Coolant temp monitoring solution

Wtf is going on in here

 

you would have to hit temps of 300+ to warp an alum head. If you actually got to that point well, you should probably just throw the whole truck away.

 

This

 

I think it is pretty accurate, but it does you no good if you don't regularly monitor it. Which is why I got the UltraGauge EX - it has configurable audible alarms; thus, if a monitoring component goes over preset limits, the gauge emits an audible alarm. Ideally, you'll stop the engine before component failure and address the cause of the failure. And, yes, the UltraGauge monitors coolant temperature as well as AT temps - from both internal temp sensors.

 

I don’t really see to many options what are you talking about? I know I am stirring the pot here. I am just trying to ease my paranoia.Be in mind I have came from Nissan and Chevy and I have PTSD from those trucks and I can’t shake it.

 

Ultra gauge, Scan gauge, OBD / blue tooth Torque App (et al), After market gauges - digital - stepper motor - and analog..... All will give you real time, accurate readings of your coolant temps. What else do you want?

 

Parts don’t always fail on a fixed schedule. Being able to monitor systems that inform you of changes in normal operating conditions lets you prevent the catastrophic failures that can occur by assuming everything is ok when it isn’t. Even regular maintenance doesn’t eliminate instances of premature component failure. Small changes in coolant temp can signal problems in the coolant system or elsewhere just as picking up on a change in the normal sounds of driving might prevent a minor wheel bearing issue from becoming a major axle issue. Lack of adequate gauging could be compared to being kept deaf to those sounds.

 

So where would one insert a probe on a Tacoma for an aftermarket coolant temp sensor? This is actually the only vehicle that I don't have an aftermarket coolant temp gauge because it's my daily driver and I don't really beat on it. Is there a port in the head or block or would you have to use an adapter in a radiator hose?

I've got one on my Cummins and it's in the water jacket in the head (Cummins has ports everywhere for everything) and my BRZ is in an aftermarket water neck (lets you use a common radiator cap, factory is some oddball thing).

 

I have the exact same setup and I like it a lot. I use it to monitor my trans TC and Pan temps when towing my travel trailer up steep inclines.

 

Just thinking out loud....there are coolant drain plugs on the 4.0 block on either side. The left side being the easiest to access. Or
Probably easier to add a scan or ultra gauge, or obd bluetooth device.

 

Just go Scangauge or Ultragauge! Don't reinvent the wheel!

 

At some point or another in my browsing, I've seen a pipe with a bung that you splice into a radiator hose.

 

I don't disagree, but, some purists and enthusiasts prefer to "reinvent the wheel' and enjoy a lot of satisfaction from doing it "differently" from the "lemming" crowd. Some solutions not necessarily my "cup of tea", but ya gotta appreciate custom mods tastefully done.

 

Even amazoom has them, maybe not such a unicorn after all...

$28 Water Temperature Sensor Adapter - 38mm - Black Mishimoto -MMWHS-38-BK

https://www.amazon.com/Mishimoto-MMWHS-38-BK-Temperature-Sensor-Adapter/dp/B00860GIWU

 

I've got one of these in a Polaris Ranger. I'd rather have it in the block just from the hassle, but I'm definitely not opposed to these.

Exactly, I think the analog gauges look more put together than a digital readout and its a rare thing for me to use a digital gauge.

I work in a chemical plant in a utilities power generation capacity (steam powerhouses and power distribution), analog gauges are typically an improvement because you really gain a lot more info from them at just a glance vs numbers on a digital gauge, plus you can more easily tell rate of change with analog (not that it would matter with oil pressure or temp). In the beginning analog gauges were mainstream, however with the coming of the 7 segment display everything had moved to digital readouts and it required a lot more thought (in some ways thats a good thing), but it was found that things are easier to understand with an analog gauge especially under pressure (stress).

With a quick glance I can tell pressure or temp is within an OK range without knowing the actual value just from seeing the needle is in the "right" area. People use a speedometer that way, you know were 55 is and aren't really looking at the numbers but just making sure the needle is right in the normal zone.

 

I agree! My spin......(apples and oranges here) Back in another life, as a private pilot, you monitor RPM's, temps and pressures using analog gauges, along with other parameters (cyl head temps, oil levels, EGT etc) at a glance. Since then, I have installed gauges in all of my recreational or "leisure" drivers (R.V's, Jeeps, Tacoma). The Ultra Gauge gave me the most "bang for the buck" - most info, smallest footprint - coolant temp, trans temp, voltage, and fuel remaining (GPS corrected). I only added analog oil press and temps gauges as they were not available on the Ultra Gauge. For me, the "real estate" on the Tacoma just wasn't suited for an array of analog gauges. On my Super Duty diesel, the only parameter not measured by "factory" gauges, is oil pressure, using a combination of analog and digital readouts - DUH????

 

Ha, I'm not the only one then. I guess, I'm not crazy after all.

Also, heater controls vs up/down temp buttons. You could set it by feel, without having to take your eyes off of the road.

 

I've got a 2016 Subaru BRZ that is the perfect example of this. It doesn't have steering wheel controls but has a touchscreen radio! You couldn't do anything by feel, anything besides volume required looking at the radio. I couldn't handle it and put an old school aftermarket radio in with real buttons for everything.

I wish I could find it quick (I'll look) but it was a story about the first studies in stress management and making things more user friendly under stress. The study is post WWII and one of the examples was how many of the knobs and levers in aircraft were very similar. I think the first example was a B-17 and how the handle for flaps was similar to landing gear and many times one or the other would be forgot, especially during stress of landing after being shotup and checksheets weren't used.

The B-17 is also another good example of checksheets, it was the aircraft that brought a checklist about due to the crash of the first prototype when the pilots forgot to unlock the elevator controls.

Something scary, the B-17 brought about checklists and checksheets after that crash in 1938 I think, the medical field didn't start using checksheets during surgeries until recently....