im putting in an aftermarket water temp gauge on a 86 pontiac grand am, cani do this with an electric

[b-rich]

im putting in an aftermarket water temp gauge on a 86 pontiac grand am, cani do this with an electric

fan? will it still tell the fan to kick on? ive only ever heard the fan kick on once andthat was when i was doing doughnuts in a parking lot , can i still use this aftermarket? it goes in the temp sending unit spot
the unit is right on the thermostat housing, it just has a plug into it with 2 wires, looks like you can unhook it, it just has an idiot light

 

[Win S]

Does the car have a factory gage, or just the idiot light?
If you're replacing the factory sending unit to a gage, then there's another sending unit (switch) somewhere too operate the fan.
If the sending unit you're replacing is the switch for the fan, then the fan won't operate. You'll need to add another sending unit specifically for the new gage. You can get a variable sending unit that simply attaches to the radiator hose with a clamp for the new gage. Simple.

 

[Bob H]

Look behind the radiator at the bottom for a resister. That or something like it turns the fan on. As for the temp, sending unit, you might be able to get a union or adaptor and screw in the gage sender and keep the idiot lite also.