2017 tacoma engine temp gauge

I live in kentucky, and right now the outside temp is 18°. I start my truck in the mornings and let it run for 15 minutes or so, when I get back in my engine temperature gauge has never moved. It will warm up to normal specs by the time I get to work, but I've just noticed while sitting in the parking lot before I go in the temperature gauge will just start dropping at idle. It looks like the second hand on a clock, just going down 1/32" every 30 seconds or so. Is this normal for the weather conditions? Also mine is a manual transmission and its been everything I can do to get the clutch pedal to come off the floor while driving for the first 5 minutes or so. Im dropping it off at the dealership tonight cause its suppose to be -1° in the morning and I want a technician to see what I'm seeing when they start it in the morning...but has anyone ever heard of this crap? Or did I get a lemon?

 

Did you buy it new? My first Toyota truck I bought was from Arizona. It had a thermostat of 140°. I had to change it to 190° for upstate NY cold

 

Yes, I bought it new back in June of 17'. The dealership is keeping it right now and has filed a case with toyota due to the issue with the clutch. But I showed the tech a video i took of the temp gauge falling and all he said was "yea that doesn't really concern me" lol. I was like wtf? Ive had 3 new vehicles on the past 12 years and I've never seen the gauge fall like that, and when I told him that all he could say was it will go up and down till it's fully warmed up...new one on me.

 

Well I can say mine just slowly comes up and stays there. I actually think it’s a idiot gauge. Which it doesn’t give true real reading. Wonder where the sensor is and how secure yours is? Just a thought

 

It's not a real gauge. It's an idiot light with a needle instead of a bulb. It's position is based on about 3 broad ranges of temps.

If you want real numbers, get a proper monitoring tool like an SCII, Torque or ultragauge.

 

I’m ordering ultra gauge this week

 

Benny earls, did you get anything figured out with your dealer? I have the exact same issue you're having... same story too... but my dealer is basically telling me to shove it.
I'm a 15 year dealership technician with many specialties and I'm sure this is a problem. I live in northern Canada and we're getting some -30 celsius where my truck won't even make it through a drive-through without cooling off almost completely.
Wondering how you fared? Would love to get this resolved.

P.S. My clutch does that too... what'd they say there?

 

Well, my dealership filed a claim with big toyota over the clutch. But the technician at the dealer seen my video I made of my gauge doing that and he said "yeaaahh that's not concerning in my opinion"...well asshole it is to me. And as far as the clutch pedal goes, toyota made them get another manual 17' and compare it to mine during cold temps and they told me mine actually drove better...and going forward they recommended that I start my truck before driving (well duh!! It's winter morons), and that I pump my clutch 5 or 6 times before leaving my driveway. What a crock of shit, the only reason I wanted a stick is because I heard so many bad things about the auto trans.

But they gave me my truck back after 7 days, and I drove the thing right to the Chevy dealership in the next city over and traded it in to a full size 18' Silverado. And I can say without a doubt that I should have went there in the first place. My temp gauge is halfway up after letting it run for only 10 minutes and stays there, plus the truck has a lifetime powertrain warranty. I work extremely hard for my money and I'm not dropping 34k on a new truck that I have to make extra effort in order for it to drive normal. I loved my tacoma, it was the truck I wanted...but like I said, I want to get what I pay for.

 

Don't take it the wrong way but I think you got a little carried away trading the truck in. The engine stops circulating coolant on cold starts to warm up quicker. If you were letting the truck idle for 15 min you were wasting fuel waiting that long to reach optimal temperature instead of just driving it gently for a few mins to warm up quicker. The very cold ambient temps combined with blowing the heater at idle your truck is going to start cooling down. This is because the heater core is basically a small radiator that you are cooling off by blowing air over it.

The clutch pedal sticking some is normal aswell due the type of fluid used in the hydraulic system. All you had to do was swap to a fluid with better cold flow rate and no problems.