already switched the coolant temo sensor and the temp switch and the gauge in the dash still doesnt work, new to grand cherokees so my question is what else should i look at/replace to get the gauge to work?

 

i find it hard to beleive no one on here has ever had this issue with a zj before. please any info would help!

i figure the next things to do will be change tstat and flush it as my heat doesnt work at all, only the defrost does leading me to beleive a good flush is needed. if that doesnt help either im led to beleive that either my guage is just plain broken or its a wiring issue. any thoughts?

 

I might check the wiring around the temp sensor and the sender make sure none of them are jacked up.
So your defrost is the only vent that blows heat?

 

buy a 1kohm resistor and push/place that in the temperatur sender contact and ground it, turn on the car and it should show around 80-90 celsius. If not the wire to the gauge or the gauge itself is defect.

 

correct, no matter what i have the **** turned to whether its your feet or for upper body it still only blows outta the defrost vent.

 

Very good idea PWB!! That will totally rule out the wiring.

Does temp gauge move at all?

 

Sounds like you might have a vacuum leak. Check all your vacuum houses make that none are missing or broken. Also the is a vacuum canister in the passenger side bumper under the front clip that has hoses running to it. Give those a good once over. Let us know what you find out.

 

There is a vacuum reservoir under the battery tray, the hose could be rotted, the black plastic vacuum line could be eaten by battery acid. There is also a small black vacuum line right next to where the A/C enters the firewall, check those hoses and lines for the defrost only problem.

 

awesome thanks for the info guys, but my real question here was how to get my temp gauge working now to get my heat working hahaha

 

Try this^ unless you already got it solved.

 

still not solved, BUTTTT i drove her home from my buddies and realized the upper radiator hose mount was cracked upon arriving home and actually i broke right off when i jiggled the hose to see how bad the crack was. so i just got a new radiator i should be installing this weekend. based on the size of the crack i dont think there was enough pressure for the gauge to work coreectly. is my thought process correct or?

 

Sounds like a good enough reason to cause some issues! Did you ever notice a leak, the smell of coolent, or steam coming from the engine bay?

Keep us updated!

 

I have a 93 grand and my gauge doesn't always work. My thermostat is new, water pump is new, the entire cooling system is new. The needle just goes back and forth between 210 and cold but motor is fine

 

Have you tried burping the system?

 

got the new radiator in today and now its leaking from the cylinder head so i think i have a blown head gasket. any other ideas on what it could be that would be less expensive/easier fix?