1964-1974 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
If you just need a quick/easy/cheap way to check the dash gauge (which can be notoriously flakey because of poor electrical connections) just buy a cheapo mechanical gauge (the kind with a capillary tube instead of an electrical sender) that has numbers. This kind of gauge is usually more accurate than the electrical type anyway, and you don't even need to mount it inside the car -- just install the sender and stick the gauge somewhere handy under the hood that's out of the way, then check it from time to time as you run the engine.
If the engine's actual temp is OK and the problem is with the gauge/sender:
-- Check Chris Moberg's http://www.vintagesaab.com website and in one of the technical articles he tells you exactly how many ohms the sender should read at a specific temp. If you've got or can borrow an ohmmeter, you can check out the sender this way.
-- Also make sure the wire to the sensor is in good shape and that the dash gauge is well-grounded; if any of this stuff is funky, you'll get unreliable readings.
If the engine really IS running hot:
-- Check all the usual stuff such as thermostat, pressure cap, hoses, etc. just to get it out of the way.
-- BUT, especially if the car hasn't been running for a while, betcha dollars to donuts that the radiator is plugged up. You can handle this however you want, but here's my experience: I knew my Sonett was running hot, and I worried about it for a whole summer while piddling with radiator flush solutions, 'water wetter', different thermostats, different caps, etc. I couldn't really enjoy the car because I'd have to plan trips around the temperature gauge. Finally I got smart, pulled the nose, yanked the radiator out of there and had it recored. Problem solved instantly and the car has run cool ever since, even in 100+-degree weather.
posted by 204.76.11...
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
