Just a few gauge questions
02-04-2017, 03:59 PM
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Just a few gauge questions So on the road to fixing up my 1997 Z28 Camaro, I had a few questions to see if they need to be looked at, or it's normal for these cars. Again, I'm new to all this... 😂
Temp gauge: When I bought the car, the owner said the car was overheating and leaking coolant from the reservoir, possibly due to a blown head gasket. Well upon further inspection, I looked towards the thermostat, it was gunky and seemed it was clogged up. After replacing the thermostat, no more leaks, and the gauge needle no longer reached the red warning indicator. When driving it stays at 180. However, when the car is idling, the gauge rises a little after the halfway mark, before starting to go back down, rises, and back down again. When I drive, it lowers back down and stays at 180... there's gunk in the radiator, obviously needs coolant flush too (owner used dexcool). But other than that, is that normal or any issues any of y'all might have come upon?
Oil Gauge: From idle to drive, needle rises, when I stop, goes back down. And this fluctuation is after new oil change.
Fuel Gauge: The Gauge needle seems to fluctuate as I drive. Drops down, then rises again when driving, hills seem to affect it the most. The fuel tank seems to have been dropped by a previous own, As from looking when I open the gas cap to fuel up. Asked the guy I bought it from, but had no clue.
These as are the questions I have so far. Yalls replays would greatly be appreciated.
Temp gauge: When I bought the car, the owner said the car was overheating and leaking coolant from the reservoir, possibly due to a blown head gasket. Well upon further inspection, I looked towards the thermostat, it was gunky and seemed it was clogged up. After replacing the thermostat, no more leaks, and the gauge needle no longer reached the red warning indicator. When driving it stays at 180. However, when the car is idling, the gauge rises a little after the halfway mark, before starting to go back down, rises, and back down again. When I drive, it lowers back down and stays at 180... there's gunk in the radiator, obviously needs coolant flush too (owner used dexcool). But other than that, is that normal or any issues any of y'all might have come upon?
Oil Gauge: From idle to drive, needle rises, when I stop, goes back down. And this fluctuation is after new oil change.
Fuel Gauge: The Gauge needle seems to fluctuate as I drive. Drops down, then rises again when driving, hills seem to affect it the most. The fuel tank seems to have been dropped by a previous own, As from looking when I open the gas cap to fuel up. Asked the guy I bought it from, but had no clue.
These as are the questions I have so far. Yalls replays would greatly be appreciated.
02-04-2017, 07:43 PM
#2
Thermostat maintains minimum temp by stopping most of the coolant from moving to the radiator until it gets warm enough and then it opens. From there fans maintain the max temp if all is right. So, driving on a cool day the air pushed through the radiator would keep the car cooler than max and when you stop and no air is pushed it would rise until the fans come on. Once it cools the fans will go off and it will rise again. It shouldn't be a rapid change, so if it is then there is likely and issue with the sensor or gauge.
Oil pump is driven by the crank, so it will depend on engine rpm and temp. Cold it will be pretty high and as it revs it will be higher. Once it warms to operating temp it will drop at all rpms because the oil will thin, but you should maintain at least (someone familiar with stock motors could help out here) 30 psi I think and gain about 10 psi per 1000 rpms roughly.
Fuel does slosh around and the float will move. I don't know how much filtering are on the stock fuel gauge as I drove mine very little stock.
Most of these are common to all cars, so can be helpful until your car drives itself.
Oil pump is driven by the crank, so it will depend on engine rpm and temp. Cold it will be pretty high and as it revs it will be higher. Once it warms to operating temp it will drop at all rpms because the oil will thin, but you should maintain at least (someone familiar with stock motors could help out here) 30 psi I think and gain about 10 psi per 1000 rpms roughly.
Fuel does slosh around and the float will move. I don't know how much filtering are on the stock fuel gauge as I drove mine very little stock.
Most of these are common to all cars, so can be helpful until your car drives itself.
02-04-2017, 07:50 PM
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Reply Thermostat maintains minimum temp by stopping most of the coolant from moving to the radiator until it gets warm enough and then it opens. From there fans maintain the max temp if all is right. So, driving on a cool day the air pushed through the radiator would keep the car cooler than max and when you stop and no air is pushed it would rise until the fans come on. Once it cools the fans will go off and it will rise again. It shouldn't be a rapid change, so if it is then there is likely and issue with the sensor or gauge.
Oil pump is driven by the crank, so it will depend on engine rpm and temp. Cold it will be pretty high and as it revs it will be higher. Once it warms to operating temp it will drop at all rpms because the oil will thin, but you should maintain at least (someone familiar with stock motors could help out here) 30 psi I think and gain about 10 psi per 1000 rpms roughly.
Fuel does slosh around and the float will move. I don't know how much filtering are on the stock fuel gauge as I drove mine very little stock.
Most of these are common to all cars, so can be helpful until your car drives itself.
Oil pump is driven by the crank, so it will depend on engine rpm and temp. Cold it will be pretty high and as it revs it will be higher. Once it warms to operating temp it will drop at all rpms because the oil will thin, but you should maintain at least (someone familiar with stock motors could help out here) 30 psi I think and gain about 10 psi per 1000 rpms roughly.
Fuel does slosh around and the float will move. I don't know how much filtering are on the stock fuel gauge as I drove mine very little stock.
Most of these are common to all cars, so can be helpful until your car drives itself.
When I do stop, it takes a bit for the temp gauge to rise. However, when I wait to get on post, and the line is long, it does rise past 210 by a bit, then it starts to lower, and rises again. Never reaching the red marker. Is that normal for these cars?. I had a 02 V6 camaro. Never saw these issues. And thank you for the reply.
02-04-2017, 07:53 PM
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Also, when I turn the car on, the fans don't kick in. However, when I took them out and got the connection to the battery, they turned right on