I'm getting no water tempearture reading from the temperature gauge. I'm thinking it's got to be the water temperature sensor or the speedometer/tach/temp cluster gauge is damaged.

I'm going to try to replace the easiest part to find, the water temperature sensor.

Now, here's the question of the day, I see two sensor and I'm confused as to which is the water temperature sensor.
One sensor is right below the thermostat housing - I think this is the one.
Other sensor is below spark plugs five and six - I think this some other type of sensor.

Am I correct to think that the water temp. sensor is the one below the hermostat housing? Also, will I need some sort of gasket for the sensor (I'm trying to avoid two trips to the auto part store).

Thanks.

 

Yep & nope...

Water temp sensor is the single wire sensor on the front of the thermostat housing.

Don't need a gasket.

 

The water temp sensor is the below the thermostat. The head temp sensor is in the side of the head by the spark plugs

First, unplug the sensor, clean the connection, gently squeeze the end of the plug with some pliers and then put the wire back on the sensor. It should go on tighter.
It once happend to me and the wire was just loose even though it was plugged in. After doing this, the reading came back.

 

Great, thanks for the help!

Now, I'm off to the auto parts

 

i though the water temp sensor was the sensor wit the fuel injector connector on it?

 

It's been a while since I've dealt w/ n/a 280zx's... but I believe the square connection sensor is the thermotime switch.

 

I'm pretty sure the water temp is a single round snap-on type plug. Its that way on my L18 and there's nothing there but water temp. On the Z, well, there's a couple items.

 

http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchan...ode=22630-L28E

 

Yeah, it's the one on the link..thanks!

One more question, I found out that the connector that attaches to the thermostat, the plastic part that hooks to the outter part of the thermostat, is broken and I think this is also causing the guage not to get readings from the thermostat. I want to replace this connector (connector and wire), but I don't know what this might be called, and the auto parts in my area don't seem to have it.

Here's a link to the connector: http://www.nomoredata.com/misc/pic025.jpg

I was able to get the thermostat from my local auto parts store.

Thanks again guys.

 

The sensor in that link is NOT the sensor for the guage. The sensor for the guage is the single wire sensor with the yellow wire going to it. It the one that uses a sleeve nut to hold it in place. There are two sensors that have connectors like the one in the link. One is the thermotime switch which is in the thermostat housing. The one in the link however is the sensor that the ECU gets its engine temp. reading from. Its usually located on the passenger side of the cylinder head (but in some models it was in the therm. housing as well). Its NOT for the guage.

 

Ok, I guess I'm not following too well.

What's in the link I sent not the temperature sensor?
The guy at the auto part gave me a part just like that one. The conector's plastic piece is broken; I want to replace that, but don't know what's called.

 

If you pulled that piece out of the thermostat housing then it's the thermotime switch which controls the cold start valve. If you pulled it out of the side of the head then it's the engine temperature sensor. But not the one for the guage. If you went to the parts store and asked for and engine temp. sensor and they gave you something that looked like that then he gave you the sensor that the ECU reads. It's a SINGLE wire sensor. I'll run out to my car and snap you a couple pics and post them up.

 

alright here's a pic of my thermostat housing. This is a turbo housing so there is not thermotime switch though. The upper sensor is the temp sensor for the gauge. The lower is for the aux. fan. In your's there should be one more, which is the thermotime switch which uses the injector style connector.



For the connector just get the bosch style fuel injector connector. It's the same thing. You can get them at any parts store or ebay. And I looked at your pic you linked again and that is definitely the thermotime switch.

 

Ahh, so they sold me the wrong one!

Ok, I see it now

Thank you.