Added the console gauge cluster to my 69 396 about a year ago. The previous shop who installed it had a heck of a time getting the water temp to work. When they finally got it working, the gauge never went below the 3rd tick mark. In other words, it never went to cold. Then they told me it was more of an "Idiot" light type of gauge and not what it appeared. I find that strange so I replaced the gauge first thinking I had a bad one. The replacement went to cold when the key was turned and the car was cold, but never goes above the 3rd tick mark when the car is warmed up. That is not right either as it is 105 here in Vegas this week! I replaced the sending unit with one from Classic Industries that said it was for the console mounted water temp gauge. Same result. I have heard that the wire from the sending unit to the gauge may have a certain resistance in it? If so any body know what it should be? Or is it a straight wire to the gauge?
Any help would be great thanks

 

SB60,

the wire going to and from your temp sender and gauge is plain old wire. It should not be resistive.
So is the gauge and the sending unit correct for that engine and for a console gauge?

If you disconnect the wire at the sending unit, your gauge should show "cold". If not there may be a short or faulty ground on your console or console gauge. Make sure that your console and the gauge has solid ground connection. There should be at least one wire that goes from the gauges directly to a screw on the floor or on the shifter plate. A bad ground may cause the behavior that you are seeing.

Next get someone to momentarily short the temp sender lead to a ground on the engine. Your temperature gauge should have a full hot deflection. if not, again ..you may have a short in the wire or a bad ground.

Has anyone before you "fiddled" with the temp wire circuit?..maybe they created a short inadvertently. Also are the ground straps secure from your engine to firewall?. There should be ground through the frame/chassis and body via the battery cable, but a poor ground to the body could also cause this...(unlikely though).

Also, check to see if you have a solid 12 volt feed into the console...but to me your issues sounds like faulty ground(s) near or at your console and gauges.

Vic

 

Thanks Vic! I think you hit it right on the head here. Had it all apart yesterday and it was a complete rats nest of wiring in there, so yes it has been messed with. Got most of it sorted out.
I ordered the sending unit from Classic Industries. It's part # G1852. States it's for a 69 with console gauges. That's from their website. Yet their catalog states that part is for a 67 not 69? and that TU12 is for the 69 w/gauges. So it's possible I have the wrong sending unit? We tested the ohms from the current unit installed and it reads exactly as it should. The wire from the sending unit to the gauge is solid with no shorts and I have 3 (yes 3) water temp gauges and all do the same thing. We are slowly figuring it all out! It may be a ground issue or the wrong sending unit?
Thanks for the feedback, we'll look at it again today!
Steve

 

SB60,

This may help....

I used the part number EGP 1696 for my '68 w console. It is also supposed to be for a '69. Mine works perfectly and gives the correct deflection..'69 console gauges are identical to 68..so yours should work just the same..

Electrical : Electrical Switches - 1967, 1968, 1969 Camaro Parts - NOS, Rare, Reproduction Camaro Parts for your Restoration

Which one you choose (so long as it is "with gauges") depend on the kind of connector on the end of the dark green wire that hooks ups to the temp sending unit. You probably have enough sending units, but just in case 3 is not enough (..:-)....) here are some more options.

Do your gauge illumination lights work okay? If not or they are very dim...that would be another indication of poor ground on the console circuits.


Good luck.

Vic

 

Car's in my garage. The lights are 2 wire and grounded independent of the console. They work fine

I have rewired the set up with the gauges grounded to the frame and the cluster also grounded to the frame. Then the gauges are also grounded to the gauge carrier.

All gauges are now working. Just waiting for new lamp holders for the gauges lights as the ones now installed are not right.

 

Thanks again Vic! As you can see, the car's in my buddies garage now. He rewired the rat's nest of a mess under the console. We're just waiting for new sockets to re-do the lights. My previous shop kind of piece milled it together and the gauges never worked as they should have. Now they will work as the factory intended thanks to my buddy!

Thanks again for the info Vic! You hit it right on the head. I don't think the cluster was ever grounded properly. It is all working now though!

 

Good to hear that's it working!
Now enjoy driving it...;-)

Vic

 

The cluster was not grounded and more important the Fuel and Temp gauge ground terminals were not grounded.

With the temp gauge not grounded (6 O'clock terminal) the gauge will peg high.

So I get it all grounded then the gauge is reading low. WTF! I check the sensor wire and find 50 ohms resistence.

Turns out the shop that did the install fixed the pegged gauge issure by installing resisters in the temp sender wire. I can't belive it.

All is well now.

 

Hey SB60, I hope you're back on this forum soon. I am installing a console in my 69 and unfortunatly it did'nt come with lamps or sockets. I was just wondering if you could tell me where you're ordering your sockets from so I could order some for my car. I presume I could also order some correct bulbs from the same place. I would appreciate any info you could give me. Thanks in advance, Steve Hillis

 

Sockets from American Autowire and the Lamps from Classic Industries