Autometer oil temp gauge strangeness
#1
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U-Stink-But-I-♥-U
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From: 12 o'clock on the Beltway.
Autometer oil temp gauge strangeness
I installed several gauges recently including a Autometer, full-sweep, electronic, cobalt, oil temp gauge (whew!) This gauge is acting a little weird. When it starts up cold, the gauge does its little self check, then sweeps ALLL the way over to the hot side. Then as the car warms up, it will creep back to the cold side (to the stop post at 140F) then come up to, what I assume is, the correct temp.
Why is it doing that?
Also, when I am running on the highway, the oil temp struggles to reach 150F (it is chilly hear today; maybe 55F). But a extended stay at idle (5 min) or at slow speeds will bring the temp up to 220F! Is that normal? Oil pressures run around 20psi at idle and 60+psi at speed. Is this typical?
Why is it doing that?
Also, when I am running on the highway, the oil temp struggles to reach 150F (it is chilly hear today; maybe 55F). But a extended stay at idle (5 min) or at slow speeds will bring the temp up to 220F! Is that normal? Oil pressures run around 20psi at idle and 60+psi at speed. Is this typical?
#4
Originally Posted by carbonRX8
I installed several gauges recently including a Autometer, full-sweep, electronic, cobalt, oil temp gauge (whew!) This gauge is acting a little weird. When it starts up cold, the gauge does its little self check, then sweeps ALLL the way over to the hot side. Then as the car warms up, it will creep back to the cold side (to the stop post at 140F) then come up to, what I assume is, the correct temp.
Why is it doing that?
Also, when I am running on the highway, the oil temp struggles to reach 150F (it is chilly hear today; maybe 55F). But a extended stay at idle (5 min) or at slow speeds will bring the temp up to 220F! Is that normal? Oil pressures run around 20psi at idle and 60+psi at speed. Is this typical?
Why is it doing that?
Also, when I am running on the highway, the oil temp struggles to reach 150F (it is chilly hear today; maybe 55F). But a extended stay at idle (5 min) or at slow speeds will bring the temp up to 220F! Is that normal? Oil pressures run around 20psi at idle and 60+psi at speed. Is this typical?
olddrager has some posts about this...
beers
#5
Originally Posted by carbonRX8
Can I get a little ♥, maybe? I will accept educated guesses.
BTW, where did you install the gauges? Got a pic?
#6
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U-Stink-But-I-♥-U
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From: 12 o'clock on the Beltway.
Gauges are sitting in a nest of wires where my ashtray used to be, waiting for RB to get off their hind-end and get me their pod.
I should note that Autometer is kindly sending me a new sensor to determine if that is the cause of the trouble. Too bad that getting to the sensor is a serious PITA.
When I get pics of the install, I will send them. Too embarrassed to send a pick of the car now. I am driving around with no console from 'tween the front seats to the radio.
My AFR and (soon to be) boost gauge is mounted in cups behind my instrument cluster. Nice line of sight.
I should note that Autometer is kindly sending me a new sensor to determine if that is the cause of the trouble. Too bad that getting to the sensor is a serious PITA.
When I get pics of the install, I will send them. Too embarrassed to send a pick of the car now. I am driving around with no console from 'tween the front seats to the radio.
My AFR and (soon to be) boost gauge is mounted in cups behind my instrument cluster. Nice line of sight.
#7
Hehe, well it's all good as long as u can see them. I don't have a pod or anything for my boost gauge, just sum velcro and it sits on the right of my steering column, like right in front of the odometer. Works out nicely cus u can see spd and rpms and boost at the same time. Also, my wideband gauge is in my glove box w/ emanage and boost controller...As for ur oil temp prob, I'd wait and see if the other gauge reads any differently. Here's a look if u want a little cleaner temporary setup untill ur pod arrives.
#9
Originally Posted by carbonRX8
Gauges are sitting in a nest of wires where my ashtray used to be, waiting for RB to get off their hind-end and get me their pod.
I should note that Autometer is kindly sending me a new sensor to determine if that is the cause of the trouble. Too bad that getting to the sensor is a serious PITA.
When I get pics of the install, I will send them. Too embarrassed to send a pick of the car now. I am driving around with no console from 'tween the front seats to the radio.
My AFR and (soon to be) boost gauge is mounted in cups behind my instrument cluster. Nice line of sight.
I should note that Autometer is kindly sending me a new sensor to determine if that is the cause of the trouble. Too bad that getting to the sensor is a serious PITA.
When I get pics of the install, I will send them. Too embarrassed to send a pick of the car now. I am driving around with no console from 'tween the front seats to the radio.
My AFR and (soon to be) boost gauge is mounted in cups behind my instrument cluster. Nice line of sight.
Did you have any problems installing the adapters and sensors? If you took some pics it would be helpful for all to get an idea of what it involves. If not, I will plan to do that and submit a DIY.
#10
well, if the guage is pegging all the way to the hot side, that probably means the thermocouple fails and shorts out
and yes, your oil t's and p's are going to be all over the place and make little sense- hence mazda gave you an inteligent guage commonly referred to here as a dummy guage.
and yes, your oil t's and p's are going to be all over the place and make little sense- hence mazda gave you an inteligent guage commonly referred to here as a dummy guage.
#11
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U-Stink-But-I-♥-U
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From: 12 o'clock on the Beltway.
I talked to Brian and he has me in the system and will notify me when they are in. I agree, it will be an increadibly tight fit. He also said that he saw the set up and it looks pseudo-OE, and that they sourced gauges that look pseudo-OE also!!! Too bad I already bought the gauges. Oh well. BTWm they were supposed to have these in stock a few weeks ago as I understand. I am sure that they will sell a bunch if they get it out.
Sure, I can get some pics. The instructions that come with the adaptors are great. and you really dont need more for them, except a couple notes (like trimming a little more from the heater hose to allow for a better fit.) The oil press/temp adaptor is bitchy to do, especially with a turbo oil hose running right next to the filter and my LC-1 box right there as well. If you have small hands and arms you will be better off. Meaty folks would be better off removing the intake manifold (i kid.) Really, it is just tight, not difficult. I did have to break off the white holder for a brake line, as it interfered with my oil filter socket. Why mazda made it so difficult to change the oil, I will never understand.
I ran my lines through a flexi-hose (the ribbed, split hose that looks like a trachea. You run wires through it) and into the fire wall where the hood actuator runs. I widened it out to about an inch so that I could run my WB02 lines through as well. I used a dremmel with a high speed cutter (use a new one. I consider dremmel bits one time use on metal) and also wided the grommit that comes with autometer gauges to fit my split hose. I ran all the wires up and over the assorted crap under the dash and into the back of the dash and into the hole where my ashtray used to be.
Sure, I can get some pics. The instructions that come with the adaptors are great. and you really dont need more for them, except a couple notes (like trimming a little more from the heater hose to allow for a better fit.) The oil press/temp adaptor is bitchy to do, especially with a turbo oil hose running right next to the filter and my LC-1 box right there as well. If you have small hands and arms you will be better off. Meaty folks would be better off removing the intake manifold (i kid.) Really, it is just tight, not difficult. I did have to break off the white holder for a brake line, as it interfered with my oil filter socket. Why mazda made it so difficult to change the oil, I will never understand.
I ran my lines through a flexi-hose (the ribbed, split hose that looks like a trachea. You run wires through it) and into the fire wall where the hood actuator runs. I widened it out to about an inch so that I could run my WB02 lines through as well. I used a dremmel with a high speed cutter (use a new one. I consider dremmel bits one time use on metal) and also wided the grommit that comes with autometer gauges to fit my split hose. I ran all the wires up and over the assorted crap under the dash and into the back of the dash and into the hole where my ashtray used to be.
#14
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U-Stink-But-I-♥-U
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From: 12 o'clock on the Beltway.
Interestingly, the instrument cluster comes off very easily as a pod. Then the trim ring around it comes off easy also. Four screws total (but a few clips.) I drilled through the trim ring to seat a gauge cup. You could put multiple cups there, or have a custom unit made that replaced the trim ring. That may be $
#16
On oil temps dude--they dont rise fast do they? Your stock dummy coolant gauge will show normal operating temp and the oil temp will not have moved off of 140F! So people are ******* their cars and the oil temps are not warm yet----not good! In 55 degrees your oil temps in normal driving will be around 170 or so. If you dog her or set in traffic it will be higher (no air flow). Speed is equal to cooling when it comes to the oil coolers. If it gets too hot 250 or so--turn your a/c on full blast to activate BOTH fans--that will cool the coolant and the oil.
It takes my car about 3-4 miles befoer my oil temp is over 150F on a 70 degree day.
Good luck with the install.
Olddragger
It takes my car about 3-4 miles befoer my oil temp is over 150F on a 70 degree day.
Good luck with the install.
Olddragger
#17
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From: 12 o'clock on the Beltway.
OOhh! I finally got the RB Gauge pod in the mail today. That was a 6-month backorder!!!! Not such a bad thing as the back order coresponed to a very busy summer where I couldnt work on the car anyway. Now I can get back to the car stuff. Pics posted when I can.
#19
Originally Posted by olddragger
If it gets too hot 250 or so--turn your a/c on full blast to activate BOTH fans--that will cool the coolant and the oil.
It takes my car about 3-4 miles befoer my oil temp is over 150F on a 70 degree day.
It takes my car about 3-4 miles befoer my oil temp is over 150F on a 70 degree day.
#21
Your engine oil does not have a thermostat like your coolant--it's always flowing to the oil cooler. It's not necessarily going to hit 180 degrees or so. Of course, 140 is still too low, but when I'm cruising on the highway in my nonturbo 7 and it's cool out the oil temps will only hit 150-160.
And your oil temperature gauge should not be pegging when you turn the car on, unless the cobalt series is way different from the basic Z series that I run. Mine just blips slightly--it moves perhaps a millimeter when I actually turn the key. You probably have a bad sending unit.
And your oil temperature gauge should not be pegging when you turn the car on, unless the cobalt series is way different from the basic Z series that I run. Mine just blips slightly--it moves perhaps a millimeter when I actually turn the key. You probably have a bad sending unit.
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