<bubbabubbs@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a2844e70-1367-4514-a9e4-2bc5902651ac@n58g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> I've been thinking about what my next commute car is going to be. 80
> miles/day, it's just me and my briefcase, so thinking of a small
> vehicle with great gas mileage. Yaris hatchback, Scion xD, or Honda
> Fit would work for me. Problem is, none of them has a water temp
> gauge, just an "idiot light."
>
> Would you consider buying a car (brand new) that only has the water
> temp "idiot light", but no water temp _gauge_ ?
>
> Btw, do these "idiot lights" come on early enough to prevent major
> engine damage, or only after the engine has overheated to the point
> where the head gasket is blown?
>
> Also, the next bigger models that do have the water temp gauge would
> be Toyota Corolla, Matrix, or Honda Civic. But the extra purchase/
> ownership cost may not even offset the possible repair costs resulting
> from a Yaris/Fit/xD engine overheating (which, if happens, would be
> several years down the road.)

Don't be so sure that the temeprature gauge is any better than the idiot
light. Many US and Japanese manufacturers now install temperature gauges
that are controlled by the engine computer (PCM) instead of directly by a
temperature transducer. They move upwards sort of like a "real" temperature
gauge as the car warms up, but it is an act controlled by the PCM. The
guage moves only in response to the commands from the PCM. Unless the car
overheats, the gauge is commanded to the "normal" position. Some have an
intermediate position between "normal" and "hot," some don't. Either way, it
is only a little better than the "idiot" light you don't like. I don't know
if the cars you mentioned have this sort of guage. I know my Ford Fusion and
Nissan Frontier do. I think my SO's RAV4 does as well, but I have not had a
chance to review the wiring diagrams to be sure. I suspect if you want
"real" gauges you will need to install them yourself, or buy a German car.

Ed


>
> TIA,
> Bubba