Tamora oil and temp readings

[Ron L]

Getting towards the end of a lengthy rebuild of an accident damaged Mk 1 Tamora thats not been on the road for 2+ years, and currently working through a load of electrical niggles.
I am getting very high oil and temp readings (203 degrees on water for instance) when starting the engine so am looking to replace both the sensors.
Everything I read tells me that the oil and temp sensors for the dash display should have a fly lead on them and that they are different to the temp sensor for the fans (no fly lead). Mine both look the same as the fan sensor though and none have a fly lead. Before I order several "Fan" sensors and possibly waste my cash, has anyone else experienced this and will the Fan sensor work for my Oil and temp readings on my dash display?

[Willfin]

As far as I'm aware, the fan takes its readings from the ecu temp sensor, and this is a different connector and sensor to the one that provides the temp displays.

There isn't a fan switch sensor as such, as its switched on by the ecu.

[Sagi Badger]

Check earths. There are numerous posts on PH about the many peculiar issues poor earths can through up. There is the main ECU wiring loom block earth on the back of the block, top of gearbox. The main chassis to block earth is, in my opinion, inadequate and I have added an extra earth strap so I have two, one I added is onto the bell housing. I soldered, crimped and heat shrunk both of them as well, look the part, then bolting up with shake-proof washers trapped between as these dig into the tag and the chassis, and of course a good dob of grease as well.

Good luck

J

[Ron L]

Thanks, I will check the earths out tomorrow. Was my original thought but the whole injection/engine harness appears to share the same earth point and as eveything else seems to be working ok I thought that surely it cant be that. Lets see!

[K4TRV]

Unless you have changed the "engine" after its accident, not sure what would have changed? Or have you changed the Dash ECU? What was the damage?

The very early Mk1s have different sensors? Do not change the "type" of sensor i.e. it had a fly lead to one that doesn't. unless you also send the Dash ECU to MrPaul Smith (http://pselectronicsolutions.co.uk/about.html ). As said above, the fans are controlled via a sensor to the ECU. Water temp and oil temp for the dash do not go through the ECU and on very early cars (manufactured from Apr 01 to Dec 01?) are different (the dash ECU reads them differently hence needing to change firm-ware) to the rest of the model range? I don't know when that change took place, it was well before the change of small fogs to driving-lamps??

HTHs?

T

[Ron L]

Its not the engine earth so increasingly looking like I have both oil and temp sensors gone down.
K4TRV, in answer to your question, I know nothing of the car pre-accident, I bought it unseen and "partially repaired", which proved to be a very optimistic assessment. It was front and rear damaged but I know it had suffered an earlier dash fire so who knows what has been changed in its past or what has been tampered with.

[shep1001]

When the sensors are out of range they give strange readings. I started my car for the first time since before Xmas earlier. The oil temp was 201deg whilst the water was something similar on start up. After a couple of minutes they were fine

[K4TRV]

Ron L said:

Its not the engine earth so increasingly looking like I have both oil and temp sensors gone down.
K4TRV, in answer to your question, I know nothing of the car pre-accident, I bought it unseen and "partially repaired", which proved to be a very optimistic assessment. It was front and rear damaged but I know it had suffered an earlier dash fire so who knows what has been changed in its past or what has been tampered with.

Quite a dilemma!! Lidl are doing a thermal Ir temp sensor for £15 at the minute!! That will tell you what the water/oil temps actually are (normally £60+ at Motorsport dealers)!! Change your sensors and if that does not give you the readings you expect, Mr P Smith can "tune" the dash ECU to the later sensors, if you do replace them??

HTH's again?
T

[Pursyluv]

shep1001 said:

When the sensors are out of range they give strange readings. I started my car for the first time since before Xmas earlier. The oil temp was 201deg whilst the water was something similar on start up. After a couple of minutes they were fine

Ditto here earlier today, 201 deg for oil and water on start up, after that no problem apart from being freezing with the roof off, still love this car though, roll on Summer!

[gacksen]

ecu and dash sensor are different. ecu is a regular bosch unit. dash one is something special with a wire.
what i have done is measure the resistance of the dash sensor and change that one also to the bosch type.
repin the connector and youre good to go. no more crappy special things. oh of course forgot the block bung
needs to be redrilled to the bosch sensor thread.

[Ron L]

Problem sorted. Started it, ignored the high oil and water temp warnings which were obviously wrong as the engine was stone cold, left it idling and 15 minutes later, hey presto, it reset itself and removed the warnings. So I can now scroll through the dash which I was prevented from before. Now just got the other electrical problems to sort such as lights, heater motor etc.
BTW, anyone got a spare heater amplifier, working or not? Mine appears to have been removed prior to my taking delivery and new ones are unavailable. Recon ones are out there but I dont have an old one to exchange.

[shep1001]

Ron L said:

Problem sorted. Started it, ignored the high oil and water temp warnings which were obviously wrong as the engine was stone cold, left it idling and 15 minutes later, hey presto, it reset itself and removed the warnings. So I can now scroll through the dash which I was prevented from before. Now just got the other electrical problems to sort such as lights, heater motor etc.
BTW, anyone got a spare heater amplifier, working or not? Mine appears to have been removed prior to my taking delivery and new ones are unavailable. Recon ones are out there but I dont have an old one to exchange.

Push both the buttons on the back of the steering wheel together and it clears the 'warning messages' that come up on the LCD. You also get them for warnings like low fuel, L/R door open Lights on etc - all cleared by pushing the buttons together, you can then scroll through the menus as normal.

[SteveSPG]

mina ALWAYS gives nonsense temp readings for first 10/15 seconds then settles as soon as there is some heat in the engine.

i call it "character"

[Pursyluv]

Albeit 5 years ago, I swapped mine with Graham Varley (VARLEYHYD), PM him, see if he'll sell you one outright.

[Ron L]

Thanks PURSYLUV, I will pm him.