Anyone coolant gauge ever do this? Am I being picky?

[iboughtatahoe23]

Am I being too picky? I’ve seen this in other vehicles and they were fine. Does it mean anything ? I feel like usually it is spot on.

 

[B-train]

Pretty normal on all the newer vehicles I've owned. The only ones that seemed to be accurate were the older generation vehicles, where they would represent 160F, 190F, etc.

I think the newer stuff has been dumbed down to show in the NORMAL range until something actually goes to shit......by then it's usually too late.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

Pretty normal on all the newer vehicles I've owned. The only ones that seemed to be accurate were the older generation vehicles, where they would represent 160F, 190F, etc.

I think the newer stuff has been dumbed down to show in the NORMAL range until something actually goes to shit......by then it's usually too late.

Ya tbis happens on my 2010 focus too. No issues. But each car is different.

 

[OR VietVet]

I don't understand the concern. My 2005 runs just below the 210 mark and is just fine. Do this? Does it mean anything? Is this higher than you have seen it hang at before? What exactly are you complaining about?

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

I don't understand the concern. My 2005 runs just below the 210 mark and is just fine. Do this? Does it mean anything? Is this higher than you have seen it hang at before? What exactly are you complaining about?

Well I could have sworn it was usually always spot on in the middle. But I saw today it was a hair off. I could be seeing things. It could’ve always been like that. I just swore it was always in the middle. But you’re saying you’re does it too then we’re good. Not having any other issues haha.

 

[OR VietVet]

That pic is sooooo close to being dead center/middle, I would not worry. Remember, gauges are not 1000% accurate. They are just a general reading, in most cases. I have seen mine fluctuate ever so slightly when accel hard up passes out here in Oregon. But, 99% of the time, mine is just slightly lower than 210. Attach a scanner and drive and compare.

 

[strutaeng]

I don't see an issue. The gauges are pretty accurate in my opinion on my GMT 800s, and assuming newer generations are as good or better. Swap to a slightly lower temperature if you'd like. I think last thermostat I did was a 190F and mine registers slightly below the middle. On my 06 I can actually see the temperature change when the thermostat opens and closes If I look closely.

OTOH, on my 2000 OBS K3500 with the 5.7 Vortec "normal" temperature shows 1/4 mark on the guage, never more, and I swapped the temperature sender (the correct one, recall those have 2 senders!). The fuel guage does that hummingbird twitching and can vary about +/- 1/8 tank mark at any given time.

My speedo is off too: I need to drive 78 mph to actually be going 70 mph! My brother told me once we were driving together and he was looking at his phone GPS. I was like, "what?! No wonder everyone is always passing me!!!" LOL But ECU shows accurate when hooked up to a handheld scanner. Luckily I don't daily drive that truck! Now, talk about instrument cluster accuracy! LOL

 

[Doubeleive]

mine sit's right about 194 which is just a hair under the center hash mark as shown in your photo = normal
I can "make" it move in the hot days of summer if I try hard enough, otherwise it never budges.
by default the fans kick on high speed at 230deg so under a load and going up a hill or towing you may see it that high, if it goes higher than that then you have a problem.
i will add that you can survive 1 or 2 "high temp" experiences, i.e. blown heater hose, etc and still be safe with no damages as long as you shut off the engine right away.
if you have a overheat problem and keep driving it getting hot and getting hot and getting hot over and over this will most certainly ruin your engine. costing you much more than just fixing it.

 

[swathdiver]

This gauge was intentionally made to be vague unless the temperature starts climbing above 210 degree. If you put a scan tool on your car right now, the dash will read like it is now and the scan tool will show about 192-195.

 

[Sparksalot]

View attachment 408629
Am I being too picky? I’ve seen this in other vehicles and they were fine. Does it mean anything ? I feel like usually it is spot on.

I hate it when my Hoe flips the bird.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

So it’s normal ? We good?

 

[Tonyrodz]

So it’s normal ? We good?

I would say you're fine. If it goes past 210f then you should question it.

 

[iamdub]

So it’s normal ? We good?

James nailed it:

This gauge was intentionally made to be vague unless the temperature starts climbing above 210 degree. If you put a scan tool on your car right now, the dash will read like it is now and the scan tool will show about 192-195.

Mine stays right below the 210 mark just like yours. Scanners always show 195ish. The oil pressure, coolant temp, voltage and fuel are all designed to be a general point of reference so you can take a quick look at all of them rather than study them to determine an exact number. Your brain should be trained to know know that everything is fine as long as all the gauges are in the middle. Notice how there's no marks for each degree or even every five or even ten degrees? The more important gauge that should have a higher resolution is the speedometer, so it's graduated every five miles per hour.

 

[Sparksalot]

James nailed it:



Mine stays right below the 210 mark just like yours. Scanners always show 195ish. The oil pressure, coolant temp, voltage and fuel are all designed to be a general point of reference so you can take a quick look at all of them rather than study them to determine an exact number. Your brain should be trained to know know that everything is fine as long as all the gauges are in the middle. Notice how there's no marks for each degree or even every five or even ten degrees? The more important gauge that should have a higher resolution is the speedometer, so it's graduated every five miles per hour.

The gradations are one reason to upgrade to a PPV cluster.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

You are fine. No need for concern.

 

[Silverado4x4]

So it’s normal ? We good?

Yep normal, my 2022 Tahoe and 2019 Silverado stays at at 210 mark also both have the 5.3 motor.

 

[Marky Dissod]

View attachment 408629
Am I being too picky?
I’ve seen this in other vehicles and
they were fine.
Does it mean anything?

You were being picky. Also, you answered your question - you've "seen this in other vehicles and they were fine".
So is yours.

... newer stuff has been dumbed down to show in the NORMAL range until something actually goes to shit ... by then it's usually too late.

Start worrying when the needle approaches 235F - as in, 1/2way between 210F & 260F.
By then, I'd've already pulled over and shut down.
I consider 239F to be the cusp of overheating, and do NOT want to lose another engine - unless saving life or limb depends on it.

Also, if the needle stays to the left of the entire number '210F' for over 10min of engine run time, your thermostat is likely stuck open.

 

[BlaineBug]

The thermostats are fully open now at around 207 degrees. Operating temp is 210 or above, it's higher now than it used to be back in the day "for emissions."

 

[Marky Dissod]

The thermostats are fully open now at around 207F.
Operating temp is 210F or above, it's higher now than it used to be back in the day "for emissions."

Although this is technically true, the truth is that vehicles (still?) using a mechanical fan run cooler than vehicles using a pair of electrical fans ...

... UNLESS those fan-on thresholds have been addressed as part of a pcm / ecm tune.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Forgot to mention:
Entire point of changing the electrical fan-on thresholds is so that the fans keep the AC condenser and radiator as cool (if not cooler!) than the previous mech fan, whether stopped in a traffic jam, or climbing a hill at 30MpH.

That's just one of the many things that gets addressed by a thorough & proper pcm / ecm tune, but it gets noticed pretty damn quick.