[DeTomaso] erratic water temp gauge

[Tom Di Iulio]

hey all,
the past few years i've experienced an erratic performance of my water temp
gauge. the gauge will register expected temps and then drop to zero, then
back up again. sometimes it's fine for quite a while and sometimes it won't
register at all.
i know the engine is hot when the twin sucker fans come on, no worries
there.
i've replaced the temp sending unit (twice) and the condition continues. i
suspect a loose or faulty wire somewhere along the route from the sender to
the gauge OR a faulty gauge.
my question is......can i just run new wires direct from the sender to the
gauge as a troubleshooting method? it seems if the gauge stays steady, i
know it's the old wire.
if the gauge continues to perform erratically, then my focus would be on the
gauge.
and if the new wire fixes the issue, then i'd probably just leave them
connected.
your thoughts?
tom di iulio
denver, co
"bound for big bend next week"