S52 E30 temp gauge issue!!! Help

[Brolin]

My temp gauge on my S52 swapped E30 starts in the middle and goes up to 3/4 i know weird right... so the temp gauge reading is as if the middle is Zero (cold) and 3/4 is middle i hope that made sense
checked my harness every thing is correct including the pin 4 to pin 12
yes im using a rethreaded brown m20 sensor that i threaded into the throttle body heater port
single pin connector spliced into the original s52 4 prong connector brown/violet wire and ***also do i still plug the original 4 prong sensor back in or leave it out ? ***
i know wiring is right because before doing brown sensor the temp gauge was just stock in middle and it wouldnt even move at all!!
im literarily out of ideas i read tons of posts here but there is either no solution or other peoples issues were from something else
could it be cluster because it was working before swap 🤷🏻

[maaaad]

Did You try to tighten up a little, brass nut located literally behind temp gauge, in the back of the cluster? It's a temp needle ground nut.

http://e30.iamgary.com/cluster-tidy-up-and-temp-gauge/

[Brolin]

Did You try to tighten up a little, brass nut located literally behind temp gauge, in the back of the cluster? It's a temp needle ground nut.
http://e30.iamgary.com/cluster-tidy-up-and-temp-gauge/

Im going try that next i was just thinking that i remembered there was two brass nuts one for fuel one for temp hopefully thats it ill post back tomorrow

[Northern]

single pin connector spliced into the original s52 4 prong connector brown/violet wire and ***also do i still plug the original 4 prong sensor back in or leave it out ? ***

Plug it in.

give your dash a smack and see if the gauge works. Check your wiring otherwise.

[RainRider]

Also check the soldered grounds while you have the cluster out. Sometimes they break/crack on the back of the pc board. I had to look real close to see the temp gage ground was cracked. Re soldered was the fix.

[Brolin]

Plug it in.

give your dash a smack and see if the gauge works. Check your wiring otherwise.

The brown temp is plugged my queston is does the 4 pin plug need to be plugged too ?

[Brolin]

Also check the soldered grounds while you have the cluster out. Sometimes they break/crack on the back of the pc board. I had to look real close to see the temp gage ground was cracked. Re soldered was the fix.

Im going to check that this weekend the thing is though the cluster shows from middle and up so the middle is zero, if there was problem at cluster wouldnt the needle not move at all ? 🤔

[RainRider]

Im going to check that this weekend the thing is though the cluster shows from middle and up so the middle is zero, if there was problem at cluster wouldnt the needle not move at all ? 🤔

My tach would sometimes jump around and the temp gage would sometimes slam to red. They never started in the middle though. If your pulling the cluster its something to check.

[Northern]

The brown temp is plugged my queston is does the 4 pin plug need to be plugged too ?

YES, plug it in lol - the ECU needs to see temperature too

[Brolin]

My tach would sometimes jump around and the temp gage would sometimes slam to red. They never started in the middle though. If your pulling the cluster its something to check.

Your right it makes sense i need check a lot of wires i know because my high beams also flicker when i hit puddles could lose nut or wire somewhere in there, thanks for your help

[Brolin]

YES, plug it in lol - the ECU needs to see temperature too

Appreciate the help 👍🏼

[Brolin]

YES, plug it in lol - the ECU needs to see temperature too

Appreciate the help

[twright]

Is the gauge all the way to the left with the key "off"?

And then it jumps up to halfway, when you turn it on with the engine cold?

[Brolin]

Is the gauge all the way to the left with the key "off"?

And then it jumps up to halfway, when you turn it on with the engine cold?

Yes exactly its all the way left when engine/ignition off soon as turn the key or even turn on the car jumps to middle

[twright]

There is something wrong with the gauge.

I have successfully pulled the needle off of the post of another gauge that acted like yours and re-positioned it. ( I have also broken gauges trying to fix them like that.)

The pin is really small and delicate that you have to pull the needle off of. Be careful.