1994-1996 Caprice/9C1/Impala SS Temperature gauge cluster diagnostics and repair (part 3)

Please see part 1 and 2 of this series for more information.

This video demonstrates how the "dampening" fluid works in the temperature gauges on '94-96 Chevy Caprice and '94-95 Chevy Impala SS cars. If the gauges are banging hard, and going out of calibration, the dampening fluid (or lack thereof) is often the culprit. We will review how to inject new fluid and then stress test the results.


Dampening fluid used in this video is 1M centistokes (cSt) from this seller:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/124876493507

I later worked with the seller on this listing for 1M cSt fluid:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/124926539893

And may be updating this description if the seller offers higher viscosities than 1M cSt.

Anything greater than 1M may work better. I started with 500K cSt and it did not dampen well enough. 1M is closer to factory but still off target. Take a look at how smooth the fuel gauge works in this video. It still retains the factory dampening fluid. I may do an update where I try higher values.


I don't recommend using greases or other fluids, they won't work and may damage the gauge. Synthetic (silicone) dampening fluid has very special properties and is safe to use on delicate electronics.


The results were successful in keeping the temperature gauge in calibration as long as the dampening fluid is used in conjunction with a resistor in the bulb test circuit for additional insurance.

If you are having trouble with your gauges or anything else with these cars, please join The Impala SS Forum. It's been around for many years. You can find me there along with others who are very knowledgeable. Also keep in mind that it's a community and you will find a mixture of personalities there. So my recommendation (for any forum) is to post as much detail as you can about the car... past repairs and current problems. Use proper english, complete sentences, and proper punctuation... and you may even get a reply directly from me. LOL.

https://www.impalassforum.com/

Thanks for watching!



Disclaimer: I am not a professional mechanic by trade. If you blow up your car or kill yourself, please do not hold me accountable. If you are not comfortable with DIY car mechanics, please consult an ASE Certified Mechanic.