Temperature Guage VS Idiot Light

On my dash, I have a temperature " Idiot Light. If I install a Temp Guage, can I simply hook the sensing wire of a Temperature Guage to this wire that goes back to the sending unit on the engine?

That is, after I have hooked up all the other wires ( power, ground, backlight) properly.

no, you need a sender that is matches to the gauge - buy them as a set.

your current lamp isn't connected to a sender. All you have now on your motor is a temperature switch that turns the light on at a certain temp.

Thanks for the reply. "What " the idiot light is hooked to looks just like a sending unit from a car. It's in the intake manifold. Interesting. I will get the matched set, just to be sure.

Scott

G'day Scott,

As hystat said, that engine unit is a simple switch, and a Sender Unit for a Gauge looks the similar on the outside, but is different on the inside, where it is submersed in the coolant.

The best of both worlds is to have both the "Idiot Light" and a Gauge, but the Gauge has to take precedence in the coolant flow.

But, to answer your initial question, you can use the wire from the engine to the Light, if you replace the switch with a sensor for the Gauge. My 155 HP Buick V6 has this method. Single wire from the engine to the dash.

Bruce.