Temp Gauge-How does it react when overheating?

[al koffman]

I have not had an overheating problem. Just curious because I know the gauge just sits in the middle even when climbing 8% grades and the fans are screaming away. Does it just start going up or does it take a big jump at once?

[al koffman]

I have not had an overheating problem. Just curious because I know the gauge just sits in the middle even when climbing 8% grades and the fans are screaming away. Does it just start going up or does it take a big jump at once?

[Ron & Dee]

Al,

Mine sets at the first mark above the one quarter position.

My needle does move up as the load increases on the engine but does manage to come back down to my normal position, the first mark above the one quarter, as the fans come on.

I haven't had any over heating problems but I'm assuming that by the time the needle gets to the half way position I've got a problem

Ron

[oemtech]

I have it documented on my Web Site. But the temp gage shows a "range" of temps and therefore generally will not move much until the temp moves into the next range.

[edgray]

In the early model years the IP had an analog guage that displayed varying temperature. "Most" of the current generation IP's only have the "programmed" needle which always points to "normal" after reaching operating temp. It will only move above the mid point "if" the engine temperature exceeds 247 degrees F, and you should immediately shut off motor to prevent damage. ED

[Ron & Dee]

My IP looks like this



The green mark is my normal needle position and the red mark is when I become concerned and start sweating

Ron

[DriVer]

On the way home from the FMCA GEAR rally in Richmond a few weeks ago, I observed 104? on my dash mounted temperature/compass display. I was running south on relatively flat Interstate, gen on - no tow.

One thing that I did notice which was very troubling was engine noise, or lack of it! The engine ran very quietly with only the faint sound of the auxiliary fans running in the foreground.

I was in continuous observation mode reading my ScanGauge II every minute or so. I observed that the temperatures would routinely exceed 212? up to about 215? and the auxiliary fans would kick in and bring the temps down to the low 200?s perhaps as low as 203?.

We pulled into a rest stop and although and I ran the engine for about a minute before shutdown. I went and walked Roxy and came back and got settled it to get underway. I started the engine and immediately observed my temperature gauge pointing toward 2 o'clock or in between the <span class="ev_code_RED">RED</span> zone and normal @ 3 o'clock. I had never seen where my temperature gauge ever came off of the 3 o'clock position and I ran the the area around Needles, CA in August.

I also observed on the ScanGauge where the temperature read about 234?. This is just about at about the end of the scale before the engine begins to go into an overheat condition. The auxiliary fans were running. To my relief as soon as we began moving forward onto the entrance ramp the temperature retreated and dropped like a rock. The IP temp gauge didn't even retreat slowly downward - it just dropped back into its normal range. The ScanGauge resumed displaying temps in the 210? to 215? and I was relieved to be seeing these temperatures.

So we ran with this profile thankful that we were not towing and pulling grades like we will be coming this Wednesday and Thursday through Western North Carolina and Tennessee.

After we arrived home I shortly got my rig down to the beach at Larry's Auto Clinic and without hesitation had my fan clutch replaced. Never knew the things wore out but anything is possible at 67750 miles. In diagnostic mode Larry asked me if the fan made noise when the engine was first started cold and I said nope. This confirmed the fact that the clutch is bad. It should clutch up when the engine is first started for a couple of ~minutes~ and then de-clutch.

When I picked up the motorhome and started my run back to Conway that ol' friendly fan noise that we all love so well came back on line and I was relieved.

So "point is" if it gets too quiet make sure you find out why!

[UFO Pilot]

Mine always sits exactly in the middle once it warms up. When the serpentine belt came off it buried the needle. That is the only time I have seen it move from the middle.

[M&EM]

The only time mine has change from being in the center of the range after warm up was after the third IP replacement. The calibration procedure of the IP actually displays where it thinks the zero , halfway, and max points are to be. Each of the first 3 IP calibration points were dead on. The last one was to the high side of mid way by one needle width. After that my warmed up needle position is exactly one needle width past the mid point.

My OBD2 derived temperature gauge shows actual temperature that vary with operating conditions (190- 225), all the while the IP gauge doesnt move at all.

It looks like the IP temp gauge is a "half idiot lite" like gauge. Probably wakes up and moves upscale after some predetermined amount above 225??

[dieselclacker]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by M&EM:
It looks like the IP temp gauge is a "half idiot lite" like gauge. Probably wakes up and moves upscale after some predetermined amount 225 degrees??



Good description, IMHO an idiot lite would be of more use than the gage. At least a red light doesn't have to be watched all the time, and it would catch the drivers attention. I don't know what Workhorse was thinking, when they put in a non operating, for all practical purposes, gage in the cluster.

Dieselclacker

[al koffman]

Driver, thanks for all that info. I've always wondered about the fan clutch on startup and quieting down shortly after moving. Now I know I definately want to hear it.

A few miles under 40k now and other than a few IP's it has been trouble free. Needless to say, I am one happy workhorse fan, although the IP does leave me me wondering.

[DonavonP]

The idiot light was considered politically incorrect and therefore has been replaced with an intellectually challenged needle gauge. Under the surface of this needle gauge lies an idiot light.

The needle gauge goes from off to the middle of the gauge and when the engine is just about to self destruct it goes to full hot and I think another idiot light comes on. The computer will shut down the engine before this happens.

[oemtech]

Here is Workhorse says...