[Doggie 1]

Unless it's getting dangerously hot, does the average driver really need to know more? 

Not sure Rusty, but I'm an above average driver so I do. 

[rustynutz]

 

This topic is a good example of the advantage of digital information over analogue display.

Sorry Phil, I'm feeling obdurate tonight, this is not a failure of an analogue display nor superiority of digital (anything) but surely just the implementation. The analogue display is clearly not getting the same "information". Were they, then they would display the same except that the analogue would potentially have greater precision.

[Phil №❶]

@Pip,

I actually stated earlier that they may not be receiving the same source information, and that could be the case. My reference to digital actually stems from flight sim games where the oil temps etc are actual numbers, rather than needles hovering above a marked scale. If the oil pressure varies at all, even by 1 you can see it, but you won't see 1 on an analogue display. I'm being a bit pedantic, but my statement was meant more as a conceptual ideal.

In a car instrument panel, groups of numbers can be difficult to quickly interpret. This could be better achieved with green numbers for nominal conditions, yellow for abnormal, red for danger / immediate action required, all of which can be achieved with today's led displays.

I'm being a bit pedantic...

No you weren't, I was.

I agree with you but was really pointing out that your generalisation re digital v analogue was questionable. There are many that believe digital anything is by definition just better (without having any idea why) and confuse accuracy with precision.

I don't put you in that camp incidentally.

[bobbyd]

44 degrees in Adelaide yesterday- heading up the freeway the DIGITAL temp went to 110 with air con on !!!  analogue just moved slightly but not much.  With reference to not needing to know.....well i think a 25 degree variation from thermostat temp is worth worrying about, regardless of what the analogue says, you have to wonder what temp the engine is going to see before you notice it hitting the red on the temp dial and what sort of damage is done without knowing about it.

Anyone have any ideas on what could be a damaging temperature ?????

I'm assuming the temp sensor is very much in the head and the thermostat is a bit restrictive in temrs of flow hence the large variation form thermostat temp and the rapid decrease once the engine is no longer under load.

Keen to find out if theres a better thermostat and radiator available.

[Phil №❶]

I can't recall anyone having a temp issue with their engines and that includes many and varied climates. Naturally, that does not include coolant leak issues etc.

It was recently mentioned that the radiator core is very thin and yet, the cars just seem to keep going. If I kept the car long enough to be out of warranty, I would consider a better aftermarket core if the radiator needed maintenance.

At 44 Deg C and climbing up 450 metres, it would be perfectly normal for an engine to get hot. The things to consider here though are

- After reaching the summit, what did the temp do.
- There was always air flow through the engine / radiator.
- Air conditioning pre-heats the cooling radiator air.
- The cooling system is pressurised, so 110 Deg does not boil the coolant.
- Coolant has a naturally higher boiling point than water alone.


Can't recall what you're driving bobbyd, but the worst thing to happen, would be to stop the engine for fuel etc, straight after the climb. This is bad for the turbo, if you're driving a diesel.

[bloodnut]

Check your EGR isn't faulty, common problem, mines blocked so this wont happen.

[Phil №❶]

@bloodnut,

The A/C was on apparently and my understanding is the EGR is NOP when A/C is on.

[bryanj86]

I think as long as you dont throttle thing car like no tomorrow during heat then i think it will be fine. Coming off a highway or high load (up hills) I (and most mechanics) suggest sitting there for idling for maybe 30 seconds to even the temp out around the engine before turning off. Bad for turbo and non-turbo cars to just go from 100kmh to nothing then off.

[Dazzler]

I think as long as you dont throttle thing car like no tomorrow during heat then i think it will be fine. Coming off a highway or high load (up hills) I (and most mechanics) suggest sitting there for idling for maybe 30 seconds to even the temp out around the engine before turning off. Bad for turbo and non-turbo cars to just go from 100kmh to nothing then off.

  (That is exactly my feelings too)

[bryanj86]

Today was a very hot day! Many places pushing 40 again today. Here on the coastal areas it was mid thirties! SO HOT!!!! Humid too!! Poor cars were all struggling with a few on the side of the road, bonnets up steaming!! I felt bad for driving my car around the suburbs with all the heat! I certainly wouldnt like to be running around the place in this weather, I'd die! haha!

I was Googling about the other day searching for ways of getting more info from the OBD2 port using something other than a Scangauge.  Now these devices are great, but a bit ugly and dated, but that's another issue.

I've often read that owners reckon car temp gauges don't match what the ODB2 is reporting.  Now , in my reading of a review of an iODB2 iPhone App, it made reference to car temp gauges being heavily buffered, making the OBD2 info more precise.  Here's the quote: "You then get a customised list of live values for whatever you’ve selected. Again, you’ll need to be fairly knowledgeable to make full use of this kind of data. But even casual users can make good use of some of the numbers.
A good example here is coolant temperature. Most modern cars have heavily buffered temperature gauges, if indeed they have a coolant gauge at all. Much of the time, that’s just fine.
But having a precise handle on coolant temperature can help you spot problems, like the beginnings of a head gasket failure, before they become really serious."

And the link http://tanscomputer.com/review/networking-review/xtool-iobd2-review.php

The message is, don't always trust the temp gauges as the engine temp may well be in excess before the gauge lets you know.

[Dazzler]

Thanks Bob .. The Getz only has a light I think and no gauge (from memory)

We have had several discussions lately about the inaccuracy of Temp Gauges 

[Phil №❶]

Unless technology has changed, the temp gauge sender unit is just a variable heat dependent resistor in the engine. The gauge itself is a simple meter that deflects a needle based on the info from the sender. We know the engine temp varies a lot during normal operations, but the gauges are buffered with circuitry to respond only to significant temperature variations. This is to reduce service complaints from motorists, worried about their gauges moving up and down constantly.

BTW my Commodore has always done this, cool day / level 2/8 graduations, climbing 3.5 /8 graduations, thermo fan @ 4/8 graduations or if A/C on. Must be calibrated on a different scale. 

[Asterix]

I wouldn't want to have the temp gauge showing very little changes in temperatures. I think it's fine it only moves when there is a significant change.

If it changed position in the instrument all the time, you would get used to see the needle dance across the meter all day, and then the day there really was a problem you wouldn't notice.

[rustynutz]