E30 Temperature Sensor

[bdi_fc]

My temperature sensor is weird. I swapped it out after originally installing the E36 temperature sensor.

When you start the car it pegs red. Then after a few minutes it drops to just above the blue.

Anyone else have this experience?

The sensor I grabbed is the one with the brown connector. It takes a 24MM wrench or something, right?

[LINUS]

My temperature sensor is weird.

The sensor I grabbed is the one with the brown connector. It takes a 24MM wrench or something, right?

Your sensor is weird. It's a 19mm. I'd re-order with a company who knows what they are selling you.

[bdi_fc]

Your sensor is weird. It's a 19mm. I'd re-order with a company who knows what they are selling you.

Damn it. Now I have to pull off the intake manifold, again. At least it's getting easier each time.

Thanks for the response.

[Lobstrosity]

Quick question, as I didn't see it on your website:

Where did you install the e30 temperature sensor? Did you tap a new hole for it in the S52 head?

Great job on the site, by the way.

[bdi_fc]

So the sensor is this part number: 13-6-21-357-414 ?

[bdi_fc]

Quick question, as I didn't see it on your website:

Where did you install the e30 temperature sensor? Did you tap a new hole for it in the S52 head?

Great job on the site, by the way.

I did not have to tap the S52 head because my engine was from a 1996 model year car. 1996 S52s have a plug in the hole from the factory.

I lucked out on this. :-)


Thanks for the feedback. Please feel free to contribute to the wiki with anything you discover.

[LINUS]

I don't have the little box it came in, but I'd just order w/ Zionsville. Might not be the absolute cheapest, but Dwight will get you the right part the 1st time and that's worth something if you ask me. And I bet you have seen enough of the underside of that intake manifold too.

[Lobstrosity]

So the sensor is this part number: 13-6-21-357-414 ?

Yes that's the correct part number. Should be brown, with one conductor for the plug.

That's lucky, I didn't think any of the S52 or M52s had the extra sensor hole. I'll for sure add more info the wiki when I complete this and know what I'm talking about. lol

[bdi_fc]

Mine isn't brown, it's pale white/green.

And it has two pins or "conductor".

This is brand new from the dealer in a bag with that part number printed on it.

[bdi_fc]

Mine isn't brown, it's pale white/green.

And it has two pins or "conductor".

This is brand new from the dealer in a bag with that part number printed on it.

Yeah, the part number above is wrong. In fact, it was too small to thread into the hole in the head.

I luckily pulled another sensor from the e30 that had the oversized 24mm plug. It was black with one pin or "conductor." Luckily this one worked.

Heater hoses are fixed, car runs great. Now I just need an alignment.

[japspecvr6]

whats the right part number.......

[bdi_fc]

I don't know what the correct part number is. I just happened to have pulled that sensor along with the other sensor I had that was 24MM off of the e30 thermostat housing.

[japspecvr6]

got a pic.......

[bdi_fc]

got a pic.......

I tried to get a picture, but the damn thing won't come out from under the intake manifold.

Here's what I do know:

• It had a black connector.
• It fits a 19MM wrench.
• It only has one pin/contact within the connector.

[BigD]

Sorry to hijack the thread a little, but I'm working it out in my head how I'm going to do this and I am most decidedly against tapping the head. Can I just use the Zionsville T fitting instead of the throttle body thermostat, and thread an E30 sensor in there? (that way I don't have to worry about the t-stat cutting off the flow to the sensor)