After market coolant sensor, useless?

[dpetersen]

Gday all!

My normal tempriture gauge in my patrol is buggered and has been since I purchased the car. I had an after market one installed a couple of years ago but I am not sold on its relevance as the sensor is located in the top radiator hose, so the hottest point! What do you guys think? What would you expect temps to be st this point?
I have just purchased an ecu talk so will be interesting to see if there is much difference in the reads!

[jay see]

I would assume that you have a 3L diesel? If so I think that's the spot for those motors.
I'm sure one of the oil burner drivers will correct me if I'm wrong.

[mudski]

On the thermostat housing there is a bung, pretty much next to the thermostat. You can put the sensor where the bung is, or drill and tap a new thread there and put the sensor there. You will need to remove this housing, which connects to the lower hose. And is a right pain to get too.

[dpetersen]

Sorry guys don't think I worded that right.
I already have an after market gauge, the sensor is located in the top radiator hose but it varies from 88 degrees to 108.
Where would the ecu talk read the temp from and do you think it will give me a different reading then that of the after market gauge?

[jay see]

The ecu will take the reading from the ecu temperature sensor, which in my case is next the temp sensor for the factory gauge. I have fitted my aftermarket one in the same area. That's on a tb45.

[Cuppa]

Sorry guys don't think I worded that right.
I already have an after market gauge, the sensor is located in the top radiator hose but it varies from 88 degrees to 108.
Where would the ecu talk read the temp from and do you think it will give me a different reading then that of the after market gauge?

Mine is located in the thermostat housing (the TD42i has a convenient threaded hole to use), to which the radiator top hose is connected & runs cosistently between 80 deg & 90 deg. I could be wrong but would suspect that if yours varies between 88 & 108 that you either have an accurate gauge & an overheating problem, or an inaccurate gauge/sender unit. Will be interested to hear what the 'ecu talk' says.

[dpetersen]

My thoughts were because the aftermarket one is in the top radiator hose that it was always likely that it would be inaccurate. I have some sort of earth fault with the standard one on the dash. For example if I turn the headlights on it goes up a little, high beams on and it'll go all the way to hot. In saying that, when the aftermarket one reads say 108 degrees, and I get the original one to work, the reading is fine, it sits just below the half way mark. Will be interesting the ecu talk