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Use of VDO Temp gauge


bishbosh

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I couldn't use a VDO water temp sender to measure the autobox oil temp?

The gauge ranges from 40 to 120 deg C so should cover the operating temp of the auto box.

The reason being is I have a water gauge and sender already...

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80-90'C is about max in the sump pan, but that could hit 140'c+ as it leaves the box for the cooler.

If you're really serious you'd want to monitor both points, to see how hard the box was working and see how effective the cooler was. And check you're not overcooling.

I'd also consider fully synthetic ATF if you intend giving the box some grief.

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No, the VDO 40-120 gauge is electrical. (I've got one to replace the silly LR Defender Tdi gauge). We also use those senders in the transfer box with our EMS systems.

If your ATF goes to 120°C then your box will be on it's way out unless you run decent synthetic ATF Dexron III.

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Thanks all. I may well give it a go them.

Tim - why? becasue the LR warning method is just a light. I get no indication of impending doom - only that it has happened. As I cannot risk trashing the box I thought it would be a good idea.

Mike - those gauges surely are purdy, but one gauge would represent 15% of the truck's value!!! Besides, it would be abit like putting a gold tooth on a rat TBH.

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the LR warning method is just a light. I get no indication of impending doom - only that it has happened.

Bish, the gear oil temperature warning light is there as a warning - a little like the oil pressure light, the charge light, brake pad warning light or the fuel light - it comes on to warn of a problem, not to tell you that you had better buy the Autotrader on the way home. If you want extra gauges then fair enough, but I agree with Tim, it is not needed.

Chris

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John,

The sender for the autobox on RRC and Disco I is in one of the oil lines just before the cooler. I expect when your chap did yours he omitted it.

I have wired the sender to a spare warning light in the defender dash - I think it is the warning for the cab being tilted up (preumably for a forward control or Llama?) Not the right symbol, but I know what it means when it lights up!

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This is something I'd not thought about or considered. I'm pretty sure I've got no monitoring at all. As far as I know there's nowhere on the auto cooler lines to mount a sender - I think the hydraulic side is a finely tuned bespoke mix of what he had in the shed at the time. Any idea, diagrams or pictures for where I should be looking?

More importantly, how often should I expect to see an overtemp? What can I do about it? ie get into 4th with the t/c locked and drive, or slow down (less power dissipation) / speed up (more air flow) / stop altogether and wait for cooler times?

I might work a little harder to put a sender in although my water temp's playing up too... In fact, the rev counter under-reads, the speedo overreads, the turbo gauge sticks - the fuel gauge is the only reliable one! :huh:

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John,

Putting a sender in line is easy - get two female barbed hydraulic fittings for your diameter hose and a long nut. Drill and tap the nut for a sender and splice the lot into the hose that comes out the top of the box.

Job done.

If you want to take a nose under my bonnet be my guest. I'll be a James' event in two weeks.....

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  • 1 year later...

I am resurrecting an old thread here, but it shows I did have a search for the info first.

I am putting VDO water temp gauges and senders into two V8s, one a 1983 RRC and the other my 1995 Defender. I am trying to find out if the VDO 1/8 NPT sender unit is right for both, or if it needs an adaptor. Can anyone help please ?

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