Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) New to TDR

[mrtwister]

Well I have been on the website now for more than a year and decided to join as a member. My truck is a '02 2500, 4x4 Reg cab, long box. So far I have a BHAF, Dynomax 4" exhaust, and an Edge EZ. Boost, EGT and transmission Guage on the A-pillar. Exterior features, Westin Bull Bar, Westin Nerf Bars, and tinted windows. Goodyear MT/R 285/75/16.



My First question is I just installed a B&M Drain plug in the Trans Pan. That is where the sensor is for the trans oil temp. I am not getting a reading at the guage and am sure the wires are hooked up in the right spot. Is there some kind of electrical check I can do on the wire from the sending unit to the guage to make sure it is working? The lowest number on the guage is 100 degrees and the needle sits just below that all the time. Thanks for any help.

Mr. Twister.



P. S. Got the name from too much power in my semi and twistin the driveshaft off. Oops. Oh well.

 

[Bob Wagner]

check your grounds.

 

[BKenny]

Welcome,this place kicks butt lots of good info and poeple here

 

[KTobin]

I know this sounds like a dumb Question but are you letting your transmission heat up? I'll drive 30 miles to work and back this time of year and my guage never moves off the bottom end stop needle. Have you tried putting it in gear with the brake on for a few minutes to see if the needle moves? Try this after you've already driven it for 15 or so minutes. If it still dosn't register, get back to us.

 

[mrtwister]

The ground wire for the guage is hooked to the same as the rest of the guages and the lighting for the guages. I guess as far as milage goes I only drive 10 miles to work and the engine barely has time to warm up. I am heading on a trip this weekend so I'll see if it heats up then. Would driving with OD off help just to see if the guage would register? Its only been in the single digits here latley. I do have a Lund cold front grille insert but even that does not help much with even the engine warming up.

 

[tractorface]

grounds are wrong

Not sure it will solve your problem but your temperature sensor ground needs to go to the truck not a ground wire. The temp sensor uses the truck for a ground, the wire will give you false redings. Also doubt you will see a change with the sensor in a double deep pan unless things get real hot. best place for the sensor is in the "hot" line going to the cooler.

 

[darkhorse]

mrtwister, I don't see a fuel pressure guage listed on your truck. That's more important than the other guages as it alerts you to a clogger filter or failing lift pump. Vital information to keep your expensive VP44 healthy.

 

[mrtwister]

The sensor didn't have a place for a ground wire, just one to go to the guage. The sensor came with the Auto Meter Temp guage. The ground for the guage is the one hooked with the rest. Or are you saying I need a seperate ground for the trans guage? It might not have had enough time to heat up though. As for the FP guage I am going to order a filter cap from Genos and go that route. Thats where I bought the guages from. Thanks for the replies so far guys. A great website.

 

[tractorface]

Yes

I may not have been clear last night. The sensor has no ground wire it uses the vehicle as its ground. The ground wire on you temperature gauge should be connected directly to the vehicle steel. If you are using a ground wire that is part of the vehicle electrical harness you will get odd readings. The temperature gauge is simply an ohmmeter reading the resistance of the sender.

If you installed the temperature sender in an OEM pan you will never get a reading because the pan is plastic. You need to get yourself a hose clamp and clamp a piece of wire to the sender body and take that to ground or better yet run it right up to the ground wire on your gauge.

You just need a complete circuit with as little "junk" in between as possible.

In the past I have called the manufacturer of a sender and asked for the resistance at different temps. you can then put it in a pan of haot water with a thermometer and use a multimeter to check the accuracy of the unit.

If you are unsure of if your sender has a good return path use a multimeter to confirm. Let me know if you need any more help, but again if you have the sender in a plastic OEM pan that is your number one issue. once you fix that you will get readings, just not accurate ones until you fix the ground wire deal on the gauge.

Good luck

 

[KTobin]

If you installed the temperature sender in an OEM pan you will never get a reading because the pan is plastic.



This is something that I've never been aware of. When and why did this truck ever come with a plastic pan. I've never seen one.

 

[tractorface]

My truck is a '99

My truck has an OEM plastic pan on it, I just assumed that was typical of most of the automatics. Take a magnet to your pan and check it out.

 

[mrtwister]

I checked the pan on my truck and it is metal. I will still put a wire on the sensor to ground it. The ground for the guage is hooked to the battery ground. I just wonder if it is too cold here for the guage to read anything. Latley the high in the morning when I drive to work is 0 degrees F. A ten mile drive might not be far enough? I'll go for a drive this weekend and see what happens. If nothing I'll take the sensor out and put it in a pan of hot water and let you guys know. Thanks again.

 

[SnoKing]

I have two senders. The one in the pan hardly moves. Call Bill at DTT and get the 96 output line kit from him. Reading the oil coming out of the transmission is the best place to have the sender. You can melt the transmission down before the pan oil reaches 140 or 150 degrees. SNOKING

 

[RJOL]

My truck is a '02 2500, 4x4 Reg cab, long box. So far I have a BHAF, Dynomax 4" exhaust, and an Edge EZ. Boost, EGT and transmission Guage on the A-pillar. Exterior features, Westin Bull Bar, Westin Nerf Bars, and tinted windows. Goodyear MT/R 285/75/16.

Put this info in your signature and you'll let people know what you have each time you ask a new question... Welcome to the TDR... .