8 replies to this topic

[Pete - W.Sussex]

I am fitting a new dash to my 2000 Cooper Classic. It currently just has a central clock which I’m ditching. I’m going with three gauges - water temp, oil temp and oil pressure. Water temp will be in addition to the gauge in the speedo/tacho console as I find it difficult to see.

On the oil temp I was planning to use the existing sensor in the block together with the wiring already in place that ends behind the existing dash and isn’t connected to anything - presumably this is there to support the oil temp gauges fitted to Sportspack models? Also, am I right that the oil temp sensor does not feed the ECU.

On water temp I will not disturb the existing temp sensor in the thermostat housing as I know it feeds the ECU/radiator fan so I am looking for somewhere to locate an additional sensor to feed the additional gauge. The engine is away being rebuilt at the moment so I don’t know whether there is somewhere on the engine/head - I was thinking of putting it somewhere in the top hose from the thermostat to the radiator. I don’t really mind it being the radiator side of the thermostat. But I don’t want it sticking up at me when I open the bonnet so was thinking somewhere on the underneath of the hose (if you know what I mean). The problem is that without the engine I don’t know whether it would foul the plug leads or coil pack. Nearer the radiator would seem better as it would be easier/neater to earth I think. What do people think and/or done?

By the way I seem to have found some more redundant wiring in the loom. It goes from the centre of the bulkhead to close to the horn. I am assuming this might be to run the radiator fan on the SPI with a side mounted radiator? Am I right? If so I will extend and use it to feed the new water temp gauge.

Confirmation of my thinking and any ideas gratefully received.

Pete

[jamesquintin]

Hey,

 

I've more or less done this with mine, minus the temo guage.

 

Oil Temp is fed from the block. The sensor in teh block is 90% lilely to have failed. Apparently there was some quality issue with them and most of them are knackared. You'll need this from Minispares:

 

http://minispares.co.../Gauges/Cables, pipes, etc/YCB100320.aspx

 

The Temp guage on the dash is actually fed by the ECU, not directly from the sensor. Maybe its possible to take a secondary feed from it? The temp guage might need a specific sensor to work with it.

 

The redunat wiring is for the Japanese Aircon and not used.

 

Q

[bikewiz]

As I'm not too familiar with the head on an MPI do they still have the old style heater take off on the left front of the head? If they do you can use one of  these and a capillary guage for temp. I made one a few years ago to do the same thing on my '92 which has the floating heater valve.

http://www.dsnclassi...tapped-5-8-unf/

[Twincam]

As I'm not too familiar with the head on an MPI do they still have the old style heater take off on the left front of the head? If they do you can use one of  these and a capillary guage for temp. I made one a few years ago to do the same thing on my '92 which has the floating heater valve.
http://www.dsnclassi...tapped-5-8-unf/

The heater take off is blanked however you could get a machine shop to tap into it... The temperature sensor hole also is blank as the temperature sender is built into the sandwich plate on the thermostat housing.

[brivinci]

On the SPi the original heater sensor is in the intake manifold...and I have no idea why!!??? I had an issue where my upper rad pipe burst and the temp gauge read perfect while the motor cooked itself. Soooo, with the new head I commission from Calver ST (older casting) I removed the blanking plug and installed an older style temp sensor in the original mini place, by thermostat. I’m very happy I did. Wiring it up to aux gauge is very simple after that.

 

Sorry, wrote this on my phone and autocorrect made a mess of it.

Edited by brivinci, 02 May 2019 - 01:56 PM.

[Pete - W.Sussex]

Thanks all - food for thought.

Pete

[Pete - W.Sussex]

Just to complete the loop on this for future readers.

I have put the water temp sensor in the top hose quite close to the radiator facing toward the engine so it does not stand out and earthed it to the coil pack mounts.

On the oil pressure I have ended up putting the sensor on the inner wing near the wok and have run a braided line from the block to the sensor. The original sensor which runs the oil light in the dash is also next to the sensor on the inner wing on a T piece. Small mistake I made was to assume both sensors would earth themselves through the braided line to the block - they don’t for some reason so have earthed to the inner wing and all ok.

[Dutchdave's25]

I have put the water temp sensor in the top hose quite close to the radiator facing toward the engine so it does not stand out and earthed it to the coil pack mounts.

that will mean that you only get a correct reading when your thermostat is open.. maybe not a big issue, but just saying ;)

[Pete - W.Sussex]

Correct. We’ll see how it goes - I’ve still got the regular sensor in the thermostat housing linked to the ECU for the rad fan and the gauge in the dash console, it’s just that I find it hard to read. I should soon know if the thermostat is working!