When I bought the truck, the gauge always set below 100*, and would kind of "bounce around" between 100* and 160* once in a while. I replaced the sensor (other one looked kinda iffy) and the problem is still here. All the dash cluster does, is read the Ohms load, and move the gauges accordingly, correct? Where else could my problem lie?

 

Unplug the wire to the sensor and leave it and see if it still bounces around.

 

If it's the one to the immediate left of the thermostat, I unplugged it, and long story short...gauge bounced around still.

 

Ok now its either the guage itself or the wiring some where. You can check the wire goin to the sensor with a voltmeter and see how much voltage is being run to the sensor. Not sure how much is supposed to be though.

 

Here's the thing. Are there 2 sensors for the temperature gauge?

1 for the PCM, and one for the gauge? Because....I unplugged the one near the T-stat, and my truck didn't want to start, only way to make it start was push the accelerator to the floor and crank it for a few. Check engine light came on the second the connector was off, I plugged the connector back in, everything was normal, no CEL, started and ran fine...

There is a sensor on the left head, could that be the one for the gauge?

 

On my 01 it on the driver side right above the front cylinder. Its brass. It may be the same on urs.

 

I'll look at it in the AM, I'm just wondering WTH I unplugged to screw the truck up so bad, and whatever sensor it was, is now a engine temp. sensor, lol.