how to read the temp gauge..properly

[JRKOUPE]

I just read this yesterday but cannot find the link again..geez.

what are the calibrations of the lines on our temp gauges?..... I currently run an s50 and am dealing w/ some poss. cooling issues.

If I read the e36 forums and about those temp gauges, they appear to be very buffered and the car can get to @ 230 or so before the needle even moves...so most e36 owners are paranoid when needle gets 3/4 hot.

But , I recall our gauges being calibrated differently...and yesterday some1 confirmed it in a thread..which I cannot find.

I do recall our 3/4 hash mark being like 100c or so?.... I m thinking it was a post by Nando?

[Slovik]

Here is what I have found over the past couple of months. I have an s52 OBD2 that I use a bluetooth OBD2 reader along with the Torque application for android it makes a nice virtual dashboard. So my digital temp gauge reads about 200 at the mid line of the temp gauge 197 is just under 203 just over and hottest I have seen so far is 212 which about halfway between the mid and 3/4 line. Don't know if any of these gauges are calibrated any differently but mine is 91 318is. Normal temps during a pretty hot Charlotte summer run 188 to 195 with higher readings mostly after a hot shutdown. I run a 88c thermostat which is about 190f.

[JRKOUPE]

Here is what I have found over the past couple of months. I have an s52 OBD2 that I use a bluetooth OBD2 reader along with the Torque application for android it makes a nice virtual dashboard. So my digital temp gauge reads about 200 at the mid line of the temp gauge 197 is just under 203 just over and hottest I have seen so far is 212 which about halfway between the mid and 3/4 line. Don't know if any of these gauges are calibrated any differently but mine is 91 318is. Normal temps during a pretty hot Charlotte summer run 188 to 195 with higher readings mostly after a hot shutdown. I run a 88c thermostat which is about 190f.

Slovik.....thanx for your response, ..but my initial impresson is that your findings are not the same as what I read yesterday.... nor are they consistent w/ what appears to be on my s50 car.

My 80 degree(celsius) tstat opens at about halfway/midline on gauge, and my 88 temp switch turns on my elec fan at just a hair over halfway. So Im thinking halfway is approx mid to hi 180's F....hmmmm.

[jeffmn8]

This is why I put a proper gauge in the cluster. Just throwing it out there..

[JRKOUPE]

I had seen your thread about the gauge set up....

so did it show the oe gauge was off?....

[jeffmn8]

I had seen your thread about the gauge set up....

so did it show the oe gauge was off?....

I'm not sure if the gauge was off or not as I didn't have both in the car at the same time. I can say that autometer gauge does move a bit more. What I would do if I were you is pick up and after market gauge just to compare temps.

[Slovik]

Sorry about the quality of this picture, but this is the actual temperature the ECU is reading from the e36 sensor.

[jeffmn8]

Right, but the e36 gauge is buffered. The needle shouldn't move for a certain range (ie 160-210 F). The e30 sender is unbuffered, and he's trying to figure out what temp each of the lines are.

[Slovik]

The gauge above is the e30 gauge reading from the e30 sender and the gauge below is reading directly from the ecu from a e36 gauge. The e30 gauge is slightly buffered towards the middle my picture is at an angle but the center line is about 200f. I have seen as high as 212f and it is below the next line up but still on part of the temp symbol. I like the real temp gauge idea a lot it would be great to have but the sender needs to be in the right spot for it to be accurate. Jrkroupe if your 188f fan is going on and your using the factory sensor it is on the cooler side of the radiator (the outlet) and will go on well after the engine itself is a higher temp. I have separate pullers that have a 185f sensor on the inlet side of the radiator and they go on well before the regular auxillary fans go on. You might want to invest in Carsoft it will read real time data for the OBD1 cars. I'll try to notice where the gauge sits on the lower temps when I start out from cold if that would be helpful. I have also put this on other cars and they run slightly higher temps like 206 to 212 normally and can spike to 220 sometimes. My e39 540 that has a 105c!! thermostat as standard runs 226 normally which seems crazy to me but that is normal for it and it has 280,000 miles on it. I think they do that for emissions more than anything. Hope you find your answers.

[Slovik]

Just checked this morning and the next line down from the middle was about 165f.

[JRKOUPE]

thnx..

Ill look in to car soft!