When simple things go wrong

[Rodney Nelson]

My temp gauge stopped working so I first looked at the sender, and the sender was in pieces as if it exploded?

So I ordered a new temp sender for my 82 SC and I installed it and the gauge still didn't work. Then I noticed that there was a difference in the two senders. The one I removed said 300 and the one I installed said 150. So I figured that the place I ordered it from sent me the wrong sender. So I called them up and what do you know they did. They sent me the sender for the gauge with older style numerical display. Well, I figured it was a sign from God and I said what the hell send me the gauge up-grade. I installed it and it still did not work.

So, here is the bad part. I went to the board and did a search to trouble shoot my problem, and the thread that I was looking at send that sometimes the gauge can be broken from the get go. So they said to test it ground out the sender wire and the needle on the gauge should go all of the way to the top of the display, 300. Or atleast I thought, that was what I was supose to do.

Long story short, when I grounded it out at the sender side, sparks flew

Now, what?

Did I blow something to things worse? How do I trouble shoot? The part number for what I currently have installed are 91164110309 for the gauge, and I am not sure what the sender part number is but it did say on the side 150?

Thanks for your help,

Rodney

[cowtown]

The sender I have for my 300-degree numbered gauge is part number 901-641-632-00, but like you say, it does not have the number on the part itself like the others do. The sender for my non-numbered gauge is part number 911-906-112-00 and DOES have the part number on the part.

It sholdn't spark when you ground the sender! Have you double-checked your gauge connections? It sounds like you might have +12V from before the gauge running back to the engine, instead of passing through the gauge and then to the sender. Maybe you could see if there is a voltage differential between the sender hot wire and +12 at the battery?

Not much help, but hey, at least you get a bump out of this reply!