Is my temp gauge wrong?

[future_assassin]

My car rusn at the half way point in town and a little over on hot days. On the highway it goes way past the midway point on hills or at about 4K rpm if I keep the defroster and heat running. It will read 3/4 way point on the temp gauge.

Today I changed the thermostat with a new 75d one. After refilling the radiator I took it out for a boot and it was actually running a little little over half way mark.

When I got home I grabbed an infrared thermometer used for nitro rc cars and the temp was reading 74/78d C. The temp gauge was at the half way point when I parked the car and it only took me about a minute to grab it and measure the temp.

Does it seem my temp gauge is done or is my radiator need to be hot tanked/flushed?

[bmw_jeff]

From what you said it sounds like normal temp/behavior. At 1/2 or so you are reading 75C/167F which seems OK to me. Mine reads near the red on the freeway, but when tested the actual temp at that point is only 180F so it should be reading 3/4 like yours does. My sensor reads high because it is a 12V sensor in the car's 6V system, probably the reason.

[future_assassin]

From what you said it sounds like normal temp/behavior. At 1/2 or so you are reading 75C/167F which seems OK to me. Mine reads near the red on the freeway, but when tested the actual temp at that point is only 180F so it should be reading 3/4 like yours does. My sensor reads high because it is a 12V sensor in the car's 6V system, probably the reason.

Hmm I'll have to do some more driving and see what the infrared gauge reads. I get a bit nervous when on hot day on the highway I have to have the heat/defrost on to keep the temp gauge from hitting the red line.

I'm gonna flush the engine/rad later and see what happens.

[Guest Anonymous]

All gauges are not the same as this one.

(not my photo)

[future_assassin]

Ok so I drive the car till the temp was between half way and 3/4 on the temp gauge. When I measured the temp it the water read 74C and the top of the rad read 84C.

I'll go out on the highway later and see what it reads.

[ifayeoh]

Being that not all gauges are the same, would this mean that the senders are rated different as well?? just wondering.

All gauges are not the same as this one.

(not my photo)

[TobyB]

How are your grounds?

The factory gauge is very sensitive- if the motor, sensor and

body are well- connected, it is very accurate.

If there are bad connections, it can be quite inaccurate.

I run a VDO temp gauge too, just because of this. It's less sensitive,

but tends to be quite accurate.

t

[elementfmfl]

Toby-

You run the VDO and original at the same time? I don't have a VDO and don't have any experience with them, how do you have them both connected?forgive me for ignorance. I would like to have it as a secondary as my dash is always reading high making me nervous! Thanks Brian