My Caterham Water Temp Gauge is dead.

[acneil]

Ive read a lot of posts about the oil temp gauges being bad, but cant find any info on water temp gauges dying.

 

My Speedo doesnt work either, as soon as I start the car, it just reads 35360 or something like that. Pushing the button doesnt do anything. It was intermitant for a while, now its permanent.

 

Any ideas? Thx!

 

Art

 

 

2007 Caterham CSR 260

[Boxologist]

speedo is usually the speed sensor falling out from its transmission port. I take it your odometer no longer increases as well when driven? the stock temp gauge on 5 speed Cats is a coolant temp and oil pressure gauge. The coolant temperature problem on mine was the ground on the sensor at back of the engine.

[Croc]

When you say the water temp gauge has died I assume you mean the needle is stuck at zero? I would check 2 things:

1) check that the earth is securely attached - not likely this as usually (for me) a failed earth seems to send the gauge full on.

2) trace the cable as intact to the sender unit wherever it is mounted on the engine.

3) If those check out then it is most likely the sender unit is causing trouble. How/where is it mounted in the CSR?

 

FWIW the oil pressure gauge issues are caused by the sender units that fail with regularity. The actual gauge remains fine.

 

Most of my dash gauge electrical problems were caused by loose connections being vibrated off over time/rough roads. I solved this by checking every single connection and using Stabilant 22A which secures the connection and helps conductivity.

[Guest speedcraft]

agree with others on just checking connections which you probably did.

 

also check your proximity sensor for the lack of speed reading...may need some adjustment.

 

these are the caterham branded gauges versus the stack setup right?

[yellowss7]

The water temp sender for the guage on a standard caterham,(not sure if the CSR uses the same guages) is a brass item mounted in the water rail. It's about a $10 or so part. Easy to replace if it's the just the sender. The other water temp sender, on my S3 goes to the ECU. A little more pricey at around $30 but is also mounted in the water rail and again easy to replace, but has nothing to do with the guage.

 

Tom

[acneil]

WOW thanks for all the input!

 

My CSR is similar to a lot of sevens. Seperate oil and water gauges. Standard Caterham gauges.

 

Yeah the water needle never moves. I checked the connection, but Ill look again. Wish I could ohm check the sender or something.

 

The speedometer isnt locked on a milage. Its locked on a weird number like 35674 or something. I dont know if it would do that if the sender fell out or a wire fell off.

 

Art

[yellowss7]

Try grounding the wire from the sender and see if the needle on the gauge moves or pins. Key will probably have to be on.

 

Tom

[scannon]

That number makes it look like the speedometer is locked in the calibration process.

 

This link will take you to the Caerbont website's calibration page. Write down the number before you do anything else as it is probably the calibration number for your car. If not then you will have to start from scratch and do the math.

 

http://www.caigauge.com/page28.html

[acneil]

Ill try the ground trick.

 

 

I dont think its in cali mode. As that page says it will blink if in that mode. Plus I cant change those numbers. Tried every combo I can think of to reset it.

[yellowss7]

One other thought. I installed a switch like the turn signal switch and hooked up the water temp sender and a oil temp sender. So when I flip the switch one way I get water temp and the other way I get oil temp. If I leave the switch in the center off position I get neither.

 

Any chance you have a similar switch that is in the off position?

 

Tom

[slomove]

You could measure with a volt meter on one of the instrument ground wires if it is really ground (not more than a few 100 mV to the battery negative). I guess some return wire connection is broken or corroded.

[Guest speedcraft]

pm you. lmk if you want the wiring diagrams.