Sorry what side is the fluid leaking? drivers side yes?
That could be the pump or just a lose pipe.
One pipe is ok to change, the other is a right pain and i'd leave it to a mechanic with ramps.
temp gauge.
Im sure you can bridge the two terminals on the temp sensor wire and see if the gauge works?
Check for broken wires near the plug also.
You could use your oil temp gauge on the MFA as a rough guide on how hot your engine is running.