Thread: TD5 got hot or did it?

If the TD5 Defender temp gauge is anything like the one in the Disco then it is a lying POS. That 'rock solid' halfway indication is totally not true. The gauge functions more as a warning light when the engine overheats than a reliable indication of what is actually happening. Do not trust it. The low coolant alarm is a good idea, but a proper gauge that shows real time temps is pretty much a must. Small price to pay yo protect the $7K you just spent.

I partially agree/disagree.

Normalised gauges are fine and a majority of punters prefer them as they don’t cause panic.

As an example - what do you think too hot is when it comes to coolant temp?

Where it all goes wrong is the lack of coolant level alarm - once you drop coolant the gauge doesn’t function correctly and we see the results of the coolant loss overheating event over and over.

If there isn’t coolant loss, but a conventional overheat eg. Blocked radiator. Then the system works very well, inducing a cooling routine to protect the vehicle.

Originally Posted by Tombie

Normalised gauges are fine and a majority of punters prefer them as they don’t cause panic.

Until you look and find the needle has gone from rock solid in the middle to the very top of the red in what seems like seconds, by which time it's usually too late. You are correct, it's personal preference, but the TD5 gauge is far too binary for me.

Under normal overheat it’s far less binary, elevated then hot, then light on…

It’s catastrophic coolant loss that bite quickly!

Must admit I got panicked, err, motivated to buy one of these products: Low Water Alarm Sensor

...after reading a few threads on ruptured hoses being noticed too late, with catastrophic results [read: new engine required]. No interest or affiliation.

A little over $200, pretty easy to install, shrieks at you when not happy, good insurance. But, doesn't replace standard maintenance of course!