1988 Toyota Camry coolant gauge shows dead cold intermitten

Check and test the coolant temperature sensor and the engine temperature gauge switch

[quote:8a3e354d07="rasmataz"]Check and test the coolant temperature sensor and the engine temperature gauge switch[/quote:8a3e354d07]

Thank you for your response. Where would I find these items on the 4cyl 2.0L? Any links you can point me to?

Edit: ha, it's a 2.0L, not 2.2L

Disregard the gauge switch and find the CTS at rear of engine see below

[quote:df0a6c9d00="rasmataz"]Disregard the gauge switch and find the CTS at rear of engine see below[/quote:df0a6c9d00]

Wow, awesome, looks like a $18 part at AutoZone. How can I test it to see if it has really failed? Do you have a spec for resistance cold vs. hot?

Thanks so much

See below

OK, that's interesting. the resistance is 320 ohms after it's sat for about 30/40 mins, so it appears to be good. I put it on/took it off a few times & cleaned the contacts to make sure, but still nothing on the gauge.

It looked to have been replaced relatively recently, if it's the sensor that is pointing up, not towards the front of the car.

What's the next part I need to look at?

Do a continuity check on the wire if good replace the temperature gauge

[quote:776f91ec37="rasmataz"]Do a continuity check on the wire if good replace the temperature gauge[/quote:776f91ec37]

OK I don't know if I can do a continuity check on the wiring. If I'm looking at the correct sensor (on the thermostat neck, pointing up not the one toward the front of the car) it has a green and brown wire.

The back of the instrument panel has 3 wires running to the gauge. A positive, and two contacts numbered 4 & 5 on the harness disconnect. One wire is green/yellow one is brown (slightly larger gauge). I assume the brown is the ground, there is continuity between it & nuts behind the dash. However, the green/yel wire does not have continuity to the green wire on the CTS.

Looking in my chilton manual it appears that the green & brown wires from the sensor run to the computer, not the instrument panel.

When I plugged the sensor in after starting the car & having it run for a few minutes, the RPM changed so it makes me skeptical that the sensor or wiring is the problem.

Is there a way I can check the gauge itself? Or what should I do now?