temp gauge haunted

I noticed a couple of days back that my dashboard temp gauge was whacked. when i first started up it went right to the halfway mark??
the door was still open and when i closed it, the needle fell down past bottom.
I tapped the dash a few times and it went back to halfway and then back to negative land. wtf??

once she got up to operating temps it magically started working again.

today same shit happened. I use the torque pro app always so i know my temps but is something loose that can be causing this? thinking about LEDs for dash at some point anyways.

 

Do you believe in demons?

 

Oh hell yeah.
I've known a few in my time.
related to most of them.

 

Yea my gauge is on and off but now finally dead....

 

Whats the fix?

 

Probably the cluster if I had to guess.

 

New cluster.

 

Well, you DO have some nice oil pressure goin' on. I'd pop the cluster and take a peek.

 

I'd bypass it and run a good aftermarket gauge under the dash. Lots available that allow you to tap a sensor into the water system via hose splice. Water temp is super important to me. It would be a priority if I lost the factory gauge function.

 

Here's a pic of one I installed on the upper radiator hose of an '88 Toyota pickup I had.
2018-06-30_11-27-25 by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

 

Torque Pro App will monitor your temps, as well.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/info-on-bxfx-obd-dongle-engine-gauges-monitoring-1st-gen-only.72698/

 

Just picked one up from Amazon for $15.66

for Android Phones ONLY - Wireless Bluetooth Diagnostic OBD2 Scanner Car Code Reader and Scan Tool for All 1996 & Newer Vehicles ELM327 Compatible OBDII

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NLQAHS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Oh, come on man. Cut that upper cooling hose... where's your sense of adventure?
Torque is a decent system monitor app, I've used it on other vehicles. Problem is... if it's your temp sensor that's the culprit, it'll probably relay that same inaccurate information to you. It's transmitting information from the ECU. If the gauge is the culprit, I believe the Torque Pro should give you accurate readings (as accurate as the OE sensor anyway).

 

Yep, actually I pay more attention to the torque pro display now than i do the dash gauges and prefer seeing the big digital numbers. I'm using a window mount and have it just under the left side of the rear view mirror. (see Amazon link, its a good one for the price).
It works good there for dash cam vids, which Torque pro does also with the Track Recorder plug in.

I think now its just sticking since tapping the dash makes it move back to where it should be.

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i use a scangauge to monitor my coolant temp. eventually I'll replace the cluster.

 

...Big Digital Numbers?! My idea of a "big digital number" is for one of those readings to fill up the entire screen. Old guys can't be dwelling while reading numbers...**** seems to happen faster now.

 

Replace stepper motor.
https://www.taninautoelectronix.com/product/2003-2013-toyota-6s-stepper-motor/