Engine Temperature

[Ronny]

The temperature needle has always stablizied at in the exact middle, pointing straight up.

Is this good or bad?

My bmw has been plagued with overheating problems, first from a broken motor fan, then a broken fan clutch and we go from there to broken headgaskets etc.

Now that everything is replaced, it ran fine for 3 weeks and now it's over heating again, even in this 6 celsius weather. Takes about 10 - 15 minutes or so to go all the way to the redzone.

Is it normal for my car to have it's temperature needle ordinarily in the middle?

[spieluhr]

thats perfect, you should be happy. middle is normal operating temperature.

[Furious]

mines always just past the middle, its normal for my car, (i think its suppose to be exact middle, however i think the needle is kinda messed up)

[jllphan]

The BMW temp guage is a "dumb" guage meaning that it essentially only registers cold, warm, or hot. It doesn't indicate actual temp, it just displays if the engine is within the range of cold, warm, or hot.

[YoungExec728]

Straight up is normal operating temperature, the only problem is it covers a very wide range so you don't really know the exact temp.

[Delmarco]

up is good. that is all you need to know for average everyday driving!
I'm not sure what you'll do with the precise temperature reading of your engine whiles driving or how that would be useful for the average driver.

sometimes simple is good.

Now I only wish the fuel guage wasn't "dumb" and gave exact read outs!

[dutchbmw]

Yes, the needle should be in the middle, but in hot temperatures the needle could go up to the red area.

[jllphan]

Originally posted by Delmarco@Dec 26 2004, 09:31 AM
I'm not sure what you'll do with the precise temperature reading of your engine whiles driving or how that would be useful for the average driver.

[snapback]258449[/snapback]

I would like a more accurate guage so I can see if my Redline Water Wetter made any difference. Or if I really get on my car, I know when to take it easy

[Ronny]

Well that's a relief, I just have to figure out why it keeps overheating now.

[///M Power]

Wait are you sayign it is also in the middlw when you turn it off? And also when you immediately turn it on? in 6 degree weather?

[123NotIt]

That's funny. Now that you mention it, I've only seen my temp gauge at cold, warm(straight up), or hot (in the red). But that's because once I start my car in the morning, I close my eyes and wait until the car warms up. But to see if it's warm, I only peek a little with one eye, and if it isn't in one of those places, I quickly close my eye and that doesn't count. Whuuuahahahahah!

[bigred318]

Originally posted by Delmarco@Dec 26 2004, 09:31 AM

Now I only wish the fuel guage wasn't "dumb" and gave exact read outs!

[snapback]258449[/snapback]

yeah me 2!!! god damn my gas gauge pisses me off! haha

my new e36 isnt as bad, but my 318 was STUPID!

David

[meph]

Uhm.. actually the temp gauge measures temp in 20C increments... if it's at 90C it will stay in the same position at 100C and 109C... but after hitting 110C it will move like 2-4mm to the red zone..

I don't like this a lot, so I'm getting myself a few Autogauge gauges to show me more precisely what's going on in my car.

To be more exact, I'm going to get a water temp gauge, oil temp gauge with engine oil sensor, transmission oil sensor and diff oil sensor, oil pressure gauge, vacuum gauge and voltage gauge.

Now you would ask me where am I going to put all of these gauges in an E36 wouldn't you? That's going to be a surprise :] I can tell you that I'm not going to use the A-pillar or the sunglasses holder thing in the console

[93 325i]

Originally posted by meph@Jan 11 2005, 12:15 AM
...To be more exact, I'm going to get a water temp gauge, oil temp gauge with engine oil sensor, transmission oil sensor and diff oil sensor, oil pressure gauge, vacuum gauge and voltage gauge.

Now you would ask me where am I going to put all of these gauges in an E36 wouldn't you? That's going to be a surprise :] I can tell you that I'm not going to use the A-pillar or the sunglasses holder thing in the console

[snapback]268697[/snapback]

Just put them all next to the flux capacitor.. :lol:

[FlipredE36]

Mine is always in the middle when i am in traffic. When it's cold outside and I am on the highway, the needle goes one mark(left) towards the cold.