Actron CP8201 User Manual

WATER/OIL TEMPERATURE GAUGE

INSTRUCTIONS

INDICADORES DE TEMPERATURA DE AGUA/

ACEITE  INSTRUCCIONES - TENSIÓN 12 V

THERMOMÈTRE POUR EAU / HUILE -

INSTRUCTIONS

Warning: If your car is microprocessor (computer) controlled or has an electric cooling fan, refer to
the section on the front cover titled Microprocessor Controlled Engines.

Temperature gauges measure the temperature
of any liquid their sender tip is submerged in. An
electrical temperature gauge is simpler and more
versatile for installation than a mechanical gauge
but is not quite as fast to respond to temperature
changes.

PRECAUTIONS

1. A temperature gauge requires that its sender
tip have a circulating flow around it to give an
accurate reading. For this reason, a T-fitting
cannot be used because it has no circulation
therefore the original warning light sender can­not be operated off the same location. An ad­ditional location may be available on the cyl­inder head, intake manifold, or thermostat
housing but caution should be used in that
these locations may have different average
temperatures than the original warning light
sender location.

2. Do not over tighten the fittings or sender, par­ticularly for mechanical gauges. The threads
are designed to strip before the engine com­ponent can be damaged. The fittings use ta­pered self-sealing threads and do not require
extreme force to seal properly.

3. Do not use sealing tapes or compounds on
electrical senders as this will disturb their
grounding connection to the engine resulting
in false low readings.

4. Take caution when uncoiling and routing the
mechanical gauges capillary tubing that you
do not bend it too sharply or flex it too often.
Any break in the inner tube will make the
gauge nonrepairable. A replacement service
is available only at the factory service center.

5. Always install the adapter fitting into the en­gine first and then tighten the captive fitting
(Diagram1) on the capillary tube to avoid
twisting the tubing.

6. Never install the captive fitting on the capil­lary tube directly into the engine without an
adapter, as a proper seal will not be formed.

INSTALLATION

Note: If you are planning to use both an oil

temperature gauge and an an oil pressure
gauge, some modifications may be
necessary as there is only one available hole
for both senders. Since the temperature
gauge cannot use a T-fitting, we suggest that
you install the oil temperature sender into
the oil pressure warning light sender location
in the engine block. Then obtain an adapter
(which we do not manufacture) used for oil
coolers which will give you an additional outlet
for oil pressure.

FOR MECHANICAL GAUGES:

1. Drain the fluid level in the system to below the
senders mounting location which is normally
the factorys warning light sender location.

Diagram 1

CAPILLARY TUBE TIP

2. Route the capillary tubing through the mount­ing hole for the gauge and then through the
firewall, protecting the tubing from rough
edges. Form at least one 3" or larger loop of
tubing as it comes through the firewall and
route the remainder to the sender mounting
locations.

CAPTIVE FITTING

CAPILLARY

TUBE

PARA NOMBRE, DOMICILIO Y TELEFONO DE IMPORTADOR: VER EMPAQUE.

1

3. Remove the warning light sender and install
the proper adapter fitting into the engine block.
If the proper adapter fitting was not included
with the gauge, obtain the CP7555 (NPT
threads) adapter set.

4. Insert the capillary tube tip into the adapters
hole and then tighten, with moderate pres­sure only, the captive fitting (Diagram 1) into
the adapter. Do not over tighten. Sealing tape
or compound may be used on either connec­tion.

5. Complete the mounting of the gauge.

6. Refill the fluid level to its normal level.

7. Start the engine and observe the fitting con­nections for leaks and the gauge for proper
operation.

FOR ELECTRICAL GAUGES:

1. Drain the fluid level in the system to below
the senders mounting location, which is nor­mally the factorys warning light sender lo­cation.

2. Remove the warning light sender and insu­late the end of the sender wire. Install the
proper adapter fitting (not included) into the
engine block, if needed. Obtain either the
CP7553 (NPT threads) or CP7573 (metric
threads) adapter set, if an adapter is needed.

3. Install the gauges sender into the warning
light senders mounting location in the engine
block.

4. Run a length of 18-gauge insulated copper
wire from the gauges mounting location to
the senders mounting location.

5. Attach the 18-gauge wire onto the top of the
gauges sender.

6. Facing the back of the gauge, the connection
post on the right is for the +12-volt power, the

center post is for the ground connection and
the left post is for the sender connection. Af­ter you have mounted the gauge, connect the
sender wire to the left connection post as
shown in Diagram 2. Do not over tighten.

7. Connect one end of another length of 18­gauge insulated copper wire to the center
connection post, as shown in Diagram 2 and
the other end of the wire to a good ground
source.

8. Connect a third length of 18-gauge insulated
copper wire to the right connection post as
shown in Diagram 2, and the other end of the
wire should be connected to the fuse box
where the wires will receive +12 volts of
power whenever the ignition key is in a
START, ON or ACCESSORY position.

9. Refill the fluid level to its normal level.

10. Start the engine and observe the fitting/
sender connections for leaks and the gauge
for proper operation.

TROUBLESHOOTING

If your electrical gauge reads lower than you would
expect, check all electrical connections, particu­larly grounding connections. Any poor connec­tion will increase electrical resistance resulting in
a false low reading.

Diagram 2

WIRE

FLAT WASHER

WASHER

DO NOT LEAVE ANY HARDWARE OUT OF
THESE CONNECTIONS

NUT

NUT

CLOSED-EYE CONECTOR

GROMMET

MAKE SURE CRIMP IS GOOD

U-BRACKET

GAUGE

2