Temp gauge needle

[Sunnysidebb]

Where does the temp gauge needle sit with a cold engine ignition off and then ignition on . Car not started and stone cold.
mine actually reads in the black box at the bottom with no key in the ignition. Iirc it didn't until i had the gauge illumination renewed.

[Tricksturbo]

My temp needle has been reinstalled too high after a refurb. When the ignition is off all my needles sit rock bottom except for my temp one. It actually sits above the black box. I have just got used to where the needle sits and where it rises to and the fan kicking In and out.

[NSR500V]

I recently refurbished my own clocks after having the same trouble with a set that had already been referb'ed.

With ignition off the needle should sit about 2mm below the black box. With ignition on and a 10deg coolant temp it should be in the lower 1/3rd of the black. This equates to 90 deg between the O and R in "Norm" when at running temp. I used my ecu monitor to reinstall the temp gauge needle and confirm its position.

[Sunnysidebb]

This is really interesting guys. Thanks for posting. I have an emtron ecu from Mark MAD Im going to take the instrument pod out and see it I can get the needle reading as you say it should.

[NSR500V]

I took the front of the clocks off so I could run the engine with the needles exposed. You have to be really gentle with the needle as if you push them on to hard or too far the position changes. I used a lego tool (the orange lever bar in modern kits) to pry the needle off. Its perfect. It took a few goes to get it right but its quite quick to do once you get the hang of it.

[Sunnysidebb]

I took the front of the clocks off so I could run the engine with the needles exposed. You have to be really gentle with the needle as if you push them on to hard or too far the position changes. I used a lego tool (the orange lever bar in modern kits) to pry the needle off. Its perfect. It took a few goes to get it right but its quite quick to do once you get the hang of it.

Good info thanks. So I take it the needle is quite tight to pull of then.
Leggo. Lol I was a Mechano kid.. never had Leggo.
Cheers

Update. Just ordered 2 leggo utensil tool prybars off ebay cheep as chips.

[NSR500V]

They arent that tight but they take a little getting off. The pin that they push onto is very thin and fine though so you need to be gentle. When reinstalling the needle you don't want to push it all the way home as it stops it reading correctly, just lightly push it on with your finger tip. With the ignition turned off you can then push the needle up towards hot and it will slowly return to its off position when you release your finger. You can also gently push the needle down below its off position and when released it should climb back to its rest position. If you push the needle on too hard and far it wont return to this rest position.

Then turn the ignition on and confirm its in the right place, lower 3rd of the black. If it isnt I kept the ign on and removed the needle, waited 10 seconds or so so that the pin went to its rest position and then reinstalled the needle, lightly again.

[Sunnysidebb]

They arent that tight but they take a little getting off. The pin that they push onto is very thin and fine though so you need to be gentle. When reinstalling the needle you don't want to push it all the way home as it stops it reading correctly, just lightly push it on with your finger tip. With the ignition turned off you can then push the needle up towards hot and it will slowly return to its off position when you release your finger. You can also gently push the needle down below its off position and when released it should climb back to its rest position. If you push the needle on too hard and far it wont return to this rest position.

Then turn the ignition on and confirm its in the right place, lower 3rd of the black. If it isnt I kept the ign on and removed the needle, waited 10 seconds or so so that the pin went to its rest position and then reinstalled the needle, lightly again.

Will do. Thanks. Ive got big fat welders fingers so will have to be carefull.

[Tricksturbo]

I changed dials to red faces on my punto gt back in the max power days. Successfully did them all except one needle and broke it. I’ve been tempted to do my Cossie but keep bottling it. Let us know how you get on and good luck.

[KR54321]

Frank, to pull the needle you can also use a little fork as a lever. It worked perfect when I had to set the temp needle on my Escort.

[Sunnysidebb]

Frank, to pull the needle you can also use a little fork as a lever. It worked perfect when I had to set the temp needle on my Escort.

Cheers. I can see that working as well. Ive not got access to the car atm bit as soon as I get chance Im going to hook up my emtron lap top and set the needle when temp shows 90deg. I have still to down load a small tweek to the programme from Mark so will do it all together.

[KR54321]

The most convenient way would be probably to set it in its lowest position (with the ignition off), on the table, and check with the laptop at the end. It worked for me.

[Dave_M]

One of the Halfords orange trim removal tools also works really well. I also slid a thin piece of card between the dial face and the pry tool to make sure I didn't Mark the face.

I also had another issue - I swapped the temperature sensor whilst I had the engine out and it was accessible (I have a wrc breather so it's a bitch to get to!), and the new sender has a lower resistance at normal temperature, so I've added a multi turn potentiometer in the wire to the gauge so I can fine tune the needle position.

[Sunnysidebb]

I took the front of the clocks off so I could run the engine with the needles exposed. You have to be really gentle with the needle as if you push them on to hard or too far the position changes. I used a lego tool (the orange lever bar in modern kits) to pry the needle off. Its perfect. It took a few goes to get it right but its quite quick to do once you get the hang of it.

Haha ive just received the 2 leggo lever bar......now thats a small bar. Lol

[ablc]

hello here,
refurbished my clocks by Brendan in 2014, and by doing a search on the temperature gauge senders, it seems to me that I too have the problem of standardizing faulty needle.

I have the needle here at the ignition, cold no started engine.
DSC_3062.jpg
Here the position of the needle when the fans shift to the first speed
DSC_3063.jpg

Are you ok with me with faulty needle position ?
any picks to lego lever bar for buy them please ?