Goofed again.
The workings of the gauge likely will ever be a mystery.
Coolant Temp Gauge Question
- Thread starter TallPaul
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The workings of the gauge likely will ever be a mystery.
Sounds about right. That's a fluctuation from around 169 degrees to around 183 degrees according to your gauge.
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I don't see why 195F wouldn't still be the target temp ..regardless of whatever it's put in. The reserve should be built into the capacity of the rad. Now if the engine just can't maintain 195F due to the massive bypass circuit ..that's another story.
Take it to a garage that has a in-fared temp sensor and point it at the thermostat outlet. I have one they are not very expensive and it is handy tool for a lot of uses.
Maybe I'll pick one up.
Here is the one I have. They are on sale now so you can pick one up really reasonable.
http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=infared+temp+sensor
I get several thermometers on that link:
91778-4VGA Cen-Tech NON-CONTACT LASER THERMOMETER $39.99
93983-1VGA Cen-Tech NON-CONTACT POCKET THERMOMETER $9.99
93984-5VGA Cen-Tech HANDHELD INFRARED THERMOMETER WITH LASER SIGHT $19.99
These are the sale prices. I suspect $9.99 is not very good. Need at least a LASER sight to ensure you are measuring the temperature of the correct thing.
91778-4VGA Cen-Tech NON-CONTACT LASER THERMOMETER $39.99
93983-1VGA Cen-Tech NON-CONTACT POCKET THERMOMETER $9.99
93984-5VGA Cen-Tech HANDHELD INFRARED THERMOMETER WITH LASER SIGHT $19.99
These are the sale prices. I suspect $9.99 is not very good. Need at least a LASER sight to ensure you are measuring the temperature of the correct thing.
I bought the one for $39.99 (regular 59.99). Haven't had the motorhome out yet, but shot the pickup. Temp gauge in the pickup usually ranges between the N and the O of NORMAL on the gauge. I always thought it must be running a bit cool because the needle is so far left. Well I shot the thermostat housing with it between N and O and it read 195F.
Will report on the motorhome in the next week or so.
Also good to check air con output temp and oil pan. The oil pan on the pickup after 15 miles was about 200F. Hee hee, the exhaust manifold rad over 700 F, but accuracy is only gaurenteed up to 512.
Will report on the motorhome in the next week or so.
Also good to check air con output temp and oil pan. The oil pan on the pickup after 15 miles was about 200F. Hee hee, the exhaust manifold rad over 700 F, but accuracy is only gaurenteed up to 512.
I shot some temps off the thermostat housing on the motorhome. I hit it right above a wire connection (presumably the temp gauge sensor) which was about 1.5 inches or so below where the upper radiator hose comes in.
Again based on this scale: "if the scale were 1-17 with 1=100F, 9=210F, and 17=260F (with 5 and 13 as mid points between these) then mine sits on 6 most of the time, except when I slow down to a near stop, then it climbs to 7 for a while."
So after a three mile run, I read 170-180 off the thermostat housing and the gauge was on 6.
After 90 miles with the gauge on 7 it read 200 F.
While driving around in town I hit it one more time when the gauge was on 6 and got 190 F.
So looks to me like everything is A-okay with my cooling system.
Thanks for the suggestion to use an IR thermometer and for the link to the thermometers.
I am finding a lot of uses for this themometer. Just today I discovered the cabinet over the motorhome refridgerator runs about 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the other cabinets when the fridge is on. Laying in some 1/2-inch styrofoam insulation to fix that.
Again based on this scale: "if the scale were 1-17 with 1=100F, 9=210F, and 17=260F (with 5 and 13 as mid points between these) then mine sits on 6 most of the time, except when I slow down to a near stop, then it climbs to 7 for a while."
So after a three mile run, I read 170-180 off the thermostat housing and the gauge was on 6.
After 90 miles with the gauge on 7 it read 200 F.
While driving around in town I hit it one more time when the gauge was on 6 and got 190 F.
So looks to me like everything is A-okay with my cooling system.
Thanks for the suggestion to use an IR thermometer and for the link to the thermometers.
I am finding a lot of uses for this themometer. Just today I discovered the cabinet over the motorhome refridgerator runs about 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the other cabinets when the fridge is on. Laying in some 1/2-inch styrofoam insulation to fix that.
that thermometer is freakin aewsome. you can use it to spy on people too.
for instance, if i want to know if my neighbour has used his car today or not i can hit the car with the laser from across the yard at the general direction of the hood and see if the temp is higher then the ground or not.
theres tonnes of uses for it.
for instance, if i want to know if my neighbour has used his car today or not i can hit the car with the laser from across the yard at the general direction of the hood and see if the temp is higher then the ground or not.
theres tonnes of uses for it.
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