V8S - what does your temp gauge read normally?
Discussion
Ever since I bought the car in 2004, in normal driving it always reads 90 degrees on the border of the red area. I've never had overheating issues - except on VERY hot days in stop-start traffic, or when my fan didn't cut in.
Having driven my brother's 400SE extensively, I see that always sits half way on the gauge at around 50-60.
What does your V8 read? Is it normal for two similar engines to read quite so differently?
Having driven my brother's 400SE extensively, I see that always sits half way on the gauge at around 50-60.
What does your V8 read? Is it normal for two similar engines to read quite so differently?
Although I have a V6 the gauge read 60ish (the needle horizontal) only to find there was no thermostat. Fitted thermostat and now gauge does as yours about and above the 90 mark and the fan kicks in with the needle in the red - being a little worried I borrowed a thermal camera from work and the max temp on the thermostat housing is under 90.. I'm going to fit a 'proper' mechanical gauge.
The normal reading will depend on the sender + gauge as well as the engine's actual temperature. It wouldn't be at all unusual for two different TVR models to behave differently and I wouldn't assume the gauge was accurate on either of them. Having said that, 50-60 C is far too low a temperature for normal running and if that's an accurate reading it's a problem that ought to be fixed. Somewhere around 90-95 C would be more normal. If you're concerned about possible overheating issues I suggest you check the actual temperature to see whether the gauge reading is anything worth worrying about.
I think I might be something of an expert on this now, having spent the last two days watching mine very closely.
With one fan running continuously (Ihave had two), on the move the needle sits at over the number 90 with the top of the '9' & '0' just visible above the top edge of the needle. Sitting in traffic the needle rises to the white line and stays there, dropping back to cover the '90' once moving again.
This picture was taken while the car was cooling down following the failure of both fans after the soaking on the autoroute yesterday.
With one fan running continuously (I
This picture was taken while the car was cooling down following the failure of both fans after the soaking on the autoroute yesterday.
A smidge under horizontal if it's cold outside, about dead flat if it's hot. So whatever the stat is, probably 82. Stationary it goes up to the white line at 90 then the fan comes in and cools it down. It's only gone hotter than that when there's been a hole in the radiator letting all the water out, no fan because the connector had corroded or no water pump because the belt was laying on the road in bits.
phillpot said:
Deeman said:
Mine usually sits around half way on the gauge - so 82-85.
Too cold!hotter = more efficient. Pressurizing the system raises the boiling point so mid 90's shouldn't be a problem
I personally would not get too concerned about comparing one gauge to another in a TVR.
I just worked out what is normal for my car and then panic if it changes beyond what is normal for my gauge. In my Chimaera I have a megasquirt ECU, which reads the temp from its own sensor. The dash gauge has a separate sensor mounted just a few cm's away from the MS sensor. I can easily connect up a laptop and see all the ECU settings and sensors. The dash gauge does now end up reading about the same temp as the ECU after I changed the inline resistor. The dash gauge is much slower to respond though and takes a good 5 mins to catch up as the car warms up and cools.
I just worked out what is normal for my car and then panic if it changes beyond what is normal for my gauge. In my Chimaera I have a megasquirt ECU, which reads the temp from its own sensor. The dash gauge has a separate sensor mounted just a few cm's away from the MS sensor. I can easily connect up a laptop and see all the ECU settings and sensors. The dash gauge does now end up reading about the same temp as the ECU after I changed the inline resistor. The dash gauge is much slower to respond though and takes a good 5 mins to catch up as the car warms up and cools.
Smokey Boyer said:
... In my Chimaera I have a megasquirt ECU, which reads the temp from its own sensor...
Rovergauge will give you an accurate temp reading for the cost of a cable. Essential bit of kit for anyone running a V8S and will save you a fortune in garage bills.
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