Theres two different sensors for the temp. theres one just for the gauge with just one wire i believe and one for the ecu. The one for the gauge is just for your purpose so you can see the ballpark temp. The other one is for th ecu and what really counts. Stock gauge is pretty inaccurate but its still useful to see what your general temps are if you dont have an aftermarket temp gauge.
This is the one for the ecu.

This is the one for just the gauge.
