Temp sending unit or manual guage?

[Jeepster19]

After replacing the head gasket on my Xj a little over a week ago,I was thinking about possibly replacing the sensor with a manual guage from auto meter. If I replaced the factory temp sending unit with a manual guage,would it cause a check engine light to come on?I'm only asking because my factory sensor read wrong&thats why it ran hot and blew a head gasket.:confused:

[Punisher]

It shouldnt my temp wire is unhooked and i dont have any lights warning..

[ice_cold]

One slight issue.
If your XJ is a 98...there is only one sensor, and it supplies the signal for the computer.
Early models had one in the thermostat housing and one in the head. One for gauge, one for computer.
In the newer, there is just the one in the housing, it does both jobs as the gauge clusters are computer controlled..
To go aftermarket you will need to tee into the one in the housing.
Or, if like me, I had a older head rebuilt and just used the rear head location for my aftermarket.
Hope this helps. Cause without the sensor the computer will not know if it should come out of the cold start mode.

[4.3LXJ]

X2 :thumbsup:

[Jeepster19]

One slight issue.
If your XJ is a 98...there is only one sensor, and it supplies the signal for the computer.
Early models had one in the thermostat housing and one in the head. One for gauge, one for computer.
In the newer, there is just the one in the housing, it does both jobs as the gauge clusters are computer controlled..
To go aftermarket you will need to tee into the one in the housing.
Or, if like me, I had a older head rebuilt and just used the rear head location for my aftermarket.
Hope this helps. Cause without the sensor the computer will not know if it should come out of the cold start mode.

That makes sense,I may just keep the factory sensor unless there is someone out there that makes a adapter for it.Thanks for the info.:thumbsup:

[Firemanray]

Mine has both the factory guage and an aftermarket guage. I'm not sure how they're plumbed but they both work. ( This set up was on it when I bought it.)

[Jeepster19]

Mine has both the factory guage and an aftermarket guage. I'm not sure how they're plumbed but they both work. ( This set up was on it when I bought it.)

Take a pic when you get a free minute,thanks!:camera:

[Firemanray]

Take a pic when you get a free minute,thanks!:camera:

I'll try to remember to do that tomorrow. It's nothing spectacular, but it is a decent install. I'll see if I can find out what they did at the engine end also.