Turbo II owners respond: Engine Gauge Temperature
 

What is the normal operating temperature of your gauges?

My car runs hot I think and has been since I bought it. The heat level is just above half way up the gauge.

If you have any tips on how to get this down please let me know.

I just did a complete coolant system flush (got all the air bubbles out) and it is still running hot...

Any tips on this would be appreciated.

With the thermostat out it reads about 1/8. With the thermostat in about 1/4. Note: I have had a car that had a water gauge that read 1/2. This at idle. I considered this abnormal. I put the insturment cluster from another car in and the gauge read, now 1/4. I do not trust the water gauge. You need to install a aftermarket gauge on the engine for a true reading and get a feel for what the factory gauge is actually reading when its at say 1/2 gauge. Will give you peace of mind or make you realize that there is something wrong. The above readings made in Texas, a state about the size of Afganistan. Not quite as hot in Texas as it will be in Afgan in the near future.(humor)

lol..so what is a good temperature ?
 

Ok so I am going to install a water temp. gauge, what kind of tempurature's am I looking at in F or C (lol FC)

86-88 normaly run at 1/4, and 89-91 at 1/2. (different gauges) mine 89 runs just over 1/2 with new rad, thermostat, and coolant. it's always been there.

Now for an answer to your question. I went and bought a Sun Pro water gauge(mechanical and cheap, very cheap). Installed it with a brand new Mazda thermostat(82 C). Idled the car for over fifteen minutes. Read 180 F on the gauge. Factory gauge read less than a 1/4. Drove up and around the neighborhood hitting 7.5 to 8.0 on the boost(Auto Meter, matches the factory gauge readings I got from Irv, Keith's father). Got up to a 185F reading, no more. Cooled back to the 180F on a stretch of road with no boost. Factory gauge, temp. never gets over the 1/4 mark(180F on the Sun Pro). Actually its less than 1/4. For what its worth the voltage output of the water thermo is .52volts. If I was serious about a aftermarket gauge for continuous use, I think I'd buy a electrical gauge. These mechanical ones break to easily. The graduations are not small enough for me either. Should be able to slice and dice them into 5 degree segments. The outside temp is about 90 degrees today. Clear skies, lite wind. High humidity.

its my understanding that the 89 up temp gauge is pointless. it reads cold, normal or hot, and rarely gives an acurate reading. i dont drive an 89 up but my friend does, and he says his gauge sucks. my 87 t2 gauge reads pretty acurate. but ive always been told that if the 87-88 gauge reads more than halfway then the motor is unsafe hot. im not sure about the 89 up but im sure its similar. as far as tips to keep temps down, try water wetter from redline products. got the stuff in my 944. it works great.

91 TII, runs at 1/2 temp gauge all the time, well not when its cold obviously...

:D