Fair enough. In a similar vein I take every opportunity to point out that a huge majority have no issues with them.
The huge majority have no issues with any of the suppliers but for the tiny minority that do it’s how their issue is resolved that is important. And for me makes a good company stand out from a bad one. I’ve used most of the classic VW parts suppliers for a range of different products and like you I’ve had good and bad from many of them but the one time I could be bothered to actually pursue an issue - a replacement, not a refund or compensation – JK refused what I considered a reasonable request. I’d ordered the correct part, JK supplied the wrong part and I just wanted an exchange, right for wrong or in this case right for left. In my opinion quoting T&Cs should be a last resort in resolving an issue, not the first response to a customer’s request but I accept I had the part more than three months so JK were not liable to exchange it even though it was unused and still in the original package. There are plenty of parts suppliers and I’ll continue to avoid JK whenever I can.
I have just fitted a JK full kit dipstick temp sender with VDO gauge and wires to my bus. 1st thing don't use the wires they are not long enough to run the full length of the bus. 2nd I tested how accurate with a cup of boiling water the gauge only read 50C when it should have been close to 100C . other threads have commented not to look at the actual readout just look at were the needle points learn what is normal and what is not. still for £80 ish quid I would think it should be more accurate. If you want to drill your dash to fit these you will need a very good hole cutter. Cheap ones will blunt in no time. having blunted 2 cheap ones from screw fix I brought a 7% cobalt thing and finally managed to drill the holes.
You didn't use the correct compensating cable, hence the 50 degree difference in reading. https://www.acromag.com/sites/defau...hermocouple_sensors_and_transmitters_926A.pdf At work we use N Type thermocouples (Nicrosil and Nisil, pink and white coloured wiring) so, to obtain an accurate temperature reading we have to use the exact specification of compensating cable when extending the lead wire to a controller or temperature readout which must also be compatible with the N type t/c. If we mix a K type thermocouple with an N type compensating cable and N type readout, we can get a mis reading of around 100 to 120 degrees, depending on the operating temperature. It is essential, when measuring temperature from a temperature sensor to a readout that they are compatible and the wiring is also of the same compatibility. HTH you understand the errors
Thanks for the advice, I take it your an Electrical engineer? Don't think I will ever understand electrics. I used the cable from JK but had to add about 60cm to make it long enough to reach my dashboard. I used some head unit rated power cable I had laying around. I also used my own cable for all earths and for running power from the ignition on to the gauge. Can I replace the 60cm part with some more of the correct wire from JK? and will this bring my reading back to were it should be?
The VDO gauges aren't particularly accurate (mine's about 5* out), but they shouldn't be 50* out. I'd suggest there's something not right about your installation or the gauge. Try the boiling water test with the dipstick connected directly to the gauge. Any connecting wire will do, as long as it's not too thin. The gauges are normally installed in a plastic mounting plate or pod. You'd need a hole cutter to install in the dash (or chain-drill the hole). The dipsticks use a thermistor rather than a thermocouple: so you don't need special wiring
No special cable required for the temp sender (or the CHT either), at least mine are reasonably accurate with normal cable – I didn’t buy cable from JK.
On a more positive note about JK they do supply Haribo with their parts In fact strangely I got some with the VDO dipstick kit I have just bought cannot wait to fit it hopefully nothing drastic will happen.
