is though appears that it might be starting to affect the engine speed tach cause the needle yesterday was pulsing a little when I first started it up.

Hope this thing doesn't nickle and dime me now. I just replaced the thermistor and the fuel cutoff solenoid. Oh boy!

Thank you again so much for your help and insight Joe! I appreciate it!