A temperature gauge is a device on the dashboard that displays the engine coolant or oil temperature. It can either be an analog gauge with a needle, a segmented display that moves between hot and cold, or a digital display of the actual numerical temperature.
Symptoms of Wear or Failure
- The gauge may read erratically or stick in the full hot or full cold position
- The back lighting may fail, making the gauge hard to read at night
- One or more "bars" of a segmented display may not illuminate
Related Repair Advice
- A temperature sensor or sending unit monitors the fluid temperature; its electrical resistance varies depending on the fluid temperature
- A faulty sending unit or its related wiring can also cause erratic gauge operation
