Re: Electric Gremlins

[nicholls@mikey.convex.com (Sam Nicholls)]

mike tipton wrote:
> 
> Ok the signals are due to a probable bad relay or corroded connectors.
> Where do you live and how damp are things there?

The car has lived in Nacogdoces and Dallas Texas.  Nac is pretty humid.

>  The temp guage might be the sender located in the water neck coming out 
> the right (as you look at it ) side of the head (close to radiator top)

I thought that was the thermo-time switch which feeds back to the
fuel injection system.  In my Haynes manual, they say that the temp
sender is in the water neck coming out the back of the engine, near
the battery housing.  This is an '86 4000S with fuel injection.

> Its the one on top. Ohm it out with a voltmeter. resistance should go 
> down as temp goes up. If its good, them you got to check wires.
> if their good it will be the digital guage(rarely). Usually corrision
> prevents a good electrical contact. Water will drive the thing to max
> hot! It scared me one day after washing the engine at the local car 
> wash.

Good advice!  I just want to make sure I know where the thing is.

>    The oil pressure warning system is a complex thing. The two pressure
> sensors are on the block just back of the thermostat housing.

What's the thermostat housing?  I thought the termostat was in the
waterpump?

> Ones white (yellow if aged) and the other is brown.  Also there is an 
> Oil pressure control relay that can go bad. I've replaced mine twice
> Check the wiring on the switches. namely the connectors for corrision.

Thanks for the advice, and please forgive my ignorance.  I'm a newbie
home mechanic.  BTW, this list is great!

-Sam
'86 4000S