Reading The Fluid Gauges On Your Dashboard

While the modern driver is spoilt with the modern dash that indicates pretty much everything that is going on with the car, classics do not enjoy the same tech. However, the old iconic gauge meters have their own beauty. For some, Fluid Gauge Readings could be new. These dials on your dash are extremely important and might indicate a problem that is not much away. Liquid gauges among everything are the most important ones. So here we will discuss some of the most common Fluid Gauge Readings and how to read them.

List of Important Fluid Gauge Readings Which You Should Know

Oil Pressure Gauge

The oil pressure gauge accounts to be the most crucial fluid indicator in your car. An oil pressure reading is perfect when it’s neither too less nor too more. The most critical readings are when the engine is up to temperature because the thick oil will always give a higher pressure reading in cold conditions. This is when you pull out your old car manual to check the appropriate oil for your car. but in general, a good engine should give a steady reading of around 40/60lbft at around 3000rpm and fall to about 25lbft at idle.

Things can get disconcerting if the pressure goes unexpectedly low. This can indicate a massive oil leak or a failed oil pump. Meanwhile, a gradual drop in pressure might point to general engine wear.

Water Temperature Gauge

Like the oil pressure gauge, Car temperature gauge, the water temperature gauge is supposed to be at the happy medium spot. If the gauge is sluggish to move up to running temp then it means that the thermostat is faulty and probably stuck slightly open; a new one can work wonders on many old engines.

A hotter than normal reading is okay (presuming there’s no fault with the system that is!), so long as it’s not near the danger zone – this can happen on old engines suffering from furred up waterways or a clogged up radiator.

A sudden move up the scale into the red is usually due to a massive, sudden leak (burst hose, core plug etc) and accompanied by a loss of coolant! But if the coolant is still there then the head gasket is likely to be the culprit.

At the Collectors’ Workshop in Dubai, we specialise in repairing, maintaining and restoring classic cars and high-end exotics and performance cars. If you are looking for a reliable car garage in Dubai, come visit us for a coffee sometime and let’s discuss your requirements.