New gauges...need help

[89hondaSOHC]

I bought an oil presure and coolant temp gauges. I read my chilton and searched the site but i cant find where the sending units are. The book says the coolant sending unit on on the back side of the intake manifold and the oil sending unit is on the oil filter braket. I cant find either one, its and 89 lxi coupe. Please help pics are very useful

[MessyHonda]

what kind of gauges did you get? mechanical or electrical.

[89hondaSOHC]

what kind of gauges did you get? mechanical or electrical.

The oil pressure is mech. the coolant is elect.

[Pico]

it will be easier to remove the air cleaner housing so the you can get to the oil press switch, it is located right above the oil filter, it will have a single wire going to it.
I thought I had a picture of it when I did my install but cant find it.
The temp sensor should be on the thermostat housing with a sigle wire going to it also

[89hondaSOHC]

it will be easier to remove the air cleaner housing so the you can get to the oil press switch, it is located right above the oil filter, it will have a single wire going to it.
I thought I had a picture of it when I did my install but cant find it.
The temp sensor should be on the thermostat housing with a sigle wire going to it also

I have a ram air intake so the box is gone, i found the temp one on the houseing but its different then the one i bought. What i mean is the stock sensor is 12MM and the new one is 16MM

[89hondaSOHC]

anyone??

[Pico]

your going to have to try a local parts store that has brass fittings in stock and see if they have one to adapt from your 16mm sensor to 12mm or a new switch.

[labeledsk8r]

i bleave this is what pico is talking about on the oil presure switch its a pain to get to
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/labeledsk8r/oilunit.jpg

[89hondaSOHC]

i bleave this is what pico is talking about on the oil presure switch its a pain to get to
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/labeledsk8r/oilunit.jpg

That looks digital...... its ok but thx i think thats it

[labeledsk8r]

That looks digital...... its ok but thx i think thats it

yeah thats just the stock sending unit, pico knows more since he has used oil gauges just thought i would help with its location

[Pico]

thats is the stock sender in the pic. the electric senders (at least the first one I got) was way too big and wouldnt even fit under the manifold.

[89hondaSOHC]

thats is the stock sender in the pic. the electric senders (at least the first one I got) was way too big and wouldnt even fit under the manifold.

Where did you put it?

[Pico]

Where did you put it?

Originally I bought a electrical oil pressure gauge since I didnt want to run the oil tubing in the car and I was going to use adapters to bring the sender out and away from the manifold, but I decided to just go ahead and run the mechanical gauge since it only uses small brass couplers that screw in, It's a pain to install because of the tight space to work in but it can be done

[89hondaSOHC]

Originally I bought a electrical oil pressure gauge since I didnt want to run the oil tubing in the car and I was going to use adapters to bring the sender out and away from the manifold, but I decided to just go ahead and run the mechanical gauge since it only uses small brass couplers that screw in, It's a pain to install because of the tight space to work in but it can be done

Ok so you did put a mech gauge in the car useing that stock sending unit?

[Pico]

Ok so you did put a mech gauge in the car useing that stock sending unit?

you still have to remove the stock sending unit and install this in its place if you have the mechanical gauge
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/picopop/vdo-150855_w.jpg

[89hondaSOHC]

you still have to remove the stock sending unit and install this in its place if you have the mechanical gauge
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/picopop/vdo-150855_w.jpg

I have all that, but my line is clear (not that it matters). How did you get to the stock sending unit?

[LX-incredible]

If you want to use the stock sending unit, you will need to tee it off. Most would recommend running a line directly from the filter receiver and teeing it off at the firewall. I'm teeing it off at the receiver, using quality fittings. The receiver threading is 1/8" BSPT, which is close but not the same as 1/8" NPT.
These are what I am using from www.mcmaster.com:
4092K81
Precision Threaded Type 316 SS Pipe Fitting 1/8" NPT Male X 1/8" BSPT Male Hex Nipple, 9100 PSI
$5.62

4452K431
Low-Pressure Type 316SS Threaded Pipe Fitting 1/8" Pipe Size, Tee, 150 PSI
$5.78
I'll post a picture in awhile.

[LX-incredible]

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/8972/01oilrecieverjpght3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/2460/02oilrecievervb8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/368/03oilrecieverkm2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[89hondaSOHC]

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/8972/01oilrecieverjpght3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/2460/02oilrecievervb8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/368/03oilrecieverkm2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

What is that you have in your hand? the oil filter base?

[89hondaSOHC]

ttt

[LX-incredible]

What is that you have in your hand? the oil filter base? Yes.

[89hondaSOHC]

Yes.

geez. ok so i should take the base off then put that fiting on? I would think that would be the thing to do because the base is so hard to get to when its on the car

[bobafett]

The easy way to install oil related accessories:
http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=200 OR
http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=270

our oil filter hosing has the 20x1.5 threads, so this will fit just fine. :)

The easy way to install water temp sensors: (not sure on our hose diameter)
http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=39

you're welcome

[Pico]

The easy way to install oil related accessories:
http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=200 OR
http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=270

our oil filter hosing has the 20x1.5 threads, so this will fit just fine. :)

The easy way to install water temp sensors: (not sure on our hose diameter)
http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=39

you're welcome

I didnt know they had adaptors like that, thanks bobafett

[bobafett]

yep np. i installed my oil pressure gauge on the accord like that. takes as much time as changing your oil filter, and you are good to go.

also, you can tap your thermostat housing for a temp sensor if you don't want to use an inline reading on the hose. but my sensor is a pita to get to, and would be a lot easier if it were just installed in the hose. :)

EDIT: looking back to the posts above mine with the images, it shows something like that attached to the oil filter base as well. :) but it looks like it is meant for oil cooler, and is much thicker (might be a thermo controllled unit?)

[LX-incredible]

EDIT: looking back to the posts above mine with the images, it shows something like that attached to the oil filter base as well. :) but it looks like it is meant for oil cooler, and is much thicker (might be a thermo controllled unit?) Correct! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hayden-Oil-Cooler-Thermo-Adapter-Nissan-Subaru-Honda_W0QQitemZ8048722469QQihZ019QQcategoryZ46095Q QrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

[MessyHonda]

thanks chris....time for me to order some guages.....didnt some one say the 88-91 civic pod almost fit with non or little moding?

[bobafett]

yep it fits with no modding, but would fit better if you heated it up and bent the right edge (closer to windshield) in further. but it will go right up onto the a-pillar with no issues without any modding. could just sit a little closer on the right side.

ygpm i have one i am not using that i would sell

[89hondaSOHC]

Ok i got the water temp gauge in and working. I have a problem though, when i got the gauge installed i took the car for a spin to see if it worked the right way. The new gauge worked fine, but the engine light is on. It is on because i took out the stock temp sensor and thats pissing the ecu off. My real problem is in the middle of that test drive my stock gauge luster(tach,speedo,gas) lights went out. After further inspection it was a blown fuse. Why would it have blown? it never has before

[bobafett]

where exactly do you have the water temp sensor installed? you removed one of the coolant temp sensors in the thermostat housing and put it in the remaining hole?

I am pretty sure you car needs the coolant temp sensor as part of it's efi system, so I would definitely put the stock sensor back where it belongs.

the sensor in the radiator just controls fan operation, the single wire sensor controls the temp needle in the gauge cluster, and the other two, one of them sends signal to ecu, the other, i am not sure. I think it might use the other sensor to determine whether or not to keep fans on when you turn the ignition switch off.

:) so the only one I would really be comfortable removing would be the one at the bottom of the rad (pointless place for this sensor) or the single wire sensor that gives signal to the gauge cluster. but it sounds like your sending unit might not fit there.

can't comment on the blown fuse though without knowing more about how you wired the gauges.

first off, what 'extra' wiring do you have in the car? stereo, subs, switches etc?

how many gauges do you have installed, and where did you find power for them, and where did you ground them. also if your gauges have separate wiring for bulbs, how did you install those wires?

it is possible that you installed the gauges power/ground weird and that blew a fuse, but I don't understand why it would kill those lights unless you had your bulbs on that same curcuit. did your gauges power off, or lose their lights when your gauge cluster lights blew out?

so anyway, what does your wiring look like?

[BITESIZE]

Yah, the t thing works great. I have one on my car too.

[89hondaSOHC]

The wiring is fine in the car i think the fuse just blew. I did put the new sensor where an old one was. I removed the sensor that tells the fan to turn on/off. I also rewired the fan to a switch on the same panel as the new gauges(i made the panel). The lights in the new gauges are sperate wiring ALSO on a switch that i ran power to the battery with a fuse of its own on the wire and the ground to the body of the car. I only installed 4 things

1.Oil temp gauge (not finished)
2.Coolent temp gauge
3.Switch for the radiator fan
4.Switch for the NEW gauge lights

[bobafett]

makes sense...

if you have electric gauges where did you tap into for the actual gauge power? did you run gauge power, and gauge lighting in the same circuit, or is it just the lighting that is running switched off of the battery and the power is tapped into somewhere else?

also, what was your method for the rad fan switch? did you just put one lead from the switch in each end of the temp sensor plug? that was my method for the rad fan switch. :)

[89hondaSOHC]

makes sense...

if you have electric gauges where did you tap into for the actual gauge power? did you run gauge power, and gauge lighting in the same circuit, or is it just the lighting that is running switched off of the battery and the power is tapped into somewhere else?

also, what was your method for the rad fan switch? did you just put one lead from the switch in each end of the temp sensor plug? that was my method for the rad fan switch. :)

Yes that is what i did for the switch lol. I dont need actual gauge power becauce one gauge works off a heat sensor and the other isnt electric.

[lostforawhile]

The easy way to install oil related accessories:
http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=200 OR
http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=270

our oil filter hosing has the 20x1.5 threads, so this will fit just fine. :)

The easy way to install water temp sensors: (not sure on our hose diameter)
http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=39

you're welcome
it's not 20X1.5 it's 1/8 bsp. honda has used that thread for years on it's oil pressure senders. if you are really hardcore,you can remove the filter housing, and helicoil it out to 1/8 npt. just make sure to put some locktite on the helicoil,or some hardening gasket shellack. to prevent leaks around the threads. i went as far as to buy the 1/8 bsp tap, it took six months to get and cost me 30 bucks. they make cheaper ones but i wanted one that can cut decent threads. edit,my bad,you must be talking about the filter adaptor.

[bobafett]

I am talking about the oil filter threads, to use the oil filter sandwich plate.

you're right the oil dummy sensor is 1/8 bspt and all the ports on the sandwhich plate are usually 1/8 NPT. but with a sandwich plate your oil dummy light sensor can stay put. :)

[clark_486]

how to avoid the clearance probs with t fittings

http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63047