my temp gauge stopped working,i know this car has a mechanical gauge-is the sensor on top of thermostat housing or on side of block.how do i evaluate what is wrong,gauge versus sending unit -or however ist setup-im just not familair with this type of sensor wire etc

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95 e320,87 sdl,79 300sd

rarely the guage if that helps, unless the car has been trashed

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Ron
2015 Porsche Cayman - Elizabeth
2011 Porsche Cayman - Bond,James Bond
Sadly MERCEDESLESS - ALways LOOKING !
99 E320 THE Queen Mary - SOLD
62 220b - Dolly - Finally my Finny! Sadly SOLD
72 450SL, Pearl-SOLD
16 F350 6.7 Diesel -THOR
19 BMW X5 - Heaven on Wheels
14 38HP John Deere 3038E Tractor -Mean Green
84 300SD, Benjamin -SOLD
71 220 - W115-Libby ( my first love) -SOLD
73 280 - W114 "Organspende" Rest in Peace
81 380 SL - Rest in Peace

Should be a mechanical gauge. It it's electric you'll need to find the sender. Remove the wire and touch to ground. If the needle moves replace the sender.

If the needle dosen't move you are in for a challenge. Next is the process of elimination. Could be anything between the wiring to the engine, the gauge, and the grounds in the instrument cluster.

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"If it's in the newspaper it must be true." Dudley Do-Right

im not clear what is meant by a mechanical gauge.im pretty sure that is whats on the car,how do i diagnose it and repair.

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95 e320,87 sdl,79 300sd

If it is a mechanical gauge I doubt that you will be able to repair it. These are complicated devices that can have a number of things go wrong with them and it is best to just replace the entire system.

As I recall there is a bulb that is screwed into the engine, a thermocouple to send the signal to the gauge and the gauge itself. All of them are capable of failing independently and each would be tough to test by itself.

Hello,

All 72 220Ds all came with the mechanical gauge. It has a capilary tube and gas in it. When the gas escapes the gauge stops working. There are companies that repair them but it is expensive. The bulb type sending unit is in the side of the cylinder head.

I have a shelf full of these old clusters if you want a good used gauge for $25.00 tested. Email me ja17@att.net

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Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio
1964 220SE Rally (La Carrera Panamericana someday)
1966 Unimog 404s (Swedish Army)
1969 300SEL 6.3 (sold)
1969 280SL Pagoda
1973 280SEL 4.5
1974 450SLC FIA Rally car (standard trans)
1982 300D turbo (winter driver)
1986 560SEC
1989 Unimog FLU419 (US Army)
1991 300TE (wife)
2002 SLK 32 AMG (350 hp)