Ford Escape temp gauge

[BEETLE]

Every time I drive this vehicle Ford Escape, the needle of the temp gauge on the dash always points at 12:00 or always at the middle. Is this accurate? I have read on the internet that the temp gauge is a "dummy" some sort of an idiot light programmed by Ford engineers. Why is it there if this a "dummy" and what purpose that it use?

On the contrary, I have a 1984 Isuzu PUP and the temp gauge fluctuates especially on a stop & go traffic on a hot weather climate.

My inquiring mind want to know!

Thank you all !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Olas]

Its a dummy gauge - it stays at exaclty 12:00 so that most people think its correct & the car is happy.

Imagine sitting at 80MPH for 2-3 hours, the engine gets hot and then you come off the highway and sit in a queue of traffic for 15minutes.
The temp on the gauge should be rising but 99% of people who see their car as an appliance and dont really understand the tech behind it think 'OMG the car is overheating' and take it to their local dealership.

Dealership wastes their time looking for a problem that doesnt exist, customer (who doesnt understand how these things work) thinks the dealership are stupid/incompetent for not 'fixing' the problem and gets a bad impression of the brand.

To get around the stupidity of the average population, OEM's invented gauges that lie. They only deviate from the 'normal' 12;00 position when something is seriously broken.

Consider oil pressure at cold WOT vs hot idle - people who dont understand what theyre looking at get confused and panic - so your gauges have been replaced with 'idiot lights' and it is for this exact reason that seperate mechanical gauges are far more helpful in allowing you to monitor exactly what is happening with engine operation.
A semi-acceptable alternative is to use torque to monitor engine performance through your phone, but VDO gauges look better.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Ford oil pressure and coolant gauges have been fake for a while now. The battery gauge in my truck seems to function normally even though it doesn't have any markings.

And their gas gauges might as well be fake because I've never had a Ford with a working gas gauge.

 

[wander2039]

Ours sets around 11:00. It's only moved while climbing mountains out in Colorado.

 

[zzyzzx]

I would be asking around the Escape Forums. GF's 2011 Edge doesn't even have a temperature gauge.

 

[Duffyjr]

Isn't that what it's suppose to do, get up to temp and stay there? If all you are doing is city/freeway driving I wouldn't expect it to move.

 

[meep]

^^^ all engines fluctuate 20-30 degrees or so once warmed up in a normal drive cycle. The programming behind them, however, wraps all of that up in a "dead zone" where the needle doesn't move. It will start to move again when the engine deviates beyond that range.