What's In An Instrument Panel?
We all drive every day (at least most of us if we're honest about it), but we rarely pay attention to the gauges in our car. Sure, we all look at the speedometer when we see a policeman in an attempt to not get pulled over, but sometimes even that is not enough.
So what should you be paying attention to in your cars gauges and more importantly, why? First, they are there to educate you about the condition of the car as we drive down the road. They can alert you about any possible problems that are coming up.
However, many vehicles today do not have much more in the way of gauges than a speedometer and gas gauge (which are the only ones most people pay any attention to), but rather have warning lights. When auto makers discovered that the average driver in today's world never looked at the other gauges, and were not educated about what they meant anyways, they decided to do something that would do a better job of getting the attention of the driver. Warning lights replaced the traditional gauges and have been a better way of getting the drivers attention (in most cases) when there was a problem.
If by chance you have a car that still has gauges, you should learn what they are for and pay attention. The coolant temperature gauge is a gauge that tells you just that, the temperature of the coolant. It is there to tell you when things are heating up. In the summertime, cars overheating are a particular problem. The average temperature of the coolant in a car running down the road is 200-210 degrees Fahrenheit. When the coolant starts to get hotter than that, you should pay close attention. If the temperature continues to climb and does not cool down as you speed up, then stop the vehicle and let it cool down. If you do not, you will be stranded on the side of the road calling for a tow truck
The oil pressure gauge is another important gauge. This gauge tells the pressure (or force) with which the oil is pumping through the engine. This is important, because a loss of oil pressure usually indicates a loss of significant amount of oil or of a blockage. In any event, the key is that you cannot drive the car that way for long or you may seize up the engine or break something inside that will cause you to need to buy a whole new engine.
RPM's on the dash are in a gauge called a tachometer. RPM's tell you the revolutions per minute that the crank of the engine is turning. This is important to know because the higher the RPM's, the faster everything is turning. The faster the parts turn, the tougher it is for them to be lubricated enough to counteract the heat generated in the motion. That, in turn, can mean a broken engine or at very minimum, one that does not last for long. Street cars and trucks generally run between 2000-3000 RPM's while driving down the road, and even less when they are idling in the driveway. For some reference point, compare that to a NASCAR race car, which runs around 8000-9000 RPM's and Indy cars, which run between 12,000-13,000 RPM's.
Another car gauge, less common, is the oil temperature gauge. We have talked about oil pressure and water temperature already, but oil temperature can also indicate some potential trouble. If the oil temperature in the engine is too hot, it will break down and lose its lubricating ability. That problem with the oil can again, mean big trouble and possibly destroying an engine. This gauge is less common because the oil temperature will generally be fine as long as the water temperature is fine, hence the reason to have and pay attention to the water temperature.
Instrument panels are something that more people should pay attention to. We should learn what the gauges really mean to us and our vehicles. As I stated before, many cars today have warning lights instead of gauges. Warning lights in your cars instrument panel usually come on too late. Speaking as an old timer who likes to know that when a problem is coming, if the light comes on, you are already into the trouble zone and should park the car and get it fixed. - 21392
So what should you be paying attention to in your cars gauges and more importantly, why? First, they are there to educate you about the condition of the car as we drive down the road. They can alert you about any possible problems that are coming up.
However, many vehicles today do not have much more in the way of gauges than a speedometer and gas gauge (which are the only ones most people pay any attention to), but rather have warning lights. When auto makers discovered that the average driver in today's world never looked at the other gauges, and were not educated about what they meant anyways, they decided to do something that would do a better job of getting the attention of the driver. Warning lights replaced the traditional gauges and have been a better way of getting the drivers attention (in most cases) when there was a problem.
If by chance you have a car that still has gauges, you should learn what they are for and pay attention. The coolant temperature gauge is a gauge that tells you just that, the temperature of the coolant. It is there to tell you when things are heating up. In the summertime, cars overheating are a particular problem. The average temperature of the coolant in a car running down the road is 200-210 degrees Fahrenheit. When the coolant starts to get hotter than that, you should pay close attention. If the temperature continues to climb and does not cool down as you speed up, then stop the vehicle and let it cool down. If you do not, you will be stranded on the side of the road calling for a tow truck
The oil pressure gauge is another important gauge. This gauge tells the pressure (or force) with which the oil is pumping through the engine. This is important, because a loss of oil pressure usually indicates a loss of significant amount of oil or of a blockage. In any event, the key is that you cannot drive the car that way for long or you may seize up the engine or break something inside that will cause you to need to buy a whole new engine.
RPM's on the dash are in a gauge called a tachometer. RPM's tell you the revolutions per minute that the crank of the engine is turning. This is important to know because the higher the RPM's, the faster everything is turning. The faster the parts turn, the tougher it is for them to be lubricated enough to counteract the heat generated in the motion. That, in turn, can mean a broken engine or at very minimum, one that does not last for long. Street cars and trucks generally run between 2000-3000 RPM's while driving down the road, and even less when they are idling in the driveway. For some reference point, compare that to a NASCAR race car, which runs around 8000-9000 RPM's and Indy cars, which run between 12,000-13,000 RPM's.
Another car gauge, less common, is the oil temperature gauge. We have talked about oil pressure and water temperature already, but oil temperature can also indicate some potential trouble. If the oil temperature in the engine is too hot, it will break down and lose its lubricating ability. That problem with the oil can again, mean big trouble and possibly destroying an engine. This gauge is less common because the oil temperature will generally be fine as long as the water temperature is fine, hence the reason to have and pay attention to the water temperature.
Instrument panels are something that more people should pay attention to. We should learn what the gauges really mean to us and our vehicles. As I stated before, many cars today have warning lights instead of gauges. Warning lights in your cars instrument panel usually come on too late. Speaking as an old timer who likes to know that when a problem is coming, if the light comes on, you are already into the trouble zone and should park the car and get it fixed. - 21392
About the Author:
I have been raised around cars and auto racing and I am passionate about cars and high performance. The instrument panel is one of my OCD's because I prefer to understand what is going on rather than relying on the warning lights that come standard in cars today. There are many car gauges that should fill the instrument cluster of a car and they each have a specific use.
posted by X - Men @ 2:45 AM
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