Re: Re Sensored help...

[steveb@newkla.kla.com (Steven Buchholz)]

> 1. My '83 TQC blue dash board water temp light comes on when I first start it
> up, then fades away to completely off, very slowly about 1 minute worth...
>  Is this an indication of a bad sensor?  If so, is it the one at the back of
> the head or the inline one underneath the overflow tank?  It just started to
> do this and I would like to nip this one in the bud.  There are no leaks, and
> water level is perfect.

That is exactly the way my car has behaved all along.  Is it true that you never 
saw the blue light at all, or did it switch off more smartly?  I seem to recall 
someone telling me that the sensor is actually for a gauge, but since there were
already *too* many gauges on the urQ ;) that they simply stuck a light bulb in 
there.  As I recall the sensor is the one that is mounted at the back of the head.
> 
> 2. The 5000CStq water temp gauge doesn't work...  is this another sensor
> problem?  Sometimes it worked, about 1/16 of the time it stayed on only a 1/4
> of the way up on the gauge....? Most of the run it ceased to function at all.

>From net traffic I would imagine that this is a problem with the multiple temp
sensor mounted in the radiator.  I hear these things are rather expensive, but 
you might want to replace it anyway ... I'd hate to be driving a car for days 
without knowing if it is overheating.  I think that there is a test procedure
in the Bentley that is basically replacing the temp sensor with a fixed resistor
to verify that the gauge is working properly.  If you pass that test then you 
know for sure that it is the sending unit.  
> 
> 3. Is there any spare parts that we should carry for the 3000mi jaunt with us
> for our '86 5000CStq?  Of course, I have the usual spare plastic heater water
> valve that always blows... but is there anything else that we should stock up
> on...?  I am installing new; K&N, Bosch WR7DC plugs, wastegate washer for
> small hill help, and a test pipe.  

I usually keep an old set of belts in the trunk just in case ... if you don't 
keep your old belts when you change them you might want to get one of those 
adjustable emergency belts.  If you haven't replaced the ignition wire that 
goes from the coil to the distributor, you might want to do so now and save 
the old one just in case.  

Good luck!
Steve Buchholz
s_buchho@kla.com