Along with a couple other gauges I decided to add a water gauge as well but wanted to find out where is the best place to mount the sender on my ‘05 MCS. I’ve seen some are mounted in the top rad hose and heard of others mounting it in the back of the block. I guess there’s a plug back there that can be removed.

 

The block would be better, if you put it in the hose, it may not register a temperature if the thermostat sticks closed. I'm going to add water temp, oil pressure, and a boost gauge to my R52 when I can

Bryan

 

Ok but do you know what in the block?

 

I don't know yet, it's taken me a year to get my '06 JCW R52 back on the road again from when I bought it. Now that it's running as it should, I can concentrate on the other little things that are still needing attention and also decide where to mount my extra gauges. I have a spare block here, I'll try to see where this water jacket plug is that you speak of

Bryan

 

All I read was below the head on the back of the block?

 

Again, I'm not sure where this water plug is, yet

You could also T into the heater hose coming out of the cylinder head as close to the head as possible, your temp reading may be a few degrees off from there as opposed to the sending unit in the block

If you put the sender in the large radiator hose, you won't get a hot temperature reading until the thermostat opens

Bryan

 

It is also feasible to share the sensor the ECU uses, but not with most gauges you buy off the shelf because it would inject its own power to the sensor and mess up the ECU input. You have to make your own gauge like using a simple microcontroller. The advantage is the sensor is already at the ideal location.

 

Actually I’m now wondering what’s more important a water temp gauge which the already has or a oil temp gauge??

 

I have both water and oil temperature gauges, in my series two MINI. They track within five degrees of each other.

 

Well I chose the water because I’ve read where the factory gauge is not that reliable.

 

I also have both, never an issue with the water temp being off, I can visibly see the temp gauge drop from 195° to exactly 185° when the thermostat first opens upon warm up.

And yes, my oil temp is also about 10-15° above water temp, which is where it should be. Viscosity temps for oil testing are done between 205-210°

If you already have water, I'd definitely add oil temp before doing a redundant water temp gauge, esp if you run the car hard, it takes at least 5 min of normal driving, after the water temp is where it should be, before the oil temp comes up to operational perimeters, running the car hard before that can wear parts much quicker than even prolonged higher rpm driving.

 

Redundancy meaning the stock factory gauge and a aftermarket gauge? Where did u tap in for the oil temp gauge?

 

Yes, meaning both factory and aftermarket together.

Mine was factory with the Chrono Pack, but most are added via the drain plug like Mini does with the later gen vehicles.

Here are a couple of references for you:

https://www.mini2.com/forum/first-ge...diy.html?amp=1

https://www.cravenspeed.com/oil-temp...r53-2002-2006/

 

Personally, I would rather have a water temp gauge over the oil temp gauge, but that's just my opinion


I have heard that also....the temp gauge in my '04 R53 basically stays at center all the time......I don't have a temp gauge in my '06 R52 because of the factory NAV system in the car....all I have there is an "idiot light"

The factory oil temp gauge in some of the cars was taken at the oil pan drain plug.....there was a sender that took the place of the drain plug

Bryan

 

I put an oil pressure and boost pressure next to my tach. For water temp I am using a ScanGauge which can be programmed to display many different outputs, including water temp. I wanted to install a water temp gauge, but could not find a decent place that was not too obtrusive, so I settled on the ScanGauge. It sits on top of the dash just to the right of the left A pillar. Easy to see too. Just an option if you are having a hard time deciding what to do.

 

Water temp... The easy button would be one of the inline radiator hose adapters.

ideally, for the oil temp sensor, you'd remove the pan and get a bung welded to install the sensor -- instead of using the drain plug. I've mangled a few adapters for an oil sensor trying to remove/install while doing an oil change. However, pulling the oil pan and finding someone to weld a bung isn't always possible.

 

Put it inline to the radiator hose is great if you want to know then the thermostat fails to open or close. I would label it thermostat monitor gauge.

 

Are you being sarcastic? What do u think about putting it in the block? Do you know if there’s a spot in the back?

 

you can take it as sarcasm if you want.....but like I also said in the first reply to this thread...."If you put the sender in the upper radiator hose, it will not register engine temp until the t-stat opens".......so now that you have it installed in your upper hose, what do you think is going to happen if the t-stat sticks closed?? ANSWER: you will still be reading very low ambient temps while your water in the block & head continues to rise and eventually you have an engine meltdown because you were reading your gauge thinking all was OK because of where you installed the sender.......I pointed this out in "Reply #1" here......

You seem to already have your mind made up to put it in the radiator hose, it's your car, do as you please.....but when that t-stat sticks closed, and you end up having to buy another engine, please remember this thread

Bryan

 

If you have a radiator hose mounted water temp sensor that is reading, say, 160' and your OEM gauge is dancing near the overheating zone... do you continue to carry on without any further investigation?

 

I don't have a factory OEM temp gauge in my car, so your question to me is irrelevant.....but to answer your question, I would not continue to "carry on" without finding out what was wrong.....but in the first case, I would never install a temp gauge in any car after the thermostat......you will never get a correct reading

please show me a vehicle manufacturer that has installed factory water temp gauges into their vehicles after the thermostat to prove me wrong

Bryan

 

Scanguage ...

 

You can display the actual temperature the ECU is reading using Test 7, downsides are you have to enter test mode every time you start the car and you can't see the odometer, trip odometer, or clock while in test mode. Probably not the best solution for every day use, but it is there.

Test mode:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...oard-test.html


There is a coolant drain on the back of the block, it's behind the starter. It would be a tight spot to try to get the plug out and install a gauge sender, and there may not be enough space for the sender with the starter there.

 

Did your car not come with one? Or... did you remove it? If you removed it, no wonder why you're against inline radiator temp sensors...

Of course, the ideal spot is someone on the block/head in a water jacket, but that isn't always feasible.
Thus, the rad hose is better than removing the OEM gauge and having nothing (lol), or trying to get actual temp numbers from the OEM gauge.


For my other car, I have both the ECT sensor and a sensor tapped/drilled into a water neck on the head, both being displayed to a PLX gauge. OP, if you wanna do it right ... do it right the first time. Otherwise, like I said, the easy button is the rad hose and don't be an idiot and remove the OEM gauge.

 

I decided to exchange the gauge for a oil temp gauge and just rely on the factory temp gauge which has never given me a problem.