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Danny Fireblade

Member Since: 16 Mar 2018
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 319

1998 Defender 110 300 Tdi HT Alpine White

Engine temperature gauge possessed by the devil

The temp gauge on my 300tdi is playing up, it either doesn't move at all or works fine.

Because it has worked since it hasn't, I am thinking maybe a poor earth or possibly where it gets the reading from is on its way out?

Any ideas you knowledgeable lot? A week old used teabag to whoever diagnoses the problem fro my excellent description

Two teabags if you can share how to check and rectify the fault, cant say better than that eh.

5th Jul 2023 8:32pm

donmacn

Member Since: 06 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1845

I’ve had it that the connector onto the sensor has become loose. Have you checked this is OK? If it’s not a good fit it could be on/off and causing the symptoms you describe. I think it’s earthed through the sensor itself (underneath the thermostat housing) so I don’t think a ‘bad earth’ is as likely.

I like old teabags as much as the next guy, but probably expensive to post up here…!

Depending on the connector you could just crimp on a new one to eliminate this potential issue, and if there’s still a problem you’d need to look further. Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...

5th Jul 2023 8:38pm

Mossberg

Member Since: 29 Feb 2020
Location: Lancs
Posts: 553

1993 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Aintree Green

I have no direct experience of this, but I am sure I have seen threads about a bad earth on the actual gauge itself, hidden behind the instrument cluster. I can't tell you how to rectify but if you do a search on this or the other forums I am sure you should find one that tells you what to do.

6th Jul 2023 3:54am

geobloke

Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

Mossberg is quite correct. The gauges were earthed from the back of their case into the main earthing loom. It will be a small o-ring with a star locking washer. Always worth checking and cleaning the earth connection first.

Don is also correct that an intermittent connection at the sensor could create a wayward gauge needle.

I will add that this is a great time to go around all the earth points and clean them up, chassis, bulkhead, the lot. It is amazing how just one bad earth can make things go haywire.

In my old TDI a bad earth on my winch, I was advised to earth to the chassis at the time and a dirty earth to the battery created the situation where the winch earthed through the path of least resistance. Unfortunately that was the transmission brake cable and in doing so melted the plastic cable sheath to the cable locking up the brake completely.

Soap box time: IMHO the first thing anyone should do after buying a Defender is not to fit accessories, but to clean up all the earths.

6th Jul 2023 7:27am

Danny Fireblade

Member Since: 16 Mar 2018
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 319

Thanks all, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to remove the dash but looks like it’s going to be on the list. I will update when I get round to doing it, whenever that will be.

7th Jul 2023 12:08am

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