Thread: Water gauge

Originally Posted by Homestar

Sticking your finger out the window is more accurate that the factory gauge.

I was going to do a post on this. I will later.

I think the gauge is actually a 6 position gauge, but the normal, and high but normal indications are so marginally different, that they look almost the same. LR obviously programmed it that way so people don't think about it unless they have to think about it.

From what I've seen the dash uses these 6 positions:

• Cold - needle at the bottom of the gauge
• Warmed up but still cold (my stuck thermostat ran all the time at this position) - about 1/4 of the way up. The D2 Td5 cooling system has a huge amount of capacity.
• Normal running temp - in the middle, water waves are just under the needle.
• High normal running temp - slight gap between under the needle and the water waves, electric radiator fan stays on, then later AC goes warm
• Hot - 3/4 of the way up, throttle will only give idle
• Actually properly hot - Needle to the top. Red light comes on. Idle only.

Because it overheats, it isn't necessarily damaged by the heat, but something needs fixing.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

I was going to do a post on this. I will later.

I think the gauge is actually a 6 position gauge, but the normal, and high but normal indications are so marginally different, that they look almost the same. LR obviously programmed it that way so people don't think about it unless they have to think about it.

From what I've seen the dash uses these 6 positions:

• Cold - needle at the bottom of the gauge
• Warmed up but still cold (my stuck thermostat ran all the time at this position) - about 1/4 of the way up. The D2 Td5 cooling system has a huge amount of capacity.
• Normal running temp - in the middle, water waves are just under the needle.
• High normal running temp - slight gap between under the needle and the water waves, electric radiator fan stays on, then later AC goes warm
• Hot - 3/4 of the way up, throttle will only give idle
• Actually properly hot - Needle to the top. Red light comes on. Idle only.

Because it overheats, it isn't necessarily damaged by the heat, but something needs fixing.

I've only seen 1, 3, and 6 on mine... ok, 1 to 3 shows the gauge climbing. 6 was when those bloody plastic dowels worked their magic. It went from 3 to 6 almost instantaneously. Of course, once the gasket went it didn't really matter....

Originally Posted by Tins

I've only seen 1, 3, and 6 on mine... ok, 1 to 3 shows the gauge climbing. 6 was when those bloody plastic dowels worked their magic. It went from 3 to 6 almost instantaneously. Of course, once the gasket went it didn't really matter....

Thats the interesting thing, they were definately stop points for mine. I got to see 4/5/6 when my water pump failed. I changed the water pump, PAS pump and thermostat and the thermostat was sticking open and found the 2. The thermostat has now corrected itself. Interestingly, I see 2 all of the time now as it warms up, and it is quicker to warm up compared to the OE thermostat. The other thing which I thought was interesting, was that when it was only warming up to 2 as a max temperature, it really messed up the calibration of the AC and turned it into a heap of uncalibrated rubbish. I suspect it is a cooler thermostat that standard and the calibration of the AC still seems to be out. Actually the coolant system has a massive effect generally on the operation of the AC system.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

Thats the interesting thing, they were definately stop points for mine. I got to see 4/5/6 when my water pump failed. I changed the water pump, PAS pump and thermostat and the thermostat was sticking open and found the 2. The thermostat has now corrected itself. Interestingly, I see 2 all of the time now as it warms up, and it is quicker to warm up compared to the OE thermostat. The other thing which I thought was interesting, was that when it was only warming up to 2 as a max temperature, it really messed up the calibration of the AC and turned it into a heap of uncalibrated rubbish. I suspect it is a cooler thermostat that standard and the calibration of the AC still seems to be out. Actually the coolant system has a massive effect generally on the operation of the AC system.

Is yours a 2 or a 2A, I can't remember. I'm wondering if they are different, or maybe it's a 10P thing only.... I've never seen mine stay in one place other than 1, 3, or 6.

Silly me, the D1 has alarms and gauges for coolant and EGTs, and the D2 has bugger all. The D2 was never intended for anything other than daily with casual off road, but it still needs protecting.

Originally Posted by Tins

I've never seen mine stay in one place other than 1, 3, or 6.

IMO that's how it was designed to work(based on the description from the WSM too)

I checked the gauge operation on mine based on ECT inputs with nanocom:
1. when the ECT reaches 40*C it goes from bottom to 1/4 and stays there up to 69*C
2. at 70*C goes to the middle and stays there up to 119*C
3. at 120*C goes to the red zone(i used a heat gun on the elbow where the sensor is to check that)

Thank you all, I learned something new..

I just need a better temp reader so I will go with this OBD plug in and run it on my android phone.

Have you got a Nanocom? In instrument mode you can monitor temperature to tenths of a degree.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Have you got a Nanocom? In instrument mode you can monitor temperature to tenths of a degree.

What Ian says is relevant.
One of the most common tips/advices given re D2s, is "get a nanocom". Can seem expensive, but when troubles start(especially ABS/3 Amigos) ... it's good to know what/why, and if money needs to be spent then it's likely not going to be wasted.

Nanocom is your friend.

I haven't yet connected my super duper OBD scan tool on my V8 D2, but with the V8, alternative to nanocom could be a well sorted OBD tool.
If you have a TD5 D2, then nanocom is more important as the TD5 doesn't do OBD comms.

What I do know tho, is that the generic(ELM27) type OBD devices can misreport ABS issues, which I did see on my V8 when it was going.