Temp sensor fail hot?

Put my new cluster gauges in; wired according to Krage's print. Gas gauge shows full; good! Temp gauge started on cold but in the quick time I took to tell my bride I was on a test run, it went to "hot". I think. I'm pretty sure it was on "cold" to start with.....

Motor probably isn't overheating that quick; it never shows any other symptoms of being hot.

Do temp sensors fail "hot" or "cold"? All it is is a variable ground, correct?

Pickup refused to start after stopping to buy a paper this am; it's sitting in town at the shop now.....

Arrggghhh. I wanted to go play tomorrow night. Prolly will anyway; been driving it without a temp gauge so far. Just want to figger out this gauge business............

 

I suspect a wire grounding out, or something touching post behind dash
turn the key on without engine running
does gauge needle move across to hot side?

 

I have a 69 CJ5 and just put in replacement fuel and temp gauges as well. The temp gauge started out on cold and went to hot in about 30 sec. The fule gauge pegs on full as soon as you turn the key over. I local mechanic suggested that it is a grounding issue so I am going to ground the cluster housing adn gound the gas tank and see if it helps. Let me know if you come up with anything.

 

Check your grounding.

http://home.comcast.net/~sday77/binky/repair_gauges.htm

Stan