Condensation in water temp gauge

[Glyn Harper]

I did a complete interior change on my 88 Esprit to the last interior with the smaller instrument binnacle but I swapped over the oil pressure gauge and water temp gauge from the original cluster. 
thing is there’s condensation in the water temp gauge which is really annoying me.

 I know I could probably take it apart and set it and what have you, but there are so many newer water temp gauges these days I’m considering just swapping it for Something newer. 
question is, is the water temp sender a standard thing? Will any electrical water temp gauge work or will I need to swap the sender as well?

 If I need to swap the sender I’ll just fix the gauge I have instead. 
cheers. 

[Neil Potter]

The sensor is pretty standard I think, variable resistance one wire to the thermostat housing, would imagine it would work with lots of gauges but not necessarily accurately.

Have a look at Spiyda Designs, they have a gizmo that sits between gauge and sender that can be calibrated so you can use any gauge with any sender.  At least that’s what it looked like, I didn’t buy one in the end as my fuel gauge anti slosh unit mysteriously started working again!

Funnily enough it’s the water temp which is most prone to condensation on mine, though it doesn’t happen much.

[Glyn Harper]

Ah, super. Thankyou. I’ll have a browse around on eBay. I’ll keep my original gauge of course but it can be ‘retired’.

[CarBuff]

Our coolant temp gauge has been cloudy under some conditions for 20+ years.

 

"Don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff" is the rule I apply to this. (In other words, it's a quirk, not a problem.)

 

I've often thought that I could drill a couple of vent holes in the body of the gauge, or seal it somehow...but I'm waiting to get one of these first.

[Glyn Harper]

Thanks. I've ordered one, so I'll see how it goes. A bit more of a modern looking one as well, as the original VDO one was looking quite dated next to my newer V8 speedo and rev counter, and my SPA fuel level gauge. :)

Cheers.