Optix Egt 500 Degrees Off

[MChildress]

My Optix EGT gauge has started reading about 500 degrees higher than normal. The problem is intermittent and can be corrected by turning off the truck and restarting it. The power is pulled from the cig. lighter and turning the key off and back on just switches the power off and back on and the gauge will read correctly again. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

 

[McLaughlin]

Not yet. I had/have the older version and the first gauge failed and read about 200 deg high.

 

[JApol]

yes I have. Pull the actual thermocouple out and clean it off. Soot will accumulate and throw off the readings some how. Its worked fine for the last 6 months

 

[Mark Craig]

MChildress,



The Optix is designed to be connected to a switched 12V source, most lighters are hot all the time, check yours to be sure. Secondly most anytime this happens it's a poor ground or power connection! Check them out I bet it fixes you up!



Mark @ DPPI

 

[CogginsP]

yes I have. Pull the actual thermocouple out and clean it off. Soot will accumulate and throw off the readings some how. Its worked fine for the last 6 months

Seems to me like this would make EGT temperatures cooler, hot hotter??

 

[JApol]

When my gauge was flaking out it was all over the place. I could have just had a WOT run and the temps should be around 600-800 but the gauge would read less than ambient temp. I have also shut down the truck with the gauge still reading over 700 degrees after idleing for 2 minutes

 

[MChildress]

Ok guys thanks for the input. The cig lighter on the 3rd gen is only on with the key turned on,I know on all my other trucks it was hot all the time. The gauge needle does not jump around like a loose connection. It's either reading right or 500 degrees too high. At idle its at 800,restart the truck and its back at 300. Open her up when its reading high and she will peg the gauge out. The gauge was installed about 4 months ago so I hope its not sooted up already. I will check all connections and if that doest do it I'll give the probe a cleaning. Thanks again for the info.

 

[JCyrbok]

This may or maynot help. I had SPA digital gauages in my truck and they were acting like urs. I found that dielectric grease in the connection (plug) of the Thermo helped. I also found that sometimes the screws holding the plug halves together would loosen up a bit. Lock tight took care of that. No problems since these fixes.



Like I said it may not work but worth a shot. Also does the Optix use a amplifier box for the Thermo signal? If it does maybe the amp box is bad.



Hope this helps



J-

 

[Chaw]

Ok guys thanks for the input. The cig lighter on the 3rd gen is only on with the key turned on,I know on all my other trucks it was hot all the time. The gauge needle does not jump around like a loose connection. It's either reading right or 500 degrees too high. At idle its at 800,restart the truck and its back at 300. Open her up when its reading high and she will peg the gauge out. The gauge was installed about 4 months ago so I hope its not sooted up already. I will check all connections and if that doest do it I'll give the probe a cleaning. Thanks again for the info.

Any chance you have a Nextel phone in your truck??

 

[JApol]

Any chance you have a Nextel phone in your truck??

What does the phone have to do with the pyro?

 

[Chaw]

What does the phone have to do with the pyro?

The Nextel IDEN network has been known to interfere with certain electronic systems. If you do a search, it seems a year or so ago there was a thread with the Nextel and Edge Juice problems. This could have even been from the Ford site.



You can take a Nextel phone and hold it near almost any radio, some TV’s, or computer speakers and pickup interference. This also happens in my 05 2500 with the RB1 radio, my 07 Tahoe, and my last Excursion.



If I move the Nextel close to my Optix gauge, the needle will increase sometimes 4-500 degrees at a time. I have idled at 12-1300 indicated at times. Shut the truck off, restart, and all is well till you get on the phone again. I have not had this problem with Sprint (CDMA).



I would ditch the Nextel, but it is work issued. Kind of hard to keep the truck if I did.

 

[MChildress]

No Nextel and no amp box. I just got in from working a double tonight. I will play with it this weekend. The gauge worked fine today but acted up once yesterday. Thanks again guys.