Question on installing an Autometer water temp gauge?

[s14det]

I'm in the proccess of installing my turbo kit (kit pics posted in another thread) and had a question about installing the Autometer water temp gauge. The gauge comes with its own Temp sensor, but the factory water temp sensor looks the same. The factory sensor I am referring to is the one that goes to the factory gauge. Now could I just wire the autometer gauge into that sensor instead? That would make it an easy install

Thanks,

[Ubernoober]

Unlikely. You might get very lucky, but I would bet the resistance curve of the two sending units are different, which would cause the gauge to read incorrectly.

[fiznat]

I wouldnt- the sensors are most definitely very different. In case you didnt already know, the KA has 2 "water temp sensors" on the water pipe there.. one of them is a "wideband" version which reads the temp to the ECU for things like cold idle etc. The other (flat plug) is a simple 1-wire "narrowband" hookup just for the gauge in your dash.

What I would do is leave both of those sensors in, and install your autometer sensor above them, in the hole you use to bleed/burp air from the coolant system (about an inch higher than the other water temp sensors. Just pull that 10mm bolt out, redrill and retap for your sensor's thread, there ya go!

[s14det]

So looks like nobody has actaully tried it. I think I will test it out by boiling some water and then put the sensor in it...I will measure the temp of the water and see if the gauge is the same or close to it You guys are proberly right that the sensore are different, but I (we) will never now unless I test them out.

Thanks,

[s14det]

Well tested the temp sensor's and they where different. I only test them with a meter and they where not even close. I least I know now.

[fiznat]

*cough*

lol, thanks for doin the research though!

[GEO]

Research well done