Thread: Flathead dual temp sender-good idea?

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Originally Posted by marks914

Guys,
the senders are designed with half the resistance, therefore the gauge reads the total, these are not run in parallel.
Mark

Then in series? So the body of the sensor doesn't ground to the block?

Bob

Electricity follows the path of least resistance. A temp sender varies the resistance according to temperature, hotter temp=less resistance, therefore more power flow through the gauge. Which ever sender has the least resistance controls the reading. Just try disconnecting one of the two, the meter still works fine, no half readings.
BTW, the senders are run in parallel, they are both grounded.

Originally Posted by R Pope

Electricity follows the path of least resistance.

That's true, but an oversimplification. Resistances in parallel are a current dividing circuit, where the current flow through each resistance is proportional to the value of the individual resistances. Said another way, all the electricity doesn't flow only through the resistance of the lowest value ("path of of least resistance"), but through all resistances in varying degree according to their values.

Bob