Defender VDO Temp gauge, replacing with 40-120deg C

[sclarke]

I've had to replace my Temp gauge in the Defender due to a meltdown....
i replaced the globes in the temp and fuel a while back and they blew about 1 month back.....
i later found out the replacment globes were higher wattage and melted the green plastic globe holders....
and then stuffed the gauge........... NOT HAPPY

replacement from LR is $240

So i got a 40-120degC gauge from Repco $44.00 and the sender and adaptor $16.50

Lots cheaper than the LR item and now i know what the temp accually is. Not a guess of Hot or Cold

[rick130]

for what ever reasons, the stock temp guage is widely distrusted on the Pom boards. XCrook earths can also play merry hell with them. I used to turn the headlights on and the temp guage would slowly go up. Spun me out the first rtime I noticed it, I thought I'd split a hose or done a welch plug.
I swapped mine out quite a while back with a VDO mechanical guage. The supplied well is a straight fit for a late 300Tdi (IIRC, 1/8-27 NPT) You can watch the t/stat open and modulate.

[sclarke]

i went to test mine today and i could not get the thing above 50deg on idle in the carport.... Must have been cold.....

Tommorow i'll take it for a drive and check it...

[rick130]

It takes mine almost 1km to move from the 40* zero mark, and almost the entire 6km to the bitumen at around 60km/h to get the t/stat to open at @ 90*....

[sclarke]

makes sence...
i'll check it tommorow

[camel_landy]

Originally posted by rick130
for what ever reasons, the stock temp guage is widely distrusted on the Pom boards. XCrook earths can also play merry hell with them. I used to turn the headlights on and the temp guage would slowly go up. Spun me out the first rtime I noticed it, I thought I'd split a hose or done a welch plug.
I swapped mine out quite a while back with a VDO mechanical guage. The supplied well is a straight fit for a late 300Tdi (IIRC, 1/8-27 NPT) You can watch the t/stat open and modulate.

Yeeeesssss..... The thing to watch out for is that you have a proper earth connection to the engine rather than rely on the one fitted by LandRover!

On the Defender, the earth connection for the engine is on the transfer case. That's fine when brand spanking new but after a couple of years when all the faces have corroded & lost some of their electrical continuity it plays merry hell with all things electrical.

The tell tale signs are that the starter motor has problems (sometimes only when hot!) and the temp gauge starts shooting into the hot without any other obvious signs of over heating.

Cure: Run an earth strap from the engine to the battery. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ (It took me 1x thermostat, 1x radiator & 2x head gaskets to work that out!!!) :roll:

Mark.

[sclarke]

Mark
Your location still says Going home.....

Should it not be

Grey old London???? compared to Green Sunny Melbourne

[Maggot4x4]

Originally posted by camel_landy+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(camel_landy)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-rick130
for what ever reasons, the stock temp guage is widely distrusted on the Pom boards. XCrook earths can also play merry hell with them. I used to turn the headlights on and the temp guage would slowly go up. Spun me out the first rtime I noticed it, I thought I'd split a hose or done a welch plug.
I swapped mine out quite a while back with a VDO mechanical guage. The supplied well is a straight fit for a late 300Tdi (IIRC, 1/8-27 NPT) You can watch the t/stat open and modulate.

Yeeeesssss..... The thing to watch out for is that you have a proper earth connection to the engine rather than rely on the one fitted by LandRover!

On the Defender, the earth connection for the engine is on the transfer case. That's fine when brand spanking new but after a couple of years when all the faces have corroded & lost some of their electrical continuity it plays merry hell with all things electrical.

The tell tale signs are that the starter motor has problems (sometimes only when hot!) and the temp gauge starts shooting into the hot without any other obvious signs of over heating.

Cure: Run an earth strap from the engine to the battery. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ (It took me 1x thermostat, 1x radiator & 2x head gaskets to work that out!!!) :roll:

Mark.[/b][/quote]

Do RRC have the sme issue? I am at 1 thermostat and 1 sender ATM :roll:

[98-110]

Mark&#39;s Cure: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Run an earth strap from the engine to the battery.[/b][/quote]
What size wire do you need?
and
Is there a preferred place to connect the earth to the engine?
Thanks.

[rangieman]

a battery lead is what you need for a earth strap get one from one of those auto spare place,s to the size length you need run it from some where on the engine or gearbox to your battery or chassis https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[camel_landy]

FWIW... I ran my Earth strap direct from the battery to the fixing bolt on the starter motor.

HTH

Mark

[sclarke]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(camel_landy &#064; May 14 2006, 03&#58;47 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
FWIW... I ran my Earth strap direct from the battery to the fixing bolt on the starter motor.

HTH

Mark
[/b][/quote]

Scary............... thats exactly how i did mine.
Battery Neg straight to the bottom Starter Bolt.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[98-110]

Thank you fellas. Think I might look into a low fluid level indicator that someone mentioned as well. A buzzer would grab your attention, whereas a guage just confirms that the smell of molten metal is under your bonnet.

[Pierre]

Seems not uncommon, Monsieur Clarke.

I had to do the same thing to #3 son&#39;s Defender before taking it back to Broome, moan. Similar meltdown problem with lamp. AND.. at the same time put a a 2" VDO tacho into the clock hole with pulse feed from "W" on the alternator, and because the fuel guage had suffered the same fate some time previously, put a VDO fuel guage in as well.

This guage, bugger it, operates the opposite way to the Smiths thing it replaced, so out with the sender, turn the fuel pickup through 180 degrees and silver solder it, and voila&#33; 3 matching guages that actually work properly.

I had to calibrate the tacho with a strobe, but borrowed that from school.

For the long miles Danno does in the Kimberley, the conversion to 1.222 transfer case from 98 Disco has almost paid for itself in saved fuel. Now gets about 9.5 l per 100 km at 110 kph loaded to the hilt. And it&#39;s much quieter inside at highway speed - I can almost converse normally with Handbrake.

Cheers

Pete

[sclarke]

Pete
Are you a local????

if so best we catch up for an Ale and a trip....

[Pierre]

Yep, just off Manchester Rd near the telepone exchange. But a local? Only been here for 31 years, so I might qualify&#33; 0419587107.

Cheers

Pete