Temperature gauge on Saturn SC2 sometimes work

Question

On my 2002 Saturn SC2, my temperature gauge will sometimes work and sometimes not.  By not working, I mean it will stay on the cold reading.  If I started my drive without it working it will continue to not work, it I started my drive with it working it will continue to work.

I took the car to the shop.  My coolant fan works fine, pressure test reads normal (no leaks), car does not overheat.  He did say my sensor is bad and I replaced that as well as the thermostat because why not.  Temp sensor working fine, thermostat working fine, gauge working only sometimes.  Mechanic said I have a couple options.  Either something wrong with wiring which he said is labor intensive, or I can replace instrument cluster which is expensive.  He did say I have a third option which would be to buy an aftermarket temp gauge.

My question is, with the temp gauge working sometimes, would a aftermarket temp gauge work?  I realize none of you are actually looking at my car, I'm simply asking a possibility question.  Could installing an aftermarket temp gauge potentially solve this problem given how it works sometimes which seemingly to me suggest a wire?

GdD · Answer

An aftermarket gauge does mean a wire for sure, it's just that running a new wire is a lot easier than trying to find the break in an existing wire, especially when it is bunched up with a load of other wires. It's a lot of work, and then it may not actually be a wire, the problem could be in the instrument cluster instead, which would need to be repaired by a specialist.

With an aftermarket gauge you can route the wire however you like and stick the gauge on the dash somewhere, it's usually a quick job. It's not the most attractive option, but unless you are worried about resale value it's the lowest cost way to get your sensor back.

Temperature gauge on Saturn SC2 sometimes work

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