Discussion
Need a little collective help.
My water gauge is getting unreliable, and I need some advice about repair replacement.
The water gauge is going from 100 to the stop at about 115 slowly while driving giving the impression the car is about to overheat.
However with the laptop, the temp is held firmly at 88 - 94 even while standing still in my garage with no airflow. Airtemp reads 39-42, so not as if I'm not testing it, plus the car spent this time idling at 1000 rpm with the aircon on.
Furthermore the gauge which always used to read high by about 10deg, now reads variably high stretching from 5 degrees above temp while the car is warming up to over 20 degrees sometimes, so the gauge can no longer be used to judge the true water temp. I have rerouted it once or twice in a vain hope but no joy.
One last problem is that to remove the temp end from the pipe near the radiator will likely bust it cos of the rust.
So, being that I want to keep my car as original as possible, the options seem to be:
1) Trying to fix the capillary gauge,
1) Getting a replacement gauge for cairbont, or TVR power if they still do them.
2) Replacing the capillary part of the gauge with an electric version. Although the problem here is that the oil pressure part is working fine.
Anyone got any bright ideas? No LCD suggestions please
My water gauge is getting unreliable, and I need some advice about repair replacement.
The water gauge is going from 100 to the stop at about 115 slowly while driving giving the impression the car is about to overheat.
However with the laptop, the temp is held firmly at 88 - 94 even while standing still in my garage with no airflow. Airtemp reads 39-42, so not as if I'm not testing it, plus the car spent this time idling at 1000 rpm with the aircon on.
Furthermore the gauge which always used to read high by about 10deg, now reads variably high stretching from 5 degrees above temp while the car is warming up to over 20 degrees sometimes, so the gauge can no longer be used to judge the true water temp. I have rerouted it once or twice in a vain hope but no joy.
One last problem is that to remove the temp end from the pipe near the radiator will likely bust it cos of the rust.
So, being that I want to keep my car as original as possible, the options seem to be:
1) Trying to fix the capillary gauge,
1) Getting a replacement gauge for cairbont, or TVR power if they still do them.
2) Replacing the capillary part of the gauge with an electric version. Although the problem here is that the oil pressure part is working fine.
Anyone got any bright ideas? No LCD suggestions please
imho if it's moving that much it's buggered. More than likely got air in it (think they use wax don't they?)
Anyways, used a goiod few dosings of "Plus Gas" over the space of a few days on the sender end and remove the coolant pipe nearest it. if you use a large screwdriver or similar implement you can gently put pressure on it from the inside to help free it.
Once out, just send it away to be repaired.
Anyways, used a goiod few dosings of "Plus Gas" over the space of a few days on the sender end and remove the coolant pipe nearest it. if you use a large screwdriver or similar implement you can gently put pressure on it from the inside to help free it.
Once out, just send it away to be repaired.
Have you checked where the pipe from the "sender" to the guage runs? If its come loose and is close to the exhaust it will show false high readings, getting worse the hotter the exhaust is.
I thought these guages were a sealed system so the worked (ok maybe not very accurate) or don't work.
I thought these guages were a sealed system so the worked (ok maybe not very accurate) or don't work.
Replaced my gauge today. Fidly but not that difficult. Regarding removing the sender, mine was also covered in rust. However, the nut is not steel so it actually unscrewed easily. I cut the capillary tube and put a socket on the nut (16mm I think).
I recommend jacking the front of the car to get better access to the sender. You have to tighten the new sender with an openended spanned because of the capillary tube. Slow, one flat at a time, but easy.
If you have any other questions, just ask.
I recommend jacking the front of the car to get better access to the sender. You have to tighten the new sender with an openended spanned because of the capillary tube. Slow, one flat at a time, but easy.
If you have any other questions, just ask.
jonbarrett said:
Replaced my gauge today. Fidly but not that difficult. Regarding removing the sender, mine was also covered in rust. However, the nut is not steel so it actually unscrewed easily. I cut the capillary tube and put a socket on the nut (16mm I think).
I recommend jacking the front of the car to get better access to the sender. You have to tighten the new sender with an openended spanned because of the capillary tube. Slow, one flat at a time, but easy.
If you have any other questions, just ask.
How much did the new one cost and from whom?I recommend jacking the front of the car to get better access to the sender. You have to tighten the new sender with an openended spanned because of the capillary tube. Slow, one flat at a time, but easy.
If you have any other questions, just ask.
Well, interestingly, been on the phone to cairbont and speedycable this afternoon.
The water temp is an ether filled tube which expands when hot to show a higher temperature. The only sign of failure of the dial is therefore a loss of ether and a lack of pressure.
Hence a failure of the cappilary tube would present as a gradual loss of temperature indicated compared to the actual temp.
The fact mine is reading high all the time, even unlinearly high is apparently a sign that the cable is simply overheating, but perfectly functioning. Hence they don't consider it needs a refurb
Anyone know where to by adhesive silver insulating tape??
The water temp is an ether filled tube which expands when hot to show a higher temperature. The only sign of failure of the dial is therefore a loss of ether and a lack of pressure.
Hence a failure of the cappilary tube would present as a gradual loss of temperature indicated compared to the actual temp.
The fact mine is reading high all the time, even unlinearly high is apparently a sign that the cable is simply overheating, but perfectly functioning. Hence they don't consider it needs a refurb

Anyone know where to by adhesive silver insulating tape??
The only thing I can think of thats hotter than the water is the exhaust, so the tube must be running close to it?? Maybe its close at the front, where it crosses the engine to the driver side, infront of the manifold?
Other than that aluminium tape is availiable at you're local B&Q!
Other than that aluminium tape is availiable at you're local B&Q!

jbvipercerb said:
The only thing I can think of thats hotter than the water is the exhaust, so the tube must be running close to it?? Maybe its close at the front, where it crosses the engine to the driver side, infront of the manifold?
Other than that aluminium tape is availiable at you're local B&Q!
The tube runs from the front near side of the car across to the drivers side and then runs right past the exhaust manifolds and up into the bulkhead. TVR positioned the tube on the outside of the chassis tube but it dont get much protection really.Other than that aluminium tape is availiable at you're local B&Q!

Billy_rfc said:
jbvipercerb said:
The only thing I can think of thats hotter than the water is the exhaust, so the tube must be running close to it?? Maybe its close at the front, where it crosses the engine to the driver side, infront of the manifold?
Other than that aluminium tape is availiable at you're local B&Q!
The tube runs from the front near side of the car across to the drivers side and then runs right past the exhaust manifolds and up into the bulkhead. TVR positioned the tube on the outside of the chassis tube but it dont get much protection really.Other than that aluminium tape is availiable at you're local B&Q!

TT Tim said:
julian64 said:
...On a completely unrelated note, anyone know how to clear the stored logs on water temp etc on the software?
Interesting, I didn't know that there was a Log file, how do I access it? Do I need v.2 of the software?Tim
Quite an eye opener really. How many times your car has overheated, max revs etc in its life presumably as I've never found a way of zeroing it.
Would be a good thing to check on a car you are purchasing.
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