Skruball73

My temp gauge on my 73 seems like it is in fits. the temp will be somewhere between 150 & 200 and then the needle will begin to flutter back towards the cold side. I don't know if it would be the gauge or the thermostat itself. Any suggestions? :crazy:

MELVIN

LOOK AT THE DRIVERS SIDE HEAD WHERE THE TEMP SENSOR IS. ATTACHED IS THE WIRE THAT GOES TO THE BACK OF YOUR TEMP GAUGE. IT SOUNDS AS IF THIS WIRE MAY BE LOOSE, OR ABOUT TO BREAK OFF. IF NOT, YOU MIGHT HAVE A GAUGE PROB

john's '81 mouse

Sounds like a bad wiring connection to me. Thermostat probably wouldn't make gauge 'flutter', can't change engine coolant temperature that quickly.

Suggest you check wiring from sending unit in head, should be on driver's side, between #s 1 & 3 cylinders, on back to gauge.

Tom454

Could also be the sending unit or the contact on the sending unit. My first impression would be a sticking thermostat, but temperature changes due to thermostat problems cannot cause a gauge to "flutter"... the response factor is analog, not digital. The engine can't change temperatures fast enough, and the sending unit cannot react fast enough to "flutter" a gauge. You may have more than one problem. Check the connections at the sending unit first, then change the thermostat.... unless you have recently been playing around behind the dash.