Oil Temp Gauges

[Vibratinharley]

Are the Oil/Temp dipsticks worth it or not. (I am loving this forum more and more)

I asked the guy who I trust at the dealership and he told me that his experience and feedback from customers is that the LCD Temp dipstick is not accurate and not worth it. ( His words) I replaced ambient temp gauge with oil temp gauge and installed sending unit in oil pan. It seems to work ok but it's a HD one and it's backlight is brighter than the rest of them for some reason. Can't win....:small3d031:

 

[glider]

The digital oil temp dipsticks are garbage. Some work and some don't. If they work, after some time the quit then.

 

[TQuentin1]

I asked the guy who I trust at the dealership and he told me that his experience and feedback from customers is that the LCD Temp dipstick is not accurate and not worth it. ( His words) I replaced ambient temp gauge with oil temp gauge and installed sending unit in oil pan. It seems to work ok but it's a HD one and it's backlight is brighter than the rest of them for some reason. Can't win....:small3d031:

Vibrator,

If you still have your old air temp gauge, take the bulb out of the back of it and you will notice there is a "condom" (for lack of a better description) on it. This darkens the bulb and will let the new gauge match the "brightness" of the others if you put this cover on the new gauge's bulb, or just put the old bulb in your new gauge with the cover on it.

TQ

 

[Vibratinharley]

Vibrator,

If you still have your old air temp gauge, take the bulb out of the back of it and you will notice there is a "condom" (for lack of a better description) on it. This darkens the bulb and will let the new gauge match the "brightness" of the others if you put this cover on the new gauge's bulb, or just put the old bulb in your new gauge with the cover on it.

TQ

Hey, Thanks. I didn't even realize that it came off. It looks good now. **(you would think that by buying a HD expensive gauge, that it would come with it) I am glad fairing is so easy to take apart. I was afraid to do it at first and was gonna take it to dealer but I have had it apart 3 times now and it only takes a few minutes. Another way to save $$$.

 

[jmunsey]

Are the Oil/Temp dipsticks worth it or not. (I am loving this forum more and more)

Not really. I had one on my 2000 Softail. It was one of the older ones and wasn't too bad. gave me something to look at while idling at a traffic light. Then about a year or so ago I bought one of the new fancy digital read out dipsticks that also displays oil level. I thought that was neat idea to be able to check oil level without pulling the stick out so i fored over $135 for it at the HD shop. The levle part never did work right and most ot the time the display told me the oil was too cold or too hot. It was difficult to just get a reading off it. I pulled it out and put my old one back in. Still have the new one. I may sell it someday as it is still like new.

Jim

 

[fredm1130]

I bought the oil temp dip stick for the ease and same price but after washing the bike the glass fogged up and once bitten twice shy bought the fairing gauge and installed it need to run the line and install the sensor, stopped doing it for the moment, need to find out where the wire plugs into the gauge (none of the connectors fit) and need oil to install the new sensor.

 

[bobalu]

I bought the oil temp dip stick for the ease and same price but after washing the bike the glass fogged up and once bitten twice shy bought the fairing gauge and installed it need to run the line and install the sensor, stopped doing it for the moment, need to find out where the wire plugs into the gauge (none of the connectors fit) and need oil to install the new sensor.

Zombie Thread!(2008) but...did your dip stick one work though? (aside from the fogging issues). This thread is 6 years old, and it would be pretty sad if the digital dip stick one was not improved at all in that amount of time (or re-sourced by Harley for a more reliable and accurate one). I would like to get the digital dipstick one, but am still waiting for a "reliable and accurate" one from Harley.

 

[03ultra45385]

I found that when I replaced one burned out gauge lamp that the new one was brighter than the others. Replaced the others and all was good.

Harley's oil temp gage uses the air temp wiring. The wires from the new oil temp sending unit go to the connector that used to plug into the old air temp sensor which is mounted to the right side of the radio ( looking at from the front of the bike.
Having an oil temp gauge on a pre O2 sensor equiped bike can help let you know when there is a problem that is causing say an overheating problem such as a throttle position sensor going bad.

 

[BrianMc]

Thank you TQuentin1. I think I may try your suggestion on the bolts going through the faring instead of replacing those brass fittings. Looks good on your Bike to by the way! I think this would be a more permanite fix for my 2002 UC. Thanks again for posting!