Oil temp gauge ?'s

[325issguy]

Hey guys,

I just got my m52 e30 not too long ago. I have now got the water temp gauge working. But I have the m3 cluster and the oil temp gauge is not working.

I get a sweep to full hot on startup but then nothing. I was wondering if you needed some sort of ground other than being threaded into the oil pan drainhole like mine is. I am probobly going to move the sensor up to the oil filter housing soon but I first want to get it working. I know I need the OEM m3 sensor being that is what cluster I have.

Thanks,
Chris

[nando]

the sensor threaded into the drain plug is worthless. it will never read on the gauge, because the oil in the bottom of the pan is much much cooler than the oil running through your engine.

move the sensor, and I bet your gauge works fine.

[325issguy]

Thanks,
I will get it installed into my oil filter housing.

[nando]

Yeah, I had mine in the drain plug for two years.. it was useless. It took idling in traffic for many hours on a hot summer day just to get a ~130 degree reading on the gauge.