Water Temp Guage for Sprinters ??

oregon22

New member
Are there any discussions dealing with installing a water temperature gauge on a Sprinter - or has anyone had experience doing this? Just bought an LTV Unity and was surprised there was no water temperature gauge.
 

icarus

Well-known member
Buy a scan gauge or ultra gauge. Do a search on this site for a number of long conversations.

Icarus
 

220629

Well-known member
Are there any discussions dealing with installing a water temperature gauge on a Sprinter - or has anyone had experience doing this? Just bought an LTV Unity and was surprised there was no water temperature gauge.
Page 79 in the 2012 manual.

Displaying the coolant temperature
Using the steering wheel buttons
X Press the V or U button repeatedly
until the standard display appears.
X Press & or * to select the coolant
temperature.

Vehicles are more complicated now. There are many dash options. You should read the manual.

vic
 
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Crush

New member
I'm just curious why the new Sprinters don't come with a temp gauge? Is there a reason why a premium vehicle would leave it out? I don't believe I have ever had a vehicle without one.
 

Graphite Dave

Dave Orton
Same answer: Buy a ScanGage. On a NCV3 with the V6/5 speed you need the ScanGage to manually shift the "automatic" transmission for best mileage. My ScanGage is set to display voltage, water temperature, LOD and MAP. LOD is watched to tell you when to shift. MAP will tell you if you have a boost problem.

I also do not understand why they do not have a temperature gage. I also do not want to drive a vehicle without one. The Sprinter does not have much radiator capacity and relies on either one or two electric fans to control the temperature so is even more subject to a overheating problem than normal.
 
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OrioN

2008 2500 170" EXT
I'm just curious why the new Sprinters don't come with a temp gauge? Is there a reason why a premium vehicle would leave it out? I don't believe I have ever had a vehicle without one.
Are you referring to coolant temperature, or outside temperature, or cabin temperature?
 

johnshmit

Well-known member
I'm just curious why the new Sprinters don't come with a temp gauge? Is there a reason why a premium vehicle would leave it out? I don't believe I have ever had a vehicle without one.
For that exact reason. Watching coolant temperature is not part of driving premium vehicle routine. It does have overheating and level warning indicators.
 

sailquik

Well-known member
Crush/Island Guy
Do you have steering wheel buttons?
If so, you have a coolant temp gauge in your instrument panel!
If not then no temp gauge, but you do have low coolant and over temperature sensors that will alert you to any problems!
Better to have a Scan Gauge (or similar) so you can drive in manner that does not increase coolant temp significantly..,,or you can monitor the digital coolant temp (◦FWT) if that suits you better!
Roger
Below is the coolant temp gauge in the 2014 Sprinters with steering wheel buttons.
I like the digital readout on the Scan Gauge II a lot better.
 

Attachments

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Crush

New member
Unfortunately I don't have the steering wheel buttons, that's something I look back and regret not getting.

I'm just used to glancing at the temp gauge to see when the engine has warmed up a bit and I can be a little more aggressive with the gas pedal (typically on cold days I start off going VERY slow).
 

jdcaples

Not Suitable w/220v Gen
Unfortunately I don't have the steering wheel buttons, that's something I look back and regret not getting.

I'm just used to glancing at the temp gauge to see when the engine has warmed up a bit and I can be a little more aggressive with the gas pedal (typically on cold days I start off going VERY slow).
If that's because your carburetor would spit if you gave it too much gas when it wasn't warmed up yet, maybe spit so hard it would lock the throttle valve(s) closed, choking off air to the engine?

If so, I can assure you that you can get your Sprinter up to operating temperature faster than a vintage car w/o harming it.

There are many, many sensors feeding the engine control module information. The engine control module is programmed to fire the glow plugs w/o telling us about it, just to smooth out combustion on the way to "operating temperature."

The modern diesel engines warm up much faster than vintage diesel engines like my old (and loved!) 6.2L GM diesel in a 1993 1-ton cargo van.

I can still drive it - if I get nostalgic - because I gave it to a buddy of mine :)


-Jon

PS: resist the temptation to piggy back an electric gauge onto the temp sensor feeding the engine control module. You may make it angry and you won't like it when it's angry.
 
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Crush

New member
If that's because your carburetor would spit if you gave it too much gas when it wasn't warmed up yet, maybe spit so hard it would lock the throttle valve(s) closed, choking off air to the engine?

If so, I can assure you that you can get your Sprinter up to operating temperature faster than a vintage car w/o harming it.
I'm 34 years old, I've never driven a car with a carb :bounce:
 

IslandGuy

New member
Crush/Island Guy
Do you have steering wheel buttons?
If so, you have a coolant temp gauge in your instrument panel!
If not then no temp gauge, but you do have low coolant and over temperature sensors that will alert you to any problems!
Better to have a Scan Gauge (or similar) so you can drive in manner that does not increase coolant temp significantly..,,or you can monitor the digital coolant temp (◦FWT) if that suits you better!
Roger
Below is the coolant temp gauge in the 2014 Sprinters with steering wheel buttons.
I like the digital readout on the Scan Gauge II a lot better.
No I don't have steering wheel buttons...I have a SG and use it....end of story.
 

Martin Theron

New member
Get a S/S pipe with the same OD as the ID of your top rad hose. Buy a universal temp gauge at a spares shop. Find a S/S nut with the same thread as the probe. Drill a hole in the pipe for the probe and weld the nut on to the side of the pipe and weld a ridge on both ends of the pipe so the hose can not slip of. Cut the top rad hose and install the pipe with two hose clamps. The wiring is very simple and a diagram will come with the gauge. I use the same method to install fan switches.
 

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