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Temp. gauge pegs out w/headlights on, HELP!

90XJLtd

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Oahu, HI
I'm working on a friends 88 Pioneer un f***ing everything the PO did to it. The guy must have been a electrical and mechanical genius! BTW, I meant that in the worst way possible.
Anyhow as the title states Temp pegs with headlights on. I also don't think its working to begin with because it does not seem to move until the lights are turned on. I found a post on this but nobody replied back in 06. here is what it said.
Originally Posted by ROADLESS
Here's another good one. My son's 88XJ temp gauge pegs all the way out, but only when he turns on his headlights! Then as you dim the interior/instrument lights it goes back down like a rheostat switch! Bet no one has heard of this and if so, enlighten me!

Please help!:confused:
 
I'm about to take a look at it now. I have Renix myself which is good so at least I have a reference. Wish me luck.
 
I went and unhooked the sensor and read it. Values seem normal for temp. Also turned on the lights and the gauge still goes up with it unhooked.
 
My first best guess would be a bad ground connection. Many odd symptoms of unrelated hardware turning on when something else id turned on is caused by funky grounds.

Temp sensor depends on a ground, so do the head lights. If one ground is missing it takes an alternate path if it can find one.

Remote possibility is a dying head light switch and wiring.
 
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Thanks guys. I had the dash totally ripped open and found alot of shady wiring. House wire, wire nuts, etc. The back of the fuse panel was damaged and the headlight switch was wired in all crazy. All fixed now after many hours. I'm just glad its not mine!:guitar:
 
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