Very new to Honda's
Im working on a 97 EX non-VETC 5 sp.
Someone swaped engine to DX before I ended up with it.

Temp gauge is always pegged hot (when key is "on", but engine is not overheating.
1) I removed the gauge wire, gauge drops to cold.
2) I ohm'd sensor (when warm) ~75 Ohms (from memory).
3) I put the wire back on, gauge spikes.
4) I replaced sensor (with an old one), got same thing.
5) I ohm'd the temp harness, 55 Ohms between T term and + term.(with cluster attached)
6) I removed cluster, harness has NO continunity to ground, but cluster has 55 ohms per item 5 above.

Question, is this normal ? or do I need a new temp gauge ?

The strange this is the car also has a Faze temp gage (not hooked up, but when wired, regestered the same. THE ENGINE IS NOT OVER HEATING.

Any help would be appreciated, as I’m learning by trial and error.

 

Gauge is probably bad. 75 ohms is right for normal operating temperature, so gauge should read halfway. Don't connect two gauges at once it won't work.

 

No, only single gauge was tried. Did'nt even know 2nd (Faza) gauge was not wired at all.

Is the honda cluster temp gauge servicable ? Of do I get a whole new cluster ??

 

The cluster can be taken apart and gauges replaced. One more thing you could try is take the cluster out but leave it plugged in so you can probe the back. Plug in the sender and turn the key on measure voltage from the 3 screws for the gauge to ground. One should be power and one grounded, the third one is the sender. Maybe losing the gauge ground causes it to go all the way up.

 

Your correct, the 3 terminals on the back of the cluster are; "+" (I assume 12 v), "-" ground, and "T" sender. I Ohm'd all 3 with the cluster NOT connected, I have 55 Ohms from "+" to "T", other terminals were "open".

Tomorrow I'll probe the back of the cluster for voltages with it plugged in.

If it's the gauge, what other years will fit a 94 Civic EX ??

 

My 97 EX did that after I changed the headgasket. It ended up just being a little wire with a metal female connector that slides over a metal prong next to the temp sensor right under the distributor.