Temp light/gauge (more than just issues) SOLVED!

[Smokey Eddy]

My temp gauge says its constantly between 0 and the middle (rarely at the middle) but everywhere inbetween. The idiot light for the temp is ALWAYS flashing. The level is fine the thermostat is new... WTF is going on.
I've already made a post about this but it didn't really resolve anything. After some driving the oil light/buzzer comes on as if it's over heating and the oil is too hot. I say "what the heck is wrong with you, stupid car!" and I usually strike the car or blaspheme it in some way. I get home and pop the hood and the expansion tank is hissing and sputtering very little, but some, coolant out of it. Everything is hot to the touch including the rad and all coolant hoses. there is no oil coming out of anywhere to suggest over heating and it runs great. No unusual smoke, nothing. I was told that the oil light buzzer comes on with a less than par filter which is what I have but that still doesn't explain the retarded temp gauge. Today it actually worked for a bout 45 minutes during my commute  home. The needle was in the center, maybe a little on the warm side. I usually don't muddle the forum up with little things like this but it's been going on forever and i just can't take it any more.
Do i need new sensors? a new "T" thing that goes into the head between the glowplugs... Does anyone know the solution to my car's deficiency?

im very frustrated because it seems like absolutely everything is wrong with this car and i don't have a fraction of the amount of money to fix it (mostly just the stupid IP costs billions of dollars to fix, in a students view anyways)

Thanks,
Ed.

[zukgod1]

if you have coolant coming out of the bottle (hissing) you have a problem.

My first guess would be the head gasket but I suppose the cap could be bad..

[theman53]

I was just saying the filter because that is what did it for me, but could be something else.
The oil pressure and water temp wires aren't in the wrong places are they? Don't ask me where what wire goes where it is just an guess. I was thinking that becuase didn't you do a gas/diesel conversion or am I thinking someone else?

[DCC]

I had the same issue on my mk2 gasser. It was running just fine, but the damn idiot light would light over and over again. I even checked all hoses, head, and block with a pyrometer just to confirm that it was running fine.

In the end it was a electrical thing with the dash, my trustworthy mechanic fixed it.

I'd check all wiring, then would check the cap, termostat (I check them on the kitchen, heating some water) and make sure your radiator has no cold spots.

[Smokey Eddy]

zukgod1, I JUST replaced the head gasket on the weekend because it was burning like 1 litre of coolant a day and had serious starting problems. The 1.9 mgetal HG has done the trick because i dont lose coolant anymore out the exhaust.
The expansion tank/cap are almost brand new, maybe a month old?
the whole rad is hot after its been runing so i dunno if there are cold spots?
the thermostat isn't even 3 weeks old and i did check it in boiling water, it opens.
I switched those wires like suggested, same thing absolutely nothing changes when i switch them so they may even be backwards now, who knows! as far as i can tell they don't do anything.
The fan will turn on if i leave it sitting for a while.
Theman53, did you say that changing the oil filter fixed your screwed up cooling thing too or just the oil light/buzzer?

I took some pictures with my phone maybe they will make SOME sense?


this is after about 20 minutes of driving today, the gauge reads SOMETHING it got up to temp the other day but this is the closest it's been since then. Shortly after it reads SOME temp the oil light/buzzer sounds for a couple seconds. but this is a bad filter i believe (thanks theman53), got a new mann filter. i hope it does the trick)



here it starts to read something....


but then, look at the clock, a couple minutes later...

Preeettttyy sure i have a faulty temp sensor soooo should i just get a new "T" thing that goes on the head ? or... is there something else going on here. PLEASE don't say wireing again! I hate wireing. That dash pisses me off.

[Smokey Eddy]

Uhhh okay so immediately after writing my last post i went to the hardware store and i decided to make a little slide show of my findings...
I notice the gauge is reading normal temperature and no flashing light.... odd? (the oil buzzer did sound though, i need to put that mann filter on)

I think, "Odd, what the heck is going on here so I pop the hood and go round back to check the exaust, see how wet/stinky/stingy/warm/cold it is...


turned out to be burning perfectly clear no stink, no stinging, fairly warm on the hand

Over to the front end to see where the level is at

Dead center! But alas... what is this?

Blackness coming from where it over flowed a little. Is this black oil in my coolant? I didnt dare open it of course to look but there was a black residue left behind

I shut it off and as i walked passed with a fair sized grin (because i already know i need a new head) on my face i hear the fan and can't help but take another pic out of my pure bliss. Ahh, look at her go

[theman53]

yeah it only did my oil light buzzer thing. I found out that my coolant problem was a water pump that went bad around the same time I changed the oil...with the junk filter. I don't know that the junk filter caused the buzzer, but when I changed it the cam lobes didn't have junk from them anymore and the buzzing stopped.
     Hope you don't have to get another head     hopefully can be fixed. but if not you can always save the junker to practice porting

[Smokey Eddy]

sure do!
I want to get a 1.9aaz head from Pete Rothenbacher (Prothe) to replace my piece-o-crap. It's surprising it still runs because i have a feeling the valves and pistons met at some point.
I had a line that had a pin hole leak on it but I didn't notice because it would spray right to the block and evaporate instantly. It's bigger now, so I heard the hissing.

[Vincent Waldon]

If I interpret your pictures correctly your fuel gauge is wavering as well as your temp gauge ??

If so, search for "voltage regulator" 'cause that's likely the problem.

[Smokey Eddy]

wow good eye! And i appreciate your concern!!!
But, the gauge isn't actually very bad. Takes a bit of getting used to. once it gets passed 1/2 i feel like im driving with my foot to the floor but other than that it works fine. Lately i've only been getting like 15km/L  :cry:
I know what needs to be done tho