The stupidification of gauges

[Diesel_Dave]

Originally Posted by jakobnev

So an actual gauge, even without numbers, isn't useless, if you pay attention.

True, I've done things before like trying different things and seeing when the gauge gets to "that mark"--even if I don't know what "that mark" is it still can be useful for comparing 2 different strategies. Buy my point is why not put the number on? It's not like it saves any money to not put it on. Maybe they just do it so people don't complain, "Hey, the gauge says it's 140 and it's only 120-fix my gauge." I guess if there are no numbers nobody can complain that the gauge isn't accurate.

The "dummy" gauge is what really bugs me. That IS worse than no gauge at all. It's not just witholding information, but potentially giving BAD information. There's a saying in engineering that, "Bad data is worse than no data." Very true.

[brucey]

Many new cars don't have a temperature gauge at all.

It's simply a light that goes blue when it's cold, goes away when it's operating temperature, and flashes red if it gets hot.

I'm not against it, as the average driver will probably pay more attention to a flashing light than a gauge steadily rising.

That said, it doesn't give a lot for us car geeks to go by, but that's what the ScanGauge's are for!

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by brucey

...that's what the ScanGauge's are for!

...exactly: providing data for the discerning driver!

[user removed]

I liked to old heated bimettalic type of gauge. One of my customers once told me the gauges in my Z car were just about identical to those in a F15. Guess they have messed them up in the new models as well.

regards
Mech

[JRMichler]

I guess I'm lucky. My Canyon has a real temperature gauge, although without numbers. The needle comes off the peg at 130 deg F, hits the 1/4 mark at 160 deg, and the half mark at 190 deg F.

The gas gauge, however, is an interesting exercise in over-computered tech geek computer programmer time wasting. For instance, it goes to zero after any EOC more than about a mile. It bounces right back after a low fuel warning in the DIC. It goes to zero and stays there after the first long EOC after filling the tank. Etc.

[pete c]

This has always been a pet peeve of mine.

Having a "gauge" that is nothing more than an idiot light is false advertising and should be illegal. In fact this set up is worse than an idiot light. At least the red light is noticeable.

I think that even with a gauge, there should be a red light which will come on when whatever they are monitoring falls out of normal parameters.

[gone-ot]

...here's an "off-the-wall" analogy:

...the car companies quote interior space volume numbers to two-and-three decimal places, but state fuel tank capacity as 15 gal. [approx]!

...I think gauges should be "regulated" same as speedometers, ie: they ALL must have stated accuracies and precision.

...what do you think?

[nemo]

I've only ever had one car that when the gauge showed empty it was. Every other one I got more miles out of the first half than the second and could continue driving after they hit empty. It would be nice if they were accurate.

[pete c]

that's been pretty much my experience. seems that most vehicle gas gauges like to sit at full for 100 miles, then drop like a rock. i believe this is done on purpose. people will notice how far they go before the gauge starts to move. if it goes a long distance, it makes them feel they are getting good mileage.

an exception to this is my daughter's saturn wagon. the gauge drops quickly off full, then slows.

[Diesel_Dave]

As far as fuel level gauges go, I think the long-distance-on-full phenomenom is largely explainable by the way the fuel gauge is constructed. It's a float, so the fuel level has to drop quite a bit before the float can move (the width of the float). In addition, if you've filled up fuel into the filler neck, there's obviously no way the float can detect that. Additionally, you really don't need to know the fuel level when you're near full do you? I think this is one thing I can live with.