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-   -   Good 'ol Temperature Gauge : Yes or No? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/60487-good-ol-temperature-gauge-yes-no-11.html)

I will be very uncomfortable driving a car which does not have a temperature gauge. My choice would be analog. I have a habit of constantly peeking into it. I have seen one in all cars I have grown around.

I remember our old Amby Mark-II which had analog meters running all the way upto the co-passenger's territory! Some of them were skimped in our Fiat 1100 D and were rather arranged neatly in a single console. I remember the Amby having an oil pressure meter apart from an ammeter. The Fiat did have an ammeter too.

I am an analog instrument fan. Old school. I would prefer the electro-mechanical stuff any day over digital ones. And as every fashion comes back making a full circle, I am sure there will be a day these analog meter would be back in vogue and auto companies will advertise it as a feature!

Driving a WagonR K10, I feel unsafe at times that my car might be heating and I won't know it till some silly light pops up on the dash. What if the light has conked off? While digitizing the console, they could have provided a digital temp gauge too just like the fuel gauge. It wouldn't cost much either, just a slightly larger LCD would do or may be smaller fonts on the existing display at the very least.

Voted YES
Couldn't agree more. IMO digitalisation is required only for Odo & Trip (and DTE); The remaining stuff viz. Speedo, Tacho, Fuel (yeah right, not digital!) and Temp meters should be typical old-school (but sensitive & responsive) ones.

Yes

I'll be missing my Wagon R's temp gauge in my yet to be delivered Beat Diesel.
I used the temp gauge to see if it was in the middle before I start moving. I'd turn the engine on and idle until I 'broom' the car from the outside. Within two minutes or so, the idle engine sound would settle to barely audible and the temp gauge would move to the middle of its sweep area. Then I'd start moving.

I think what's more important is that, the driver needs to know how good is the engine temperature and not the exact temperature itself.
For example, I'd be happy with the analog temp gauge but I'd be happier with something like a digital read out on the dash with blue, turquoise, green, orange, and red shades to indicate the engine temperature.

(Almost) Everyone—literate/not—knows 'Green' means it's 'Good.'

Or simply something easy-to-understand like: Cold, Below Normal, Normal, Above Normal, Hot, Very Hot, and Critical.

Now again, any literate will understand when the engine is 'feeling cold' or 'getting fried.'

Oh that is some long time that you idle that car.

For the needle reaching the middle point in the sweep takes me a 6-7 kms @ 60-70 kmph in 5th gear. Though I start-off and gradually increase speed till 60 kmph.

AFAIK, there is no point in idling for that long, your wasting fuel IMO.

Anurag.

I think the first signs that the engine is sufficiently warm and has reached proper operating temperature is just when the idle speed goes down from cold start signalling that the system is now running in open loop. While cold starting, the engine RPM is higher so as to warm up as soon as possible. Once the operating temperature is reached, the ECU reduces the engine idle RPM.

Reviving an old thread just to share my experience.

I did not really have a preference on the presence or absence of the temperature gauge until recently.

In my recent office commute drives, I started noticing that the AC of my 5yrs old i10 would stop working in rush hour traffic situation with warm air blown out. I felt it was an AC issue and made a note to get it checked at the next service. It was only after a few days that I happened to glance at the temperate gauge when the AC stopped that I realize that the engine was overheating!

By now, I have come to this understanding. (probably) Due to a faulty radiator fan, the engine gets overheated in traffic jams which in turn cuts off the AC. The temperate comes down to normal once the car is moving at normal speed, and the AC starts working again.

Now, while I will be getting this matter checked and fixed, I just wanted to illustrate that I would have never realized there was an engine overheating problem if the temperature gauge was not there.

So YES, I think a temperate gauge is required and relevant in today's cars.

Note: I feel just a engine overheating warning light would not have helped alert me to this problem as the temperature levels did not reach the red mark but would normally hover just below it. My normal running engine temperate is just under the halfway mark. When the engine overheats, the temperature is typically range from 3/4 mark and above, depending on how long the car is stationary.
I also think the use the AC aggravates the problem as if I do not use the AC, the engine does not over-heat up as quickly.
I am not using the car now, but would be able to give it for repairs only this weekend (busy work schedule), when I would get to know the cause of this problem.

Get the fan checked and also clean the radiator and cooling system. Preferably a flush (if possible). Drain the old coolant and fill in fresh one. Do check the system for any leakages and test if the fan switches ON when the temperature increases above the set point.

Go to HASS f you have good relations with the staff there (inflated bills are highly possible in such cases) or else visit any FNG for the work.

Thanks for the suggestion, Anurag. Will note it and will mention it to the service guys. I have been giving the car for servicing at First Choice for the past 2 years.

A "BIG" vocal YES.

A couple of years ago, I was about to proceed on a long highway journey. Within minutes of commencement (we were still within city limits) the MID on my Vista displayed that the coolant temperatures rose dramatically. This abnormality came to my notice just about at the right moment and I quickly turned off the Engine and called up TATA motors for help. Upon inspection it was diagnosed that the Radiator Fan had gone kaput and requires replacement. Thanks for the temperature gauge which warned me at the right moment. This not only helped me avert a break down situation on an isolated highway but also prevent the Engine and other components from serious damage.

A vocal "YES" from me too.
But King_pin09 had you been on the highway you would not have noticed the broken down fan as the air flow over the radiator during brisk movement of the vehicle would have ensured proper engine coolant temp, thus preventing over heating.
Only when you would have stopped it would be apprentice that the fan on the radiator is non functional.

While I am glad that everyone thinks the temperature gauge should be present in all cars how does one knows his or her vehicle is on the way to overheat without the temperature meter? Does a lit up overheated icon in cars for eg the new Swift means the car is going to overheat or it has already overheated? Can someone confirm this?

Thanks.

I'd assume that once the icon shows up, one has to immediately take measures, like pulling over and shutting off, checking the cooling function and re-starting the engine to drive once it has cooled off a bit, subject to everything being in acceptable condition.

A big YES from my end. In fact I would also like to have an Oil pressure gauge also. This is one of the reason why I like the Old dashboard of the Ambassador.

Voted Yes. Manufacturers should not skip temperature gauge and tachometer in the vehicles. Both are very important basic insrtruments required for safe driving. Lack of these instruments can definitely affect engine life.