Mike G.

Hey all,

I've got a question about temperature gauge operation. I've always owned
Japanese cars and noticed that once the engine reaches operating temperature
the temperature gauge never moves in the slightest. Yet I can feel hotter
air blowing out of the heater when going up a hill and cooler air when going
down so I'm sure the engine's actual temperature varies. I know the gauge
works since the engine did over-heat once and the gauge slowly climbed into
the red zone as I'd expect. My wife's car is a Saturn and other family
members own Dodges and Fords all of which have temperature gauges that
fluctuate constantly with varying operating conditions.

What is it about the gauges that is different and is there any reason why
one manufacturer would choose one over the other?

Thanks,

Mike

Sharon K.Cooke

"Mike G." wrote:
>
> Hey all,
>
> I've got a question about temperature gauge operation. I've always owned
> Japanese cars and noticed that once the engine reaches operating temperature
> the temperature gauge never moves in the slightest. Yet I can feel hotter
> air blowing out of the heater when going up a hill and cooler air when going
> down so I'm sure the engine's actual temperature varies. I know the gauge
> works since the engine did over-heat once and the gauge slowly climbed into
> the red zone as I'd expect. My wife's car is a Saturn and other family
> members own Dodges and Fords all of which have temperature gauges that
> fluctuate constantly with varying operating conditions.
>
> What is it about the gauges that is different and is there any reason why
> one manufacturer would choose one over the other?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike

Some automakers "dampen" the needle swing, and others go so far as to suppress
the output on the high side of the scale; if the gauge DOESN'T move during the
course of normal driving, it's probably not a gauge at all, just a disguised
"feel-good" idiot light.

cedilla

On Sun, 25 Dec 2005 09:15:43 -0600, "Sharon K.Cooke" <scooke@cox.net>
wrote:

>"Mike G." wrote:
>>
>> Hey all,
>>
>> I've got a question about temperature gauge operation. I've always owned
>> Japanese cars and noticed that once the engine reaches operating temperature
>> the temperature gauge never moves in the slightest. Yet I can feel hotter
>> air blowing out of the heater when going up a hill and cooler air when going
>> down so I'm sure the engine's actual temperature varies. I know the gauge
>> works since the engine did over-heat once and the gauge slowly climbed into
>> the red zone as I'd expect. My wife's car is a Saturn and other family
>> members own Dodges and Fords all of which have temperature gauges that
>> fluctuate constantly with varying operating conditions.
>>
>> What is it about the gauges that is different and is there any reason why
>> one manufacturer would choose one over the other?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Mike
>
>Some automakers "dampen" the needle swing, and others go so far as to suppress
>the output on the high side of the scale; if the gauge DOESN'T move during the
>course of normal driving, it's probably not a gauge at all, just a disguised
>"feel-good" idiot light.

Yeah that makes great sense. The radiator fan kicks on/off,
presumably in response to engine (or is it coolant?) temperature
changes. My 2002 Taurus never get above and stays exactly at the
guage midpoint once the engine has warmed up.