coolant temperature sensor problem, help!

[eliterit]

i just recently purchased a s13 with sr red top and the temp gauge never worked.

I replaced the temp sensor (yellow) with a new s13 ka24de sensor (black). That didnt help either.

I also tried replacing the temp gauge itself with one from a 90 ka24e cluster, still doesnt move.

anyone have any insight to what might be wrong? or what else i could check. Thanks for any help, i really want to get this car running for this weekends drift event.

[SpeedRacer1]

Blue wire black stripe at the dash connector wired up?

[eliterit]

hmm, I havent checked on that.

All the connectors on the cluster seemed to be connected fine. I even unplugged all of them and plugged them back in.

Does that wire run all the way to the sensor itself?

[SpeedRacer1]

Yes, runs through a couple connectors first.

[eliterit]

hmm, i was unable to figure out the problem.

WOuld i be able to use an autometer water temp gauge and jjust tap into the sensor wire?

I have it setup like this on my fwd sr motor and seems to have worked fairly well and kept me from overheating once.

Anybody ever tried this with a rwd sr???

[HybridOne]

i think the autometer gauge uses a specific heat coupler for their gauges. I tried using the stock sensor with an autometer temp gauge on my RB and it read wrong....farrrrr too hot.

so i don't know if i would trust tapping the stock sensor wire and using an aftermarket gauge.

[eliterit]

well what i did was, i taped into the factory sensor, first i tried the white wire and that pegged the needle past 250 as soon as the gauge turns on.

so i tried the black wire and as soon as i turn the gauge on it marks 120ish and then normal temp seems to be right at 180. then when heating up like on the skidpad it got to about 200.

I think it might be accurate but i do have my doubts. I need to set it up right very soon.