# Temperature gauge went slightly above normal



## 17Hatch6MT (Dec 28, 2015)

Mine always parks very slightly above the 1/2 way mark. These are 'idiot gauges'. They're driven by the computer, are not a direct reading of temperature. Programmed to go to one spot & stay there, regardless if you're climbing a grade at full throttle or coasting down a grade with fuel cutoff. I guess it has to really overheat before it goes higher. I've never seen mine move above the normal 1/2+ way.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

17Hatch6MT said:


> Programmed to go to one spot & stay there, regardless if you're climbing a grade at full throttle or coasting down a grade with fuel cutoff.


Yeah, the first temperature gauge I had that experience with was a Mazda RX-7. Those rotary combustion engines are heat monsters and if the driver saw the actual temperature fluctuations on the gauge they would be amazed. It's a common aftermarket mod to get the temperature gauge in those cars to read wide swings of temperatures for enthusiast drivers who own the cars.

With this car, it's probably straight up on the gauge whether the engine is running 180ºF through maybe 230ºF coolant temperature. Anywhere in that range can be "normal" depending on climate. Winter driving might get you nowhere above 200ºF if outside temperatures are bitter cold, and summer driving somewhere like Arizona will get you 220-230ºF as a normal coolant temperature.


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