Ductape wrote:

From a Dodge truck manual: "The instrument cluster circuitry restricts the oil pressure gauge needle operation in order to provide readings that are consistent with customer expectations."

In other words, it is not designed to tell you what the measurement is. It tells you what you expect it to.

Perhaps a better term than idiot gauge would be "Politician Gauge".

smkettner wrote:

They have put the drivers on a needs to know basis. If it is normal why have it moving around? We gave up manual transmissions for automatics why not trust the "automatic" gauges. Just as I must trust the transmission to upshift at the right time I trust the gauge will move up when actually needed.

Ductape wrote:

From a Dodge truck manual: "The instrument cluster circuitry restricts the oil pressure gauge needle operation in order to provide readings that are consistent with customer expectations."

In other words, it is not designed to tell you what the measurement is. It tells you what you expect it to.

Perhaps a better term than idiot gauge would be "Politician Gauge".

firecapt1 wrote:

I dont' think there is any such thing as and "idiot gauge."

Consider the difference between a "gauge" and a "light." The gauge moves along a scale based on pressure or temperature, whether it shows you an exact reading (in degrees, psi, etc.) or just a general scale, it gives you a reasonable idea of what is happening with that particular system (oil, water, transmission,etc.).

A light (idiot light) comes on when things have gotten so out of control, that the system it is monitoring is way beyond it's safe limits. Often, pulling to the side of the road, stopping, and turning off your engine at that point is too late, you have already done damage. I don't need to know, for instance, what my exact transmission temperature is, just if it is rising above normal and when it approaches critical levels.

As per my signature, I have a 2007 Ford F-250 SD Diesel. It has a factory built in boost, water temp, transmission temp, and oil pressure gauge. I believe that they are all adequate to allow me to anticipate problems and react in time to avoid damage.

That being said I would like to have an Exhaust Gas temp gauge and I may add one someday. In the end, gauges, whether factory installed or after-market are far superior to "idiot lights."

Yahooligan wrote:



In the case of your 2000 Chevy, the gauge reading is controlled by the PCM. The ECT (Engine Coolant Temperature) sensor is a potentiometer (A kind of variable resistor). A modern "idiot gauge" if you will. I know you didn't say otherwise, I just wanted to explain the mechanics of it. With a scantool or other OBDII-capable device it's possible to see the actual coolant temp. The temp gauge in your truck isn't directly connected to the sensor in this case, it's the PCM that's telling it what it show.