VDO catalogue

VDO Temperature Senders and Switches

A VDO temperature sender is a resistor that changes value with temperature, and its range has to match the gauge. The common ranges here are 40 to 120 °C for coolant, 50 to 150 °C for oil and transmission, 60 to 200 °C for cylinder heads, and an ambient sender from -25 to +50 °C. Thread sizes include M10 x 1, M12 x 1.5, M14 x 1.5, 1/8"-27 NPTF, 1/2"-14 NPTF and 5/8"-18 UNF, so measure the boss in the engine before you order.

Sender switches combine the gauge sender with a warning contact that closes at a set temperature, from 90 °C to 130 °C depending on the part, so one hole drives both the gauge and a warning light. Plain temperature switches have no gauge output and only switch at their set point, which ranges from 40 °C to 195 °C on this page.

Most senders earth through their thread into the block. Where the engine is not a reliable earth, as on many boats and on some plastic housings, use an insulated-contact sender with a separate return wire. For exhaust gas temperature, the pyrometer sender with a 6 m cable and the weld-on boss are listed here too, to pair with a pyrometer gauge.

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