I have a 1998 Tracker...

I replaced my temperature sensor because the spade connector broke off and the gauge wasn't working.  Now, the gauge goes to the halfway point before it even warms up and then moves up slightly after it is warm.  I replaced it with Duralast part number TU89 from autozone, which is what their system says is the part number.

What is wrong?
Did I get the wrong sending unit?

Sounds like it - electrical gauge senders have to be - so to speak "electrically matched" to the gauges, and if you have the wrong sender then the gauge reads wrong.

I"m inclined to agree.  My original Samurai temp gauge slowly climbs to around mid-point as the engine warms, and will rise toward the very top of the gauge if the engine overheats. (I took the overheating as a sign to replace the fan clutch.) 

first problem is AUTOZONE!! their parts are junk pay a little more get one a Carquest, O'Reilly Auto Parts, or NAPA.

first problem is AUTOZONE!! their parts are junk pay a little more get one a Carquest, O'Reilly Auto Parts, or NAPA.

Strange - I see a lot of the same parts at all of them.  Seems foolish to pay more for the same part.

Quote from: kubik1981 on September 30, 2010, 08:11:50 PM

first problem is AUTOZONE!! their parts are junk pay a little more get one a Carquest, O'Reilly Auto Parts, or NAPA.

Strange - I see a lot of the same parts at all of them.  Seems foolish to pay more for the same part.

I agree

trust me the parts maybe a little more in price but there quality check people are a lot better the company those three use is Standard Motor Parts or BWD (Borg Warner), two of the best electronics makers out there right now!

trust me the parts maybe a little more in price but there quality check people are a lot better the company those three use is Standard Motor Parts or BWD (Borg Warner), two of the best electronics makers out there right now!

So just for the sake of this discussion - you're asking me to believe that if I walk into a Carquest and pickup - say a Bosch oxygen sensor, it's going to be a better quality part than the same Bosch oxygen sensor in the AutoZone up the street, just because it's in a Carquest - or is this just limited to Borg Warner & Standard Motor Parts? 

I have a 1998 Tracker...

I replaced my temperature sensor because the spade connector broke off and the gauge wasn't working.  Now, the gauge goes to the halfway point before it even warms up and then moves up slightly after it is warm.  I replaced it with Duralast part number TU89 from autozone, which is what their system says is the part number.

What is wrong?
Did I get the wrong sending unit?

do you have a mutlimeter that you can measure the resistance with?  I can measure mine and let you know what its supposed to read cold.  I would recommend getting a new sendor from the junkyard.  I go to the pick and puill all the time and could grab one for you if you'd like.  send me a PM if you're interested.

Brand to brand, and part to part SHOULD be the same, but in some cases
large companies get special deals and special products made specifically for their
stores, Wal-Mart and Home Depot come to mind, the bar codes are different
on those products too, now weather the part inside is of a differing quality I
could not say, but you never know.

I trust the name brands like Napa better than Autozone on some stuff, like
electrical and water pumps, especially if it's a part that needs to be reliable.

Get another sender from Autozone, if it does the same thing as the first one,
take it back and get a refund, it's obviously not the right part

Wild