Where does your temperature gauge sit?

Hey everybody,

I have a 2002 2.4L extended cab tacoma with a standard 5-speed transmission, and was wondering where everybody's temperature needle sits on their gauge. I know that these are just fancy idiot lights, but it's been freaking me out ever since I bought the car, seeing as everyone else's gauges seem to sit so much lower than mine (either at half or slightly below).

I also ask because sometimes it seems to rest higher than it usually does when my lights are on. The daytime pic is normal (75 degrees F, no A/C, about 30 seconds of idling before picture was taken)

The nighttime pic (70 degrees F, defrost on, raining, about 30 seconds of idling before picture was taken) seems to me like it sits higher.

Maybe it's because I'm paranoid, but I'm kind of worried about how high up the gauge sits in general, especially when I have the air on. I've changed the coolant about 5000 miles ago, and have no mechanical issues. What do you guys think? Do I have anything to worry about?

 

The guage will fluctuate some around the time your thermostat opens and closes, where you are sitting I really wouldn't worry too much. Seems fine to me .

 

Mine is just like yours. Just above half way.

 

This. Mine (2001 3.4) sits just below half 90% of the time, with occasional fluctuations up to the same point yours sits but right back down again.

 

mine sits just above half, just like yours. 186 degrees indicated on the ultragauge.

 

Mine sits in the dash, to the left of the tachometer, just like yours.

The needle also sits almost perfectly level, and has never fluctuated since I've owned it. Even while towing.

 

I don't believe the needle actually indicates real temperature changes; it doesn't budge from the bottom until over 120 degrees. I haven't owned my Taco long enough to be 100% Certain, but many cars are like this; the temp gauge wont budge until the vehicle is actually overheating. It saves the dealer the trouble of explaining that a temperature gauge is supposed to move around to the customers. On many older cars it was considered normal and acceptable for the temperature gauge to dip into the red for short periods of time at high load... nowadays the OEM's prefer to hide the data from the consumer.

 

an inexpensive OBDII scanner will tell you in degrees what the temp sensor is sensing in degrees. C >>> H is pretty meaningless unless you know what C =. does C = 100 degrees and what does H =, 240?

 

and rightly so - most consumers are dumb. That's why they call them "idiot lights"...

I don't consider myself dumb, but I also don't need to know some information if it's not critical, like 10 degree fluctuations in coolant temp, so I'm fine with that info being "hidden". Just tell me when the temp approaches what the engineers consider to be out of spec - which in 15 years of ownership, it never has.

 

Not sure if your statement is accurate. My truck, that needle starts "budging" about 3 minutes after startup-from a point considerably below the C mark. Then it slowly rises from there to a little bit under halfway. It sure doesn't act like a "dummy light".

 

Mine looks like yours. Slightly above half never changed since I've owned it.

 

Looks to me that the 2.7s and 2.4s read slightly higher than the 3.4s. And people seem to claim this is not a "real" temp guage I guess since it has no numbers. I kinda wish they put numbers in there. I bet this thing would be pretty accurate.

 

ive got an 04 with the 2.4 and the temp sits dead center even with 90 degree weather in California

 

Hair below half on my my 2.4l

 

My 3.4 sits just below half, however just like my old chevy's you can watch the t-stat open and close. Meaning that the gauge on mine does move up and down even if just a little when that happens . It's not really noticible unless you're looking for it.

 

Get either a Bluetooth OBDII Reader sending information to a phone app like Torque Pro or buy yourself a Scan Gauge. The temperature gauge on the dash does tell you something but if you really want to know what's going on with your coolant temp, trans temp, volts and many other things, get what I recommended. The Bluetooth reader to a phone app is the more affordable way to go.

 

Mine sits half way, granted its broken.. its not even hooked up to a sender and it still goes to halfway soon as the key is turned lol... imo the factory temp gauge is worthless unless it hits over 240 then it will shoot up to H.

 

The gauge in my 2004 3.4 goes up as the truck warms up, to the same point as your daytime photo. Same point for 110k miles.

 

I’m my 2.4 it sits in the middle between 177-215 so there really not that accurate. Get a scanguage

 

Maybe your T-stat was installed wrong, it's supposed to be at 6 for some odd reason, you'll have 5-10 degree cooler temps if you do so.