The coolant temperature guage on my 1991 Chevrolet K1500 is inoperable. Either a bad guage or wiring issue. Mr Gasket offers a radiator cap that has a built in temperature gauge. Does anyone have experience with these?
So how do you read the temperature while driving so you know it's overheating? You can get a dash mounted gauge for $25,Mr Gasket offers a radiator cap that has a built in temperature gauge.
Even if it's accurate, it won't show relevant engine coolant temperature unless the thermostat is open, and the cap is near the radiator inlet, and the coolant level is up to the cap's sensing part.... Probably pretty accurate, but inconvenient in that you would have to stop the car and pop the hood to read the temperature.
I'm a fleet mechanic. This is a pic from a yard shifter that overheated a spotter truck that has a Cummins B6.7 in it. The trucks that move semi trailers to the dock at our hubs. The truck blew a radiator hose. If you think you're going to eye a gauge all the time to save an engine, good luck.
This happened years ago and the engine wasn't hurt and the truck is still in the fleet.
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